Please Welcome Author...Tawny Taylor

Hello everyone! I’m so thrilled to be here this week.

I guess I could start with a short introduction. For those who don’t know me, I’m Tawny Taylor, and I write uber-hot romance stories for Changeling Press, Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington and Pocket. The vast majority of my published works are paranormal BDSM stories. Many of them are also ménage-a trois.

I thought I’d comment about this week’s topic, since it’s interesting.

So, what’s my answer?

It depends.

Personally, I find that no part of writing is easy. Ideas, dialogue, sex scenes, romantic scenes, emotional moments…at one time or another, they’ve all come easier than the others. It seems to depend upon what else I have going on at the time.

Like right now, NOTHING is easy. I have a house full of bored, bickering kids (IMO, school should be year-round *g*). There’s lots of noise and commotion, and I’ve spent the winter and spring hibernating. I want to go outside. Breathe fresh air. Get bit by insects…you know, live. Thus, my writing suffers. Come fall, though, I know I’ll be ready to dig in again. At least that’s been the way things have gone since I started writing in 2001.

Now, this winter was the total opposite. After the holidays, it seemed like it all came easier (you’ll notice, I didn’t say easy). I had lots of stories in my head and they all wanted to come out. I couldn’t write fast enough. Emotion poured onto the page. Raging hot love scenes. I was just loving the process. That was when I wrote this week’s release with Ellora’s Cave, Masters of Illusion. I’d just watched a moody, dark movie called The Illusionist and my imagination took flight. The characters pretty much wrote the book for me (I was the one who got carpel tunnel, though. *g*)

So, there you go--my response to this week’s topic. It depends…

…on whether my kids are home from school

…on the weather outside

…on what and how much I’ve fed my imagination (yes, my imagination must be fed on a regular basis. You wouldn’t believe the “food” it craves.)

…on my hormones (TMI?)

Thanks again for having me! I had a great time!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tawny Taylor

www.tawnytaylor.com

MASTERS OF ILLUSION, Available in ebook formats, Ellora’s Cave

Sarah on the easiest part of writing

Hello everyone! I hope you're having an excellent Wednesday! =) Today I'm going to be continuing with this week's discussion on "The easiest part of writing." This topic is rather difficult because there are areas where I feel I've come a long ways and am decent in, but I still don't necessarily consider them easy. Ideas would probably be the least difficult for me. I feel comfortable with dialogue and plot as well.

As someone once said "writing is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration." I agree with that, for the most part. I find that I have so many ideas for novels and novellas, yet finishing the novel I'm currently working on is so much more challenging. Why? It involves that large dose of perspiration. Some days I have to force myself to sit down and write, yet I can lean back and daydream for a moment and get the greatest idea for a new story. =)

I enjoy writing dialogue because that allows the characters the opportunity to show their personalities through the words they say, or don't say. I've heard many people say that they're not good with dialogue, but for me, I just listen to the voices in my head. =) I try to keep with how people really talk, except spice it up a little. Plot works in the same way. I don't really have to struggle with plot too much. I'm still learning what works for me in my pre-novel plotting, but the actual concept and how a piece unfolds is smooth. I don't like to know too much because it takes away the suspense.

Anyways! What about you? What is the easiest part of writing for all of you? Is there something in your writing that feels like second nature? Let me know! I'd love to hear what y'all have to say.

My Best Foot Forward

Our topic this week is “What is the easiest part of writing”. That’s a tough one. I’d have to say, the easiest part for me is dialogue. It seems to come easier to me than most of the rest. I hope I’m good at it, since I think it’s my strong suit, LOL.

I actually have the conversation running through my head as I’m typing it. I hear my characters better than I visualize them. I do still visualize them, but it just seems they really like to talk more than anything.

Another thing that I tend to do well, is to just sit down and write the rough draft. I have to plot it all out before I start writing, but once I do that, I can write like fire to get it done. Of course, it really needs a lot of revising, but I’ve got the storyline out there and ready to fix.

I’m not the best at plotting, but I’ve been working on it and I think I’m getting better at it. I have to because if I don’t plot, then I don’t write. And that is definitely not an option.

I think my weakest points are subplots and description. I have to go back in and add description when I’m revising. I do put some in when I write the rough draft, but not near enough. I think I’m improving, but it’s still difficult for me.

I’m not sure about subplots. I’ve been working on that too. One of the WIP’s I’m working on now, I thought I’d added quite a bit of subplot to, but it’s still going to be shorter than I’d hoped. It will be my longest story yet, but not what I was hoping for. I have been getting a little longer with each story, so that’s a good thing. Maybe eventually, I will make it to 100k.

Let me know what your best points are. I’d love to hear about them.