If you follow me on social media then you may have seen me ask for questions to be sent in for an FAQ. Thank you to everyone who submitted one! It's been a while since I've done one of these, so here we go!
How do you actually finish a book? I keep getting stuck on revising the same chapters over and over and never seem to move forward.
I've given myself a rule that I'm not allowed to revise ANYTHING until I've completed the entire first draft of a book. If something is really gnawing at me, I do keep a notebook by my laptop to jot down big changes that I want to make later. My advice is to not get hung up on grammar or revisions and just plow through the story. You can fix it all once it's been written.
Did you always want to be a writer?
I've always loved writing but I had no idea I would be a writer. Initially, I wanted to work in paranormal research. Then, I wanted to be an actress and participated in every high school theater production. I had planned to get a Drama degree, but when that didn't pan out due to life events at the time, I ended up getting a BFA in Studio Art with a specialization in Graphic Design instead. I worked as a graphic designer for ten years, then as the Executive Assistant at a Contemporary Fine Arts museum before finally staying home to write full-time. During all of that, though, I was constantly writing because that's my true passion. I just ended up being lucky enough to have a spouse who has volunteered to support me (both emotionally and financially) while pursuing my dreams.
Is there a genre you haven't written yet but want to?
I would say I've dabbled in most fiction genres and found ways to incorporate elements of them all into my stories. I haven't written a non-fiction book yet and I do have a potential idea for one but I don't know if/when I'll write it.
Will there be more ROAM books?
This isn't going to be the answer you want (or maybe it will be?) because I can't give you a hard yes or no. For now, the ROAM series is complete. However, I do have ideas for a new series down the road that would essentially be a continuation. But there are no solid plans for anything yet.
That being said, I do have a standalone short story titled Thatcher Maugden and the Dream Witch which will be published in Mirrormaze, a first-ever Dreampunk Anthology, later this year! It's technically a prequel to the ROAM series and the main characters are relatives of Ethan Roam.
How long does it take you to write a book?
This varies, but anywhere between 3-6 months has been my standard timeframe. I'm working on trying to speed up my process. I would love to be able to publish a new book every quarter of the year but I haven't gotten quite that fast yet.
If you could turn any of your books into a movie, which would it be and who would you cast?
Oh, definitely ROAM. In fact, I've done a blog post on this in the past with some potential casting choices.
Have you had any paranormal experiences in your own life?
So many! This is why I initially was interested in a career in the paranormal. Now I just use my passion and experiences to write about it. So, in a way, I suppose I ended up with a Paranormal career after all. *wink*
I hope you enjoyed this short FAQ session! Feel free to submit questions to me anytime and I'll compile them for the next one.
🖤Dez
