Merci and gracias to both Caroline Leech and Sandra Guy for inviting me to participate on this wonderful blog hop about the writing process!
What am I working on?
Sometimes I think a better question is what am I not working on. In addition to family life, I have a day job as a librarian in a local elementary school. Mix that up with my indie publishing company MAB Media and my own writing, things are rather busy.
On the strictly writing part, I am in the middle of three different projects that I have promised myself will some day be finished! One is a middle grade ghost story, the other an urban fantasy (which I am writing with the awesome Sandra Guy) and finally an adult fantasy novel.
Why do I write?
I write because I don’t have a choice. Really, I would probably do anything buy write if I could. It is so difficult 99% of the time. I have actually tried on multiple occasions to quit writing. The last time I did this I even went and told all of my writing friends that my writing career was over. Then I started a publishing company a few weeks later. Go figure.
How does my writing differ from others of its genre?
I write almost always in the genres of fantasy or even magical realism. Where my writing differs is in the fact that even though the situations surroounding my characters are fraught with danger and power, I still find a way to make my characters as real as possible, complete with bad attitudes, zits and flaws.
How does my writing process work?
Again, it is easier to say what doesn’t work. In Leonard Marcus’ amazing tome, Dear Genius, the editor extrodinarire Ursula Nordstrom begs one of her authors to never have a family. Ms. Nordstrom knew that the boundaries of family and home were often too constraining for a writer. As I type this I have just slammed my office door in defense of the noises coming out of the kitchen (part of which I should say in the fire alarm because I burnt most of the dinner). That being said, I find it very difficult to write in an empty house. For a few years I worked as a free-lance marketing and ad copy professional. I never seemed to make it out of my yoga pants – or even do yoga for that matter. I’m much happier and productive grabbing five minutes here, eight minutes there towards my projects and goals. Which is good since that works rather well with my family’s schedule.
Two wonderful writers who will continue this blog hop are McCourt Thomas and JoAn Watson.
McCourt Thomas has to be one of the funniest people I have ever met. Everytime I chat with her she leaves me in stiches. She’s a wife, mother, volunteer, writer, reader, and currently a graduate student in library science at Texas Woman’s University. (Go Librarians!) She has a degree in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and before staying home with her four (!) kids, she was a television news producer. Her favorite TV show to watch while folding laundry is House Hunters International, which has led to a not-so-secret desire to live overseas. She’s currently enjoying the “Hero’s Guide” series by Christopher Healey on audiobook, and reading about 10 other books at the same time.
Check out her blog at http://mccourtthomas.blogspot.com.
I had the pleasure of meeting JoAn via the SCBWI-Houston chapter. Now we are co-workers as we both write for the same independent newspaper. After teaching in Baytown schools for 22 years, she retired, but continued as a reading/writing consultant for Houston area schools. Her most recent novel is Pine Cones and Magnolia Blossoms (2013) available in print and an E Book on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
You can learn more about JoAn and her writing process on her blog at http://josbookblog.wordpress.com.
Happy Writing!
Melissa Buron 