Hi Everyone,
Welcome to Week 2 or the 11 Week Blog Spotlight on the Writing Process. Each week, I’ll feature a fellow writer of varying genres to talk about HOW they write.
Join the discussion by leaving a comment and enjoy each new and emerging voice!
Week Two – Multicultural, Contemporary Romance Author aka “Sexy, Contemporary Romance with legs and body…”
Kaia Danielle
Kaia Danielle
When I first get an idea, it usually marinates in my brain for a while. In that time I’m playing with all the possibilities for the plot and what makes the characters tick. I’m in the middle of tweaking my note-taking process now. In the past, my idea management system would be scraps of paper and sticky notes crammed in my purse that I sometimes managed to type into Evernote. Now, I have one notebook dedicated to that one story that I carry with me everywhere.
The plan is to then transfer those ideas to sticky notes that are stuck to a poster board on the wall. This poster board becomes my plotting playground. Once I have a visual representation of my plot on the board, I write it down in the story notebook. I also set it up in Scrivener and Evernote.
The majority of my writing happens in Scrivener. But, I carry the notebook and my AlphaSmart word processor in my bag so I can sneak some words in while I’m out and about. But if it isn’t practical to take the notebook and AlphaSmart with me, then I can always get some words down in Evernote via my phone.
The story notebook also helps me prepare for my writing sessions. When I plan my week, I have a sense of which scenes I’ll be writing each day. Every morning, I review my notes for that day’s scenes. Those ideas are in the back of mind throughout the day. The words come easier when I finally sit down to write that evening, more often than not, when I do this.
I actually hate drafting. The revision step does it for me. I do my revisions in Word. I’ll let the story rest for about a week. Then, I’ll print the manuscript and rip it apart with a highlighter and a purple pen. If something isn’t working, then I’ll create a new plotting board where I can visually create a plan to fix it. Finally, I create a revision plan so I know exactly which part I’ll be tackling each day. This helps me stay on track for deadlines.
What Puts Me in a Writing Mood?
First draft music: Miles Davis
Revision music: Whatever suits the scene I’m revising
Love scene writing music: The 20 minute version of Scandalous by Prince
Drink: wine
Where you can find Kaia Danielle:
Website
Purchase Her latest title, Calling Her Bluff * on Amazon Nook Kobo
*Kaia Danielle writes steamy, contemporary romance.
