Blog Archives
Calisa Rhose’s Writing Process #bloghop #amwriting
Osiyo~
I was tagged by the wonderful Mae Clair to share my writing process with you today. You can see hers here –> Mae Clair’s Blog, as well as the other two lucky writers she chose to share besides me today.
So I’m supposed to answer the following questions and then choose three other writers you can check out on March 24th. How fun is that? Here we go!
1) What am I working on?
Right now I’m working on three manuscripts. One is a short story for a contest, and I’m semi-plotting (yes, I said the ‘P’ word) another story as part of a new series with one of my publishers. The third project is the first of a four-book series set in a small fictional town in rural Texas. The Dew Drop Diaries follows four high school friends and how their lives turned out into adulthood. I’m writing Sassy’s story in the first book. Here’s a brief blurb:
Dew Drop Diaries, Book 1- Redesigning Sassy
Sassy Prentiss married her high school sweetheart as a drunken joke. When he’s seen leaving her rival’s house at an early hour a few days later she leaves town. Five years later she returns to Dew Drop to get the divorce she thought they’d already gotten, but somehow hadn’t.
She’s a city girl these days, but Xander LaCroix’s not ready to let her go again. He’s determined to prove to her, and himself, that she’s still the small town girl he loved and married—and that they are still perfect for each other. He sets out to redesign her way of thinking, back to the person she used to be.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I write it. I bring my own special voice and brand of style to stories that will make you smile, laugh and hopefully even cry with the main characters. I write romance set in small towns usually because that’s where I grew up and live today. It’s what I know.
3) Why do I write what I do?
I love that feel of first meets, falling in love and happy ever-afters that are so rare in the real world. If I can create that world for my characters and live vicariously through them it makes me very happy. That’s why I write; for me. But it’s nice to be able to share that with you.
4) How does my writing process work?
I’m a pantser and my books are character-driven. That is to say I write what my characters tell me to write and the story unfolds around them. I don’t plot, even though I do occasionally write a short plan to guide me, much like a simple synopsis. That’s important with a series like Dew Drop Diaries because details will carry from one book to the others and back again. I plot lightly (as mentioned in the first question) when writing for a multi-author series such as I’m getting into soon with The Wild Rose Press. But for the most part, I get an idea and just start writing and go where my characters take me. It’s fun, but sometimes I feel a little lost when they seem to know more than I do about where my books are headed. LOL Then again, I love the surprise of where they take me at those times!
Calisa’s Bio:
Small-town country girl Calisa Rhose is the author of a vintage historical novella, her first sale, and typically writes heartwarming romance in a few genres; steamy contemporary and light paranormal being her favorites—so far.
She’s been writing romance since she was a teen growing up in central Oklahoma, and reading romance books even longer. It wasn’t until 2005 that she decided if “they” can do it, there was no reason why she couldn’t write and get published, too. That realization began her journey into the world of publishing. Calisa dove into writing seriously and hasn’t looked back.
Since that day she’s become more determined than ever to see her name on bookshelves. As a member of the online group Marketing For Romance Writers and several other help groups, she loves to nurture other writers however she can. She continues to grow as an author since her first sale in April 2011.
After raising three lovely daughters, Calisa now enjoys relaxing with her husband of more than thirty years. They have a small plot of dirt for their menagerie of animals that include a Guiney pig, a cat, a goat, four small dogs and two horses. She loves spending time with her five granddaughters and crafting when she’s not reading or writing.
She’d love to hear from her readers at calisa.rhose@gmail.com and you can visit Calisa at www.calisarhose.com Find out about her first books on the Bookshelf page.
Also find her on Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest and Amazon
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I want to thank Mae for talking me into doing this. Here’s a little about her.
Mae Clair:
Mae opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back. Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.
Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with conflict, mystery and elements of romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about writing, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.
Discover more about Mae on her website and blog at www.MaeClair.net
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Please be sure to check out these three authors I talked into playing next week to learn how they write.
Tera Shanley:
Tera Shanley writes in sub-genres that stretch from Paranormal Romance, to Historic Western Romance, to Apocalyptic (zombie) Romance. The common theme? She loves love! A self-proclaimed bookworm, she was raised in small town Texas and could often be found decorating a table at the local library.
She currently lives in Dallas with her husband and two young children and when she isn’t busy running around after her family, she’s writing a new story or devouring a good book. Any spare time is dedicated to chocolate licking, rifle slinging, friend hugging, and the great outdoors. For more information about Tera and her work, visit www.terashanley.com .
My blog www.terashanley.blogspot.com.
*****
Rebecca J. Clark’s Author Bio:
A former Golden Heart finalist, Rebecca J. Clark writes steamy and sweet contemporary romances for The Wild Rose Press and Bookstrand, and is also proudly self published.
When she’s not writing, you can find her at her local gym where she trains clients & teaches kickboxing, yoga & Pilates. All this exercise allows her to eat her favorite comfort food—Cheetos—guilt free. Speaking of Cheetos and why you shouldn’t eat them too often, she also just released her first diet book, The Checklist Diet—basic, no-nonsense information like she’s been teaching her clients for the past 10+ years.
Becky lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband of 27 years and two almost adult kids (okay, so they’re both over 18 and technically adults, but they still live at home, so…), a German Shepherd beast who lives to chase her two cats who plot to kill the dog. Don’t get her started on the number of dust bunnies…
Blog link: http://rebeccajclark.blogspot.com
*****
Amy Burgess’s Author Bio:
Amy Lee Burgess lives and writes in Houston, Texas but her heart belongs to New England – especially in the autumn. Ruled by two dachshunds and addicted to Irish breakfast tea and the Walking Dead, she loves to write about vampires, wolf shifters, gargoyles and other assorted paranormal creatures. Amy loves to travel to places like London England, Edinburgh, Scotland, Paris France and Providence, Rhode Island where she stalks the coziest Irish pubs she can find. She writes to trance and house music by candlelight and welcomes email from her readers – especially if they want to talk about the supernatural.
My blog: http://amyleeburgess.blogspot.com
Thanks for dropping by and sharing the fun!
Dodadagohvi~
My Writing Plan For 2014-2015 ~ by Calisa Rhose
Osiyo~
Happy week two of 2014! I got a little busier than I’d expected last week and I didn’t get to post my 2-year writing plan as I’d hoped. Such is the life of a pantser. We don’t plan well, or at least this one doesn’t! 😆 Now that the granddaughter is back in school and life has sort of returned to normal, and I don’t foresee any (more) unexpected events for a while, I’ve put the plan to paper, as they used to say.
I’ve set goals before. I’ve set resolutions too. I’m not fond of resolutions because by March I’ve a) already broke one or more, or b) forgotten what they
How I wish my marbles were so cooperative!
were because I’m not a list maker.
I write things down on scraps of paper, envelopes-often belonging to someone else in the house- or one of the hundreds of tablets I keep laying around. But, then, said ‘someone’ takes their/MY envelope. How rude. Right? I am also addicted to post-it notes. I love that they stick any and everywhere!
But those lovely sticky notes- well, they end up in the oddest places I never think to check! Oy…
Or, and this is most usually the case, I forget where I’ve put ‘that’ scrap of paper or the specific tablet with the info- I knew I’d remember where I put it- was. I’ll never learn NOT to rely on my (un)trusty mind. *sigh*
So, I’m going to try making a plan. Not plotting, mind you, just the bare basics of what I’d like to accomplish if disorder wasn’t nipping at my heels 24/7; family, responsibilities, obligations… Things I’d want to do over the next 48 months if I didn’t, say…have a life. 😀
My Writing Plan For 2014-2015
(in no particular order because this IS NOT a list, and that would be too much like plotting :P)
2014:
1. Finish expanding contemporary romance, short story “Just One Night in Paradise” and self-publish by the end of March— This ‘will-be-a’ novella is almost ready for edits and polishing so should be easily doable if I don’t chicken out.
2. Finish full length contemporary novel, Hearts Afire, fireman WIP.
3. Finish full length paranormal novel, In Ghosts She Trusts- Juliette’s story- (bk 1 of Ghostly Trust series or trilogy), ghost WIP.
4. Finish Redesigning Sassy-bk 1, Dew Drop Diaries series (contemporary novellas)
5. Write Chasing Lainey-bk 2, DDDiaries
6. Write Saving Shelby-bk 3, DDDiaries
7. Write Marrying Lucy-bk 4, DDDiaries
8. Self-publish Dew Drop Diaries series.
9. Submit Hearts Afire (publishing house/format TBD)
10. Blog weekly (besides guest posts)
11. Promote any/all books out.
12. Rewrite and re-publish Home.
13. Contract an agent. (still considering this so may not do it)
2015:
1. Set new 2-year plan if this first year pans out.
2. Write paranormal novel, Ghost of a Chance- Romeo’s story, (bk 2 of Ghostly Trust)-Juliette’s twin brother.
3. Write contemporary novel Winter’s Song.
4. Decide how or where to publish Ghostly Trust books.
5. Publish/submit Ghostly Trust books.
6. Promote any/all books out.
7. Blog weekly.
8. Write bk 5 of DDDiaries.
9. Write bk 6 of DDDiaries.
10. Write bk 7 of DDDiaries.
11. Write bk 8 of DDDiaries. (writing these depends on how the first four do)
12. publish bks 4-8 of DDDiaries**
**Write four other novellas if not more DDDiaries.
This first year alone will be a huge challenge for me. I typically eke out one book or novella a year because I get lazy, break something, or just get *too busy* outside of writing. My worst downfall is that I let distractions keep me from the stories burning a hole in my head.
It’s so easy to just not open that word doc each day, so I’m also going to try to change that about my writing time. I’m going to tryto set specific hours for writing and other times for blogging, ‘playing’ on the web, research, social media, etc. It will most likely take me a while to find a system and schedule that works for me, that I’ll be able to work with.
I’m not even sure what time I’m the most productive because my self-discipline is so off the scale I can’t find it, but I’m going to set this goal for myself aside from everything else I’ve listed above because I NEED to. This is a must to become more productive in my writing, and therefore more successful as a writer.
We all know it’s almost impossible to get rich off writing, to write the great book that makes a movie, or just one people will rant about and buy. But there’s not even a glimmer of a chance to be successful in any capacity if I don’t write…and sell. 
Some of these list items may change because I might’ve bitten off more than I can chew, infact, I’m almost certain I have, but I did it on purpose. If I have to much to do, I’ll at least try to make it and I figure I will be able to accomplish the part I can and still not be a total failure. LOL But I’m going to try to keep up with myself and do it all–because that’s how I roll, or more like tumble. 😆
First I have to get past my initial self-publishing experience and realize I lived through it, no matter how bad or good it goes. 😀
And so, there you have it. My writing plan.
Oh, for the record, I’ve already got my cover art for Redesigning Sassy ready to go- it’s bee-oo-tee-ful!- and some of the other DDD series covers are purchased and ready to finalize once I settle on the titles.
What do you hope to accomplish in 2014? Are your goals too high? Not high enough? What IS just right?
Happy writing my friends and best wishes for your goals no matter what they may be!
Dodadagohvi~
I write contemporary and paranormal romance, with sensuality as the key ingredient and spice for kick.
Pen of The Dreamer 