My writing process is a mix of plotter and pantser. I rely heavily on my
foam core board and colourful sticky notes to get the idea framed out then a
legal pad to scribble out notes. The sticky notes are a wonderful way to go
because you can move them if the plot switches and you still have a structure
going.
Other tools:
Pinterest: I create a board for almost every new project I start. It
helps me get into the story visually. For Club Beam, it’s all about hunky Doms,
sexy witches and fairy tale fetish wear are alive and well in this fun tale.
Music: Find mood music that fits your story. For this tale I listened to
lots of Maroon 5, Sia, Evanescence and other moody, witchy tunes.
Chocolate: What? You’re saying it’s not a tool? (snickers) Oh yes it is.
My books:
I love to write erotic romance and you can find me all over the spectrum
from a BBW sweetish retelling of Beauty and the Beast (Lucky Stars box set),
dark carnival experiences (Written on Skin) to lesbian urban fantasy (Sigil
Fire). I am a finalist in the Goldie Awards this year for Sigil Fire and two
other anthologies and am also a finalist in the Lammy Awards for my work in
Forbidden Fruit. I am currently working on some Halloween tales, a new fairy
tale with dragon shifters and a psychic and an erotic romance trilogy with
cowboys. Writing is an adventure and I love crafting new stories. Under my
other pen name I’m delving into YA and some darker fairy tale retellings that
will have readers (I hope) wanting more. Can’t keep a good fairy tale down…
You can find the whole list of my
anthology and single title works
on my Amazon page
Writing advice:
The one thing I would tell any new writer is this. Keep writing. Don’t
stop.
Consider
everything in life for sources of inspiration.
Learning to look at publishers I liked to find
out what their submission calls were was a helpful thing too. In this case, I
was assigned a fairy tale and had to construct a modern day romance around it.
Talk about fun! I’ve already asked for a new one!
Start
small. Ray Bradbury said something that has always resonated with me. If you
start with a short story a week, sooner or later you won’t be terrible. It
works. Trust me.
Rejection.
Learn to deal with it. If you want to be a writer, it’s going to happen. What
you can do is learn from every one and do better on the next trip around. Put
the piece to the side and go back to it later. There will be things you’ll
notice, you’ll fix them and bam. You have a story someone will love. I can’t
tell you how many of my works (many under a pen name) that have gone from
rejection piles to published. You grow a thicker skin, listen to helpful
criticism and grow.
Fit
the publisher to the work. Not everyone likes the same things. If the publisher
likes romance, don’t send them a picture book. If they like horror, no fluffy
bunnies-unless they have fangs.
Format
the work. If the publisher has submission requirements, please read them. They
are there for a reason, and no that reason is not to drive you insane. If you
don’t follow them, your hard work very likely will be passed over.
Join
support groups. Writers are a breed unto
themselves. RWA (Romance Writers of America) is one of the hardest working
groups I have come across and they want everyone to succeed. They have local
branches as well as online and are always having classes to inform their
members of changes in the industry. HWA (Horror Writers Association) is also a
great group if you are horror bent.
Stay
tuned for Sci Spanks in June and watch for the anthology with a special
exclusive story from my Shadow World featuring Gideon, Miles and Syd as she
learns the art of spanking. Sign up with the Facebook group so you don’t miss a
thing.
Thanks
for having me on the blog today. I wish you good reading and hope you will
enjoy Club Beam.
XOXO
Erzabet
Bishop
