What is your process for writing? Plot, then write? Edit as you go or not until you've reached the end of the story? Figure out your characters first? Something else?

Questions like this week’s #openbook blog hop prompt usually excite me. Asking a writer about their process gives them a chance to relfect on how they get a story from idea to book, allowing them to analyze the different steps they may take to hone their plots and chracters into a narrative they want to share with readers.

I’ve published 8 novels and novellas and contributed to multiple-author anthologies, including short stories and novels. It’s been my experience that each story requires a unique writing process, wherein I use specific tools (I’ll write a post with the software I use another time) and methods to organize my thoughts about inspiration, plot, characters and editing. 

#openbook

Dear Diary. Write a diary entry or a letter from your character's point of view.

Hah! I love it. Baaz, you’re up!

Okay, Lyndell. Hi, romance addicts. I am Baaz Hamdi, the main character in Lyndell’s crime romance, Sealed by Love, Trapped in Sin, soon-to-be-released by After Hours Publications.

I’m not thrilled about opening up my personal thoughts to the world, but Lyndell is the boss. So, here we go.

Journal Entry Date: 5/16/2021

It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to reflect and write down my thoughts and experiences. My author was sidetracked again and had me stuck in a love scene for almost a week.

#openbook

Do pets (or other animals) play an important part in your books? Tell us about them.

Hey, romance addicts. I am back with a new blog hop post. Pets in romance? Many authors who consistently write pets and animals in their books. Find out if I do and why!

#openbook

The holiday season is just around the corner. What’s the worst gift you’ve ever received? What’s the worst one you ever given?

Okay, full disclosure, I don’t celebrate any of the holidays from October to January, not for years, anyway. Most of my family members are not Muslims, so there is a lot going on with them during the holidays, but the husband, kids and I rarely take part.

I am one of those people who give gifts throughout the year. A spontaneous gift is one of my favorites. For me, they are usually the most sincere. I feel like the person thought of me as an individual, not a name on a list of people they must present some kind of offering.

#openbook

Show us a photo (Or photos) you took that you're most proud of. Tell us about it (them).

Here it is, folks!

It’s a little grainy, but I am very proud of this picture. A friend sent it to me

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

One of the great things about storytelling is that the worlds that authors create can be as simple or involved and complex as they want. Although I have some stories with less porous worlds, I do like to have some characters show up in other plots, which can be important in the romance genre.

Many romance readers end up falling in love with characters in a book, wanting to see more of them. I developed a series based on the desire for readers’ requests to see more of one character or another. I initially wrote the book Open to Love as one book, when beta readers asked me to also tell the stories of secondary characters Tarika and Aqil. I also got feedback asking what the deal was with Rahma. I hit the keyboard and framed the Open to Love series. Queen of the Castle joined book one, and book three is coming soon.

Continue reading “#OpenBook Building a Stand Alone Universe, Connecting Characters” →