Today’s post is part of blog tour, or blog hop if you prefer the term. I was asked to join by Jackie of To Breathe is to Write. If you recall I did a guest post for her about making time for things. Now she has asked me to participate in a blog tour where I answer four questions about my writing process and then pass the buck to a couple of more people. You can see what she did for her post last week over here.
What am I working on right now?
I’m working on so many things, too many things if I stop to think about it. Obviously there is my book The Other Side of Darkness. I’m also trying to post my Raincloud and Whirlwind comics more frequently. I’ve sort of started trying to include different characters into the comic, which may or may not be representative of other bloggers that I know. Just ask me if you want to be included. I also have ideas for about 4 other stories. So if I can just finish this first book and get it off to the editor I can start working on those. Teaser… one of the stories is about a person who starts seeing a large occurence of the number 5 in his or her life, working title Numeric5. I’ve also managed to outline what will be the sequels to The Other Side of Darkness. This took some time, and it’s probably time I should have just spent on finishing the first book. I also have an idea for a blog series in which I compare and contrast the 7 steps of the scientific method to the 8 pillars of Buddhism. I argue that they are one in the same. Depending on how much writing comes out of that I could turn it into a small book, but first I have a lot of research (reading) to do.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I don’t know that it does all that much. The Other Side of Darkness is fantasy at it’s very core. The thing about my work, my blog, or whatever it is I’m doing, I’m never seeking to carve out a niche. I’m just seeking to put myself into it. In The Otherside of Darkness I’m continually adding little references and inside jokes to the text and the characters. The work is by no means autobiographical, but it does have little nuggets of joy from my childhood and life spread throughout it. Close readers may be able to pick of some of these details if they are obsessive about the same sort of things I am. One line which I’m sure will appear towards the end of the book is blatantly paraphrasing a cartoon I used to watch all the time. These types of things are all throughout the book.
Why do I write what I do?
I write whatever comes to my mind. Usually these ideas come to me while I’m exercising. If I don’t get them down on paper they just sit there in my head, building up, getting lost in the recesses of my brain, clogging up the network of other thoughts I need to get by day-to-day. I have to get them out just to order my thoughts and stay sane sometimes. Most of the time these ideas come out as stories. Other times they come out as rants. You get the idea after reading my blog long enough.
How does my writing process work?
I use my laptop for all my writing. Usually I use Google drive for storing all my writing. Otherwise my writing happens when it happens. Either late at night when everybody is asleep or at least in bed or it happens in the early morning when I’m awake before everybody else. I tend to not sleep well if I have a lot ideas stored in my head so I write to get them out. I don’t write everyday because sometimes I’m just too tired or I prefer to read with what free time I have, but I write 3-4 days a week on average. I have my spot on the couch that I can ease into, I flip on my laptop and I just write what comes to me. I can usually drill out about 1500 words at a time before I’m spent.
So that’s it for the question and answer part of the tour. Next I would like to tell you about Mary Cain of The Write Way, who will be carrying the torch for next week. You may remember her from a guest post I did about Richard Simmons. She also did an excellent post on what writers should be spending most (not all) of their time doing, writing.
Mary Cain has a B.F.A. in Fashion Design but chooses to stay home with her two young children. She writes adult and new adult romance. Her interests include pretty much everything and she’s always trying a new craft, hobby, etc.
The Hungry Dog's Lair 
It’s always interesting to see the different approaches from other writers. And I’m going to check out what your book is about. I’m ever impressed if people manage to get a book published! Woohoo!
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Oh gosh I’m ever so excited for you to read at least the parts of my book that are out there. They are still unedited so I hope you can stomache them. I get nervouse when anybody wants to read my stuff. I get even more nervous when it’s people who are, in my humble opinon, excellent writers.
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Hi Martin! It’s interesting to read about your writing process. It was a fun read. 🙂
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Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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I sympathize with you on writing too many things at once. I have 5 series going in three different genres. Fun times…not.
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Sounds like serious fun to me 🙂
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Thank you again Martin for doing this with me. I appreciate it. Your answers to the questions were great! It’s always nice to read how other writers operate.
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