~ Q & A With Penny ~

How long have you been writing?

Since I could hold a pen. Granted, my stories were more pictures than words back then. 

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? 

They pop up while I am writing. One character turned up when I’d finished the first draft, so I had to go back and weave her into the story. 

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre? 

Romance. Erotica. Suspense. Crime. 

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why? 

Depends on my mood. Usually, I like music playing. I always try to create a good vibe when I’m setting up my space to write. Natural light. Salt lamps. DoTerra defuser or incense. Music. I like my sacred spaces. They are an important part of the writing process. 

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?

I have so many stories running around in my head but force myself to focus on just the one at a time. Else I’d never finish a book. 

Pen or typewriter or computer?

I write a lot of long-hand when I am plotting. I guess there’s something a bit more textural to it that helps my creativity. But I write most of the book with my laptop.

Tell us about a favorite character from a book. 

I love Jake Pennington, the tortured hockey player from Come Undone. He’s probably my favorite. He is sexy af.

A day in the life of the author? 

Start the day with a black coffee and a walk. See my husband off to work and then its straight into it. I break from writing to meditate (usually when my butt has gone numb from sitting) or to go to the gym. Then I write until my hubby comes home from work. I’d love to say I knock off work then but I don’t. I usually keep doing some kind of author stuff until well after dinnertime. 

What advice you would give new authors? 

Always write what you want to write. No-one can do you like you. And write every day. You’ve just got to show up for the magic to start. 

What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? What are common traps for aspiring writers?

I used to be a panster but it took too long to write a book. And quite often I’d write myself into a corner. So now I outline. Then I break that outline into scenes, and then those scenes into chapters. Then I make a list of things I want to happen in that chapter. 

What is your writing Kryptonite?

TV, if that is on, then I get nothing done! 

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Ignore the negative chatterbox (self-doubt) in your head and just write!

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

I find them easier and more interesting to write. I suppose that’s because I really have to explore the far regions of my imagination in order to do so.

Do you believe in writer’s block?

I believe in writer’s distraction. When you’re too busy with other things going on to give your story/writing your full attention (life happens!). I also think you get stuck because you don’t know something about the character or the story. When this happens you need to stop and go back over your plot or get to know your character better. I interviewed one of my characters once and found out so much more about her. Doing that allowed me to proceed with writing the bit I was stuck on. 

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