Meet Minnette

Writers face many challenges. What are some of yours?
I'm afraid my biggest challenge is myself. There are times when I just plain and simply do not want to write - Don't gasp! It's true. That is always the toughest challenge. Good news, however. The more I write the easier it is to make the time to write. I find if I write even just a couple of lines a day, as long as I keep going it gets easier. It's when I stop that's the problem. I guess it's like any addiction...

Are you a Pantser or Plotter?
Both. I start out with all my outlines done, my characters defined, my goals/motivations/conflict honed down to the finest point and then all of a sudden, BAM! The characters develop minds of their own. It's infuriating, but they are usually right. Pesky characters anyway! I'm doing a lot more plotting than I used to. It does make it easier to write the book when you have a roadmap.

Are your books plot-driven or character-driven -
I LOVE my characters and they are always first and foremost in what I write. And no matter how much I torture them - and I do - they still love me. However, I have to have a good solid plot on which they can travel, so it's also very important. I get in trouble when they have no place to go, and, believe me, I hear about it.

Do you go with the flow or follow a schedule -
A little of both. My life is often a bit intangible; I never know what's going on from week to week. I've learned to be flexible. Schedules, though I try very hard to follow them, elude me sometimes, so I've had to court an attitude of adaptation. I write as much as I can when I can. I know that sounds a bit iffy, but it works very well. When I have a long block of time, I'm a jackhammer, cranking out thousands of words in a single bound. Or I watch House, whichever strikes my fancy at the time. Little breaks during the marathon are always necessary.

Is your research in advance or as you write?
I try to research as much as I can in advance first and then research for specifics when I get into the book. For example, I'm buried under volumes of books about gladiators right now because I'm getting ready to write the third book in my Centurion series The Gladiator Prince. This is invaluable because it gives me great ideas for the plot, setting, characters, etc. Then, as I'm writing, I research to the story. This is so important for me since I LOVE research and have a tendency to find myself helplessly lost in time. Basically, this means I find a plot point, setting, weather condition, costume, slang, or whatever I need and I research just that thing. It's amazing how quickly you can get answers once you've read about the basics. The rest is fill in the blanks.

How do you write the best with noise or quiet? Honestly, I've developed a deaf ear to pretty much everything around me when it comes to writing. In fact, silence is a bit intimidating for me. I raised six kids... I could shut out a hurricane, believe me.

Our characters claim much of our time as we spend hours in front of our computers capturing their stories. However, each of us has a cast of real life characters who inspire, encourage, and support us. Who are some of the many members of Team Minnette?
I have a myriad of people that inspire me, starting with my wonderful husband and kids. As far as my characters go they are usually a conglomerate of people I've known in life, from movies, TV, the news, and even from books and myself. I think we all build a piece of ourselves into every character we write, even the bad guys. Besides my family, I have an amazing circle of friends who inspire me in every word. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have any personality to speak of...

What are you working on now?
I have just finished two novels: A paranormal romantic comedy called "A Ghost of a Chance" and an urban fantasy called "The Bell Stalker," which is currently being ripped apart by my wonderful critique partners and beta readers. Both projects are being queried to agents and publishers as we speak (fingers firmly crossed). I am wrapping up my second children's book, "A Boy & His Lizard," which hits the stands in November, and am gearing up to start the above mentioned "Gladiator Prince," the third book in my Centurion series. After that, I've promised my readers the third book in my fantasy series, "Starsight." No rest for the terminally cracked, I guess.

What are five Things Minnette Has Around Her When She Writes?
My laptop, my toy poodle Pierre, my husband Matt (who listens to every word I write whether he wants to or not, without a single complaint and even makes me breakfast - eat your hearts out, ladies), a pile of thread bare paperwork that contains all the magical spells and incantations any serious writer needs (i.e. cheat sheets), and a 32 oz. bottle of water (or wine, depending).

Do you ever have writers block. If you do, how do you overcome it?
Wait. I have to catch my breath a moment, I was laughing so hard. Okay. The question should be, "Do you ever NOT have writers block." The scourge of the writer (well, after that pesky muse who keeps yelling at you) is writers block. I overcome it by approaching it from the side; I write anyway, even if it's something like, "All work and no play makes Minnette something, something."Once outflanked, usually things start coming to me. It's because of writers block that I started to use plotting tools, like OneNote (fabulous program, BTW). I can take a plot point and do some thinking about that until the blockage passes. Also, if I already have something written, I edit. Since I don't call it writing then it's not writers block, right?

Let's talk writing mechanics. How many drafts do you do? How many books can you complete in a year?
I think I average about twelve drafts (i.e. edited versions) of a book. I try to plow through the story to get it all down and then go back and do a series of edits. I know I'm done when I start changing things back to the way they were. Then I let my critique partners have a go, run it by beta readers, and when I get all of that back, I do the final "deep" edits. I think I have about six books in me a year (that's while I work my "regular" job). It depends on what I'm writing. Romances take a little less time than epic fantasy. Children's books take a little less than romances. When I'm actually writing, I'm very prolific... I just need to sit down and do it.

Do you have a method for promoting your books?
I have used lots of avenues for promotion from online communities (FB, Gather, Author Nation, etc. - see www.minnettemeador.com for a list of link where writers can promote) to paid advertising, to blogging, and interviews. Reviews and interviews on review sites are very helpful as is a monthly newsletter and emailing contact with new releases. I also do a lot of book signings and these always garner new readers. I've just recently hired someone to help me with publicity so I can concentrate on writing more. Promotion is a full time job.

Was writing fiction something you have always wanted to do? Did you write stories as a child?
I've always loved writing. It has always been a natural for me since I love to read. I've never met a genre I didn't like. I wrote a lot when I was a kid... but usually I just imagined being married to Spock, trouncing around the galaxy, and fighting off aliens while I followed the prime directive. Or going to Tangiers with Illya Kuryakin from The Man from Uncle. Or disguising myself with the other Mission Impossible team members to trick a drug lord into giving up the whereabouts of the governor he just kidnapped. Or sailing away with... You get the idea. We travel as far as our imaginations will take us and then write it down because... what else are we going to do?