My writing process Blog Hop!

So…what is this? This blog tour is where writers and authors answer
questions about their writing process.

I was invited to this event by the creeptastic Rhonda Hopkins.  
You can read about her process here: Rhonda Hopkins Blog | Rhonda Hopkins Facebook

I’ve been enjoying the other posts coming up and seeing other authors processes, and I hope that you will too.

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1) What am I working on? 

Well, I’ve just finished working on ‘Odium II. The Dead Saga,’ (releasing May 9th) and have now started the accompanying
novella ‘Odium Origins. A Dead Saga Novella Pt Two.’ 

I love writing these novellas, probably more than the full books they go with. There’s a lot of thought and background work which goes into each character in the books, and this information rarely gets used for anything other than just me getting to know the character fully. Certainly no one would normally see this background history. But this is where all the fun begins
for me, building that character profile, their history and such. These novellas show certain parts of the characters’ lives. Obviously I can’t do every character, so I hand pick some of my favourite for readers to get a deeper look at, and hopefully give more depth to these characters for them.

After Odium Origins Pt 2, I’ll be working on a short piece I’m writing as part of a collaboration with two other great writers.
It’s about three serial killers and the nature vs nurture aspect I guess. I can’t say much more than that now, but needless to say I’m having great fun writing it!

After that it will be the (long awaited) ‘Limerence II. Mia’ and a ton of other short stories that I’ve been working on for other
anthology collaborations.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? 

People have told me that my writing style is very physical, in the sense that you get to ‘touch’ ‘smell’ and ‘feel’ what each character goes through. Making the characters as real as possible for the reader I think helps. I love writing old school
style horror as well. Shuffling zombies, bloodthirsty vampires, no new angles, just plain, simple horror.

3) Why do I write what I do? 

So far I’ve only written dark paranormal and horror, but I do have several erotic romance stories under way and a crime
thriller. I like to read pretty much any genre, believing that you should be as open as possible when reading, and that
opens up a lot of the genres for writing too. So far I’ve stuck with horror as this is what I’ve always known. For as far
back as I can remember I’ve been thinking up creepy little tales ha ha.

4) How does your writing process work?

Generally I’ll write out a plot which will be anything from 5’000 to 10’000 words. Then I start writing. Nine times out of ten,
the story ends up so different from my actual plot that I wonder why I even bothered writing one in the first place! BUT
when I’m stuck in a rut and fighting writers block, I do find that re-reading my plot outline gets the juices going again and
helps get me back on track.

So, I try—I really try, to outline and plot, but generally my best ideas come to me when I let go and let my characters go
and do their own thing, surprising us both!

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So now it’s my turn to invite three authors to carry on the blog tour. I’m going to invite the following:

Ken Mooney—he was born in Dublin in the middle of the 1980s; he still lives there. He holds a degree in English Studies
from TCD, which he totally uses every day during his day-job in TV advertising...totally.
He's always been obsessed with stories, reading, writing and playing them; that explains the massive collection
of books, comics, video games and discarded Word documents. His writing is a combination of all the things that he's passionate about, all the way through high-and-low-brow.

Godhead is his first novel, an idea that's been floating around his head for nearly fifteen years; there might even be
a (few) sequel(s) if he ever gets around to writing them...
Ken Mooney Facebook

Tracey Ward—author of the Quarantined Series and the Survival Series plus many more.
She was born in Eugene, Oregon and studied English Literature at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!) It was there that
she discovered why Latin is a dead language and that being an English teacher was not actually what she wanted to do
with her life.

Her husband, son and snuggly pitbull are her world.
Tracey Ward Facebook

Jack Wallen—His works span genres and weave evil, conspiracy, and fear into nightmarish worlds.  
 
Jack has been given the title "Zombie King" by his readers and fans. He didn't garner that title by dining on the brains of helpless victims. It was only after writing until his fingers and mind were nothing but meat for the beasts that he became a
master of the zombie genre. During that haunted hay ride Jack produced works of fiction enjoyable by not just zombie fans, but anyone daring to take a peek into what might possibly become of humanity.

Of course, being of the insane writer clan, Jack isn't just happy with the penning of zombie fiction. Oh no, the nightmare
does not end there. Like the late, great Freddy Mercury, Jack wants it all -- so, he will continue twisting the horror
genre to meet his disturbed mind as well as write his Fringe Killer and Screampark series, and his joyous celebration of
all things diverse -- Shero.

For his inspiration to begin reading and writing, Jack thanks the ever-incredible Clive Barker for penning in a genre with
words of grace and horror.
Jack Wallen Facebook

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As always,

happy reading

Claire C Riley ♥