Authors At Work

I was tagged by the lovely Dani Pettrey to participate in an author’s blog roll, writers talking about their books, their work space and motivation.

Thanks for stopping by and seeing how we do things at the Hauck House.

What am I working on?

Funny you should ask? I’m finally finishing the rewrites on the third Royal Wedding Book, “How To Catch A Prince.”

This book really kicked my backside. I could never land the concept to my liking. Then in January I had a few physical issues that added stress to the writing process. For the first time in my full time writing career (10 years this August) I turned in a book unfinished!

But my lovely editor, Becky Philpott, found the gems and encouraged me along the way. “This is not bad. In fact, it’s pretty good. You can fix this.”

I’ve found my mojo with this piece. My physical issue has subsided. Praise God! And I’m off to the races.

Look for “How To Catch A Prince” March 2015.

But before then, my next novella, “A Brush With Love” releases in January 2015.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Wow, what a great question. I write in the romance genre but I skirt some of the more strident “rules” of romance. While the hero-heroine relationship is central to my stories, I often have a strong layer with each character about other issues in their life.

So their only problem is not the romance but some other life aspect. I like complications.

I also write with strong family dynamics as well as some supernatural element.

Why do I write what I do?

I say you write who you are, not what you know. I’m a Pollyanna. I love Happily Ever After. I gravitate to romantic comedies and love stories.

I write down home family dynamics because that’s the way I was raised. I write supernatural elements because I love exploring the aspects of God that are not confined to our five senses.

I write in the Inspirational market because I want to tell stories about people who encounter a real, true, living God.

How does my writing process work?

Other than with How To Catch A Prince where my initial premise changed dramatically, I plan who I am telling my story about.

I do a lot of emotional and spiritual character work, figure out who they are, where they lived, who raised them and how.

I give my characters “something to do” be it being a royal prince or a classic car restorer. But everyone has a job.

Then I figure out what the story is about? Why am I telling this story. It has to have a purpose. The characters have to have a purpose.

What’s the story question? What will the hero and heroine do in the end they can’t do in the beginning.

I do a lot of work with the wound, lie and fear journey, figuring a black moment and epiphany based on the story question.

All of these things actually form the plot. I use external circumstance to tap into the internal issues.

Then I write. I tweak my story plan.

I usually fast draft to about 70k words then I start over. I may use most or almost none of the first draft. But I have such a better feel and view of the story at this point.

Then I rewrite and edit again! Books are not written, they are rewritten!

Now, hop on over to Dani’s blog to see her writing process!

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