Most participants of the A to Z Blogging Challenge 2012 are probably seeing this image splattered all over their news feed at the moment:
Kyra had the genius idea of using the challenge to write a scene each day, from the POV of some of the lead characters. It was an excellent way for us to get to know them and drummed up a lot of excitement for when the novel was released a few months later.
I haven't followed many blog tours, admittedly, but there's something about this one that strikes me as original and a thousand times more interesting than the usual ones you see, where the author jumps on someones blog, shouting "here's my book. Buy it."
So far, I've seen her design character outfits with Clare Dugmore, talk about what music inspired her writing with Alex J Cavanaugh, and we've even been taken on a design tour of Leah & Freya's apartment with Dani from Entertaining Interests.
I wanted to ask Kyra two simple questions that I'd love to ask all authors (and feel free to answer them yourself in the comments box!). So I asked her:
What was the process of writing your book like (for instance, did you use software like Scrivener to compile it? Did you do timelines, or each POV in whole before splitting them up? [I asked this when I thought Radleigh was getting a POV too])
The only tool I use for writing is Microsoft Word. I'm not a planner by any means, so I just wrote the whole story right out of my head and onto the page. Game On only has one POV, though there were many times when I considered making it half Leah, half Radleigh. Generally speaking, I find timelines restrictive, BUT, I did have to work out a few dates and things in my head at certain times. Now I'm keeping the story going for a few more books, though I will have to break tradition and draw up at the very least a simple timeline to make sure I get everything just right!
What advice would you give to new writers, trying to write their first novel?
I think the best advice I can give is that you can't rush it. There is a lot to learn, and it can't be done over a weekend. It can't be done over a few weeks. Writing a book that feels just right to you takes a long time, and you have to be prepared to put in the work, and to learn the best ways to craft your writing. Keeping that in mind, you shouldn't spend too long trying to learn. The more you write, the more you learn, and the same goes for reading. Read blogs by writers, and absorb their wisdom because it is absolutely invaluable. And don't ever give up on yourself, even when it gets tough - and it will! Self-belief is the key!
Excellent advice, Kyra! :)
I'm still reading Game On at the moment, and enjoying it thoroughly. If you like your "will they/won't they?" contemporary romances, this one's for you! Here's the details if you'd like to read it yourself:
Game On Synopsis
After swapping her small town life to work for one of the top soccer teams in the U.S, Leah Walker thought she could finally leave the ghosts of her past behind. However, when she meets serial womanizer, Radleigh McCoy, the memories of her old life come swarming back, and she is forced to ask herself whether she has really changed at all.
Game On Buy Links
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8 comments:
*hugs* Thanks so much for being a part of the tour, I'm glad you're enjoying it! <3
Great questions, Catherine, and great advice, Kyra! You're right: self-belief is the key. :)
I don't use any more than a notebook and Word to plan my manuscripts either.
Hope you're still having a good time on your tour, Kyra.
Excellent advice. You hit it on the nose when you said self-belief is the key. :)
This is a great interview Catherine, I really enjoyed reading Kyra's A-Z challenge too. It was fun to get to meet all of her characters (And a very smart move on Kyra's part!)
Go Kyra! (And I just use normal word too...)
Kyra and Game On (what a fabulous cover picture), are all over the blogiverse at the moment!
Thank you for the words of wisdom, for writers who are trying to write their first novel...
I met Kyra in the A-Z too, and from the start I found her writing really engaging. The book definitely lives up to that!
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