The great writer Erin Entrada Kelly invited me to take part in a Writing Process Blog Tour. I had to answer four questions which are listed below. Check out my answers and let me know what you think.

What are you working on?
I just finished my first manuscript for a lesbian romance set 150 years in the future. And I’m currently about 120 pages into the sequel to the first book. The characters were so much fun I just felt like they had a bigger story to tell.

How does your work differ from others in its genre?
That’s a tough question, as there are several writers in the genre that I admire. I enjoy their work. My goal is to have a unique voice that resonates with readers. And to hopefully create characters that readers are invested in. But isn’t that every writer’s goal? So, I might be stating the obvious here.

Why do you write what you write?
I had a very strange experience. I’ve never written long-form narratives before, but out of the blue I started hearing conversations in my head between characters. (That probably sounds a little crazy.) But I would wake up in the morning having felt like I’d just overheard a conversation between two characters, so I’d quickly write it down. I swear, it really felt like I was channeling this first book from somewhere in the ether. And when I finished the first manuscript, I missed the characters. Once I started hearing their voices again I started the second book.

What is your writing process?
I try to write a rough outline…beginning, middle, end…including high and low emotional events. Then I just write scenes as they reveal themselves. I usually try to establish the opening scene, but then I jump around a little because a scene later in the book might present itself early in the writing process and then I have to go back and fill in the transition from earlier scenes.

I love writing. I really enjoy losing myself in the world of my characters. I like to walk around in their skin and see where it leads me. For example, in the first manuscript, which is now with an editor, I thought two particular characters would fall in love and instead, once I got deeper into the story, the characters led me in an unexpected direction. That was a pleasant surprise.