Thanks so much for having me on your blog today, Ruth! It’s an honor to be here.
Today I’ve been asked to share a few little tidbits about the writing process. With this blog tour being all about my very first novel, Sierra, talking about the writing process is an interesting subject. Mainly because, if there is a RIGHT way to write a novel, then I did every single thing WRONG! When I first began to write Sierra, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing! I had this great story in my mind—as a matter of fact, it had been in my mind for around 16 years—and I was dying to commit it to paper. Seriously, I felt as though I was going to explode if I didn’t write down my thoughts! My children were nearly grown, and after being a stay-at-home Mom for years, I wasn’t quite sure what to do. My job was leaving me! So, I finally sat down at the computer and let the story pour out onto the page. I had never done one iota of research on how to write a novel, on word count, or ANYTHING! I just wrote to my little heart’s content. This was, of course, a big mistake if I wanted to be published one day, but the thought hadn’t really crossed my mind at that point. I just wanted to write. I loved every minute of it too. There was no thought given to wondering if anyone would like my story. I was writing simply because I loved it and I loved the story of Sierra so very much.
So, what did I end up with? A 165,000 word monstrosity! (Way too long!) It was an epic novel with so many twists and turns and court cases and heartbreak that it was exhausting to read! Yet . . . my friends and family told me it was good! Go figure! (They love me, so they loved my monstrosity . . . I mean, book!)
Those days of writing whatever I felt like writing were wonderful, blissful days. It was my "training ground," if you will. I learned so much. Of course, reality soon hit. If I wanted to publish my masterpiece I knew I had to EDIT, EDIT, EDIT.
So I did. I knew I needed to streamline my story. I knew I needed to take out all the extra unnecessary drama. (Yes, Sierra used to have even more drama than it has now! Hard to believe!) Eventually I ended up with what Sierra is today.
All that editing probably sounds like drudgery to some. But I love my story, therefore it was surprisingly enjoyable to spend my time perfecting it day after day.
And I don’t regret a single moment.
Author Bio:
Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding that she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of romance in her line-up.
My blog is the story of my path to publication. I’m not an expert by any means. However, I’ve learned a lot in the process, and hopefully, what I share with you will help you towards fulfilling your writing dreams. I’ll start at the beginning and work my way to the present day. If you want to learn the entire story, start at the first blog post! Otherwise, join at any time and enjoy the ride! I write in all sub-genres of Romance: suspense, paranormal, and contemporary. My novels are much like Forest’s box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get. One thing is certain however, you will always get a healthy dose of CLEAN Romance.
Follow the entire tour here.
Thanks for having me on your blog once again, Ruth! Much appreciated!
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