A Year of Writing Influences

Writing influences this year?

1. A dream
2. An editor
3. My CPs

Oh. You wanted more than that? Well, then. Grab your festive, seasonal beverage of choice, a fist full of holiday cookies (with frosting!) or candy and have a seat.


The Dream: Not gonna make you read through a retelling of a dream that only matters to me. Suffice it to say, there was a dream. It was one of those half dream/half nightmare affairs where someone or something else has control of you. Your protests and determination make no difference whatsoever. One line from the dream stands out because it made it verbatim into an Urban Fantasy called Nightmare Ink, which is due out in April from Intermix. The line was: "You are a work of art. Don't make me destroy you."

An editor: So, it may not have escaped your notice that I had been writing science fiction romance. And now I'm not. (Well. I am but we'll talk about that later. As in second quarter of 2014 later.) I adore my editor. She is spectacular at what she does - identifying issues and communicating those clearly. I never have any doubt how to fix something after she's sent me her notes. She's that clear. Well, when she asked me if I had any urban fantasy kicking around that she could take to the Intermix line, of course I said yes. I got to keep working with her!

My Critique Partners: I have multiple critique groups. Okay. Two. Those two groups encompass a wide array of writers. Every one of them liked the Nightmare Ink concept and worked with me in a lovely way whenever I struggled with feeling like I might be in over my head, which was often. I had a steady stream of encouragement, ideas, and suggestions. Emergency reads in the eleventh hour before I handed it off to my editor may also have happened. Then the cycle began again because the second book in that series is due just about any day now. Because *this* time around, I am doing my darnedest to give my excellent CPs plenty of time to work their red pencil magic before I have to hand it over to my editor.

How's that? Did I time my post to coincide with your need for a refill on that drink of yours? I hope so. And I hope you and your family and friends all have a tremendous holiday, and a happy new year filled with everything good.