Today is my day on The Blog
Tour, where writers and authors answer questions about their writing
processes. My friend Elizabeth Gaucher
posted hers last week. You can check out
her writing process here:
http://essediemblog.com/2014/03/10/mywritingprocess/
Well, I guess it’s my turn to
share. So let’s get to it.
What am I working on?
With March Madness set to
begin this week, I will be concentrating most of my attention on my blog posts
for The Man Cave Podcast website (www.mancavepodcast.com).
This will be the second year that I’ve
written about the tournament for the site.
I am tentatively scheduled to be a guest on their weekly podcast that is
broadcasted via the site and Apple ITunes.
I am also working on the
second draft of a novel that is yet to be titled. I started on this project about a year and a
half ago during National Novel Writing Month in November. I’ve been off and on with dealing with it but
I figure it I continue to plug away at it, it will get done.
Even with all of this going
on, I still find some time to work on poetry.
I still participate in open mic events around the city and attend poetry
critique groups when my schedule allows.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I did not have any idea about
different types of genres until I joined James River Writers organization a few
years ago. I definitely did not think
about it when I wrote Nice Guys Finish
Last. But after my experiences with
trying to promote this book as well as learning from many of the other writers
that have published their own works, I realized that many of the themes and
topics that I write about don’t really have a home.
I write all of my works from
a modern day male’s perspective. Some of
them are my own and some from observations of people I know and don’t
know. I feel that there is a lack of
content for that type
of person. Many
times men are portrayed in three different ways:
- Courageous hero
- Devious villain
- Emasculated wimp
Men are way more than that
and I wanted to cover through my own experiences and that of others.
Why do I write what I do?
The name of my blog says it
all:
I Got Something To Say
The motto applies to whatever
format that I write in. I just feel like
there are things that I want to get out there in my own voice.
How does your writing process work?
I work a full-time job and
some days have to work overtime. That
doesn’t leave me a lot of time to actually sit down and write. Most of the time I am a pantser. I have ideas floating in my head and many times
I’ll write them down as is and come back to them later. I have mounds of paper piled up in a corner
of a room to prove that.
One of the things I really
have to fight is not wanting to sit down and write. I work in IT for a printing company and I
spend most of my day in a chair staring at a computer. The last thing I really want to do is come
home to sit in a chair and stare at another computer. I always try to change locations in the house
to give myself a different environment.
Sometimes I write at the kitchen table on my laptop, sometimes I take my
laptop into the living room and write on the couch, and sometimes I will write
at my desktop. I also find that writing
longhand on a legal pad helps the process along as well, especially with my
poetry.
NEXT WEEK
JP Cane lives
in Richmond, Va. He is active in the local writing community and serves on the
board of James River Writers. He has published several essays and his first
short story, “Full Moon Lament,” appeared in eFiction Magazine. He has just
finished his novel, Shadows. Follow
him on Twitter (@jpcane) or check out his website ( http://www.jpcane.com ). He enjoys connecting
with writers and readers, so reach out!
Leila Gaskin
was born on a dark and stormy night on the other side of the world from
Richmond, VA, Leila Gaskin began a life full of imaginative wanderings.
Influenced by her journey, Leila takes inspiration from the places she’s lived.
She is a member of the James River Writers and the author of several short
stories ranging from horror, speculative fiction, science fiction, and urban
fantasy. Hot Flashes is her debut
novel.
With her dog as her co-pilot
and the cat as the navigator, Leila explores her world and tells her stories.
Check out her website at www.leila-gaskin.com.
Life is an adventure for Eric Douglas, above and below the water
and wherever in the world he ends up. Eric received a degree in Journalism from
Marshall University. After working in local newspapers, honing his skills as a
story teller, and following a stint as a freelance journalist in the former
Soviet Union, he became a dive instructor. The ocean and diving have factored
into all of his fiction works since then.
As a documentarian, Eric has
worked in Russia, Honduras and most recently in his home state of West
Virginia, featuring the oral histories of West Virginia war veterans in the
documentary West Virginia Voices of War.
He is the author of the
fiction works: Cayman Cowboys, Flooding Hollywood, Guardians' Keep, Wreck of the Huron, a string of Kindle short
stories, two children’s books and is the editor/co-author of the collaborative
fiction work River Town.
His nonfiction work includes Scuba Diving Safety, Russia: Coming of Age
and Common Valor.
His blog is located at: www.booksbyeric.com.
