My Writing Process Blog Tour!

Imagine my surprise when I was approached by a dragon that was not Keensight.  Even more was the surprise when he asked me to be part of a blog tour.  A dragon asked me to be part of a blog tour???  It was quite astonishing to say the least.  He has a rather hard name and said just to call him D. Wilder.  Some how I think that his name would be far more interesting.  It is fascinating to meet a dragon that writes.  I would say dragon writer but that has a different connotation.  He has a specially made desk and keyboard just to accommodate talons and size. You can find out all about him at least weeks blog tour at: From the Dragon's Claws.  He has some fascinating reading - I think about his own past. That is a bit obscure but it is at: http://theblackcollar1.blogspot.com/



I am not ashamed to say that I am a member of the American Dragonological Society charged with the protection of dragons.  While others work in secret, I am quite proud to work in the public eye.  If I should be persecuted for my knowledge, I know a few good dragons that would shelter and hide me.  I have been given leave by the red flight leader to speak my knowledge and tell my stories in hopes that this horrible trend of casting all dragons into the same category as Smaug.  Keensight has begged me, in this blog post, to point out that he does not judge all humans by the contents of our prisons, therefore, we should not judge all dragons by the contents of fanciful tales made up to scare children or make money.

Dragons have always been a source of income, you know?  From magical elixirs made from their body parts to charlatans preying on the fears of humans without certainty of knowledge.  Now, we all know a fearsome fire breathing dragon sells books, but no one ever stops to consider the motivations of said dragons.  Did a human rob them?  Did someone steal their egg?  There are many things that would make a human mad an strike out, why would dragons be any different.
Wait, I am preaching. Let me get off my soap box and speak of what I was asked to share.

What am I working on?  Well I just released The Blackguard which is the second in the series for the Blue Dragon's Geas.  I also just finished approving the audio book for the first one, Outcast.  I promised myself a short break doing just publicity before I jumped back into the fray. I will have to jump soon though, my father and my best friends have said that I will be on restriction on June 1st until the third book, The Bloodmine is in edit.

How does my work differ from others in the genre?  Well, first of all my dragons are not mindless man eating beasts.  In fact, Keensight got into quite the discussion with Henrick on how Lerdenians, if eaten, would cause all sorts of digestive issues.  Also, Magic is directly tied to the dragons existence in the world of Vesta.  When the last dragon draws breath, magic will fade and cease to exist.

The races that live in the world of Vesta are unique.  There is a rich cultural history on the Great isle.  One is based on elder wisdoms and one is based on your skills in magic.  Unique and yet symbiotic of one another, the two cultures clash when they truly have need of one another.

Why do I write what I do?  Well first and foremost, I love dragons and fantasy in all its forms.
Secondly, it is therapeutic for me as a behavioral health counselor. I can exercise the demons of the day in a world that doesn't exist.  But lastly and most importantly, for the sheer joy of it. I have been writing since I learned to write. I wrote my first play that was performed in elementary school and never stopped.  I write for RPGs and I write for my kids and grandkids. I write to process and I write to think.  I write because if I don't.. the words crowd my head demanding release.

How does my writing process work?
I wish I could tell you I have a fancy process but I work four eleven hour days and some days I am just to tired to write.  But usually I write on my lunch breaks and I write the three days I have off.  My word goal is a minimum of 2000 words a day on the three days off.  1000 words a day is my goal if I write on a day I work.  I write linearly.  I have only a sketched climax and end point.  From there, the story just flows out from chapter to chapter. I always stop for the day mid-sentence so I don't have writer's block when I pick back up.

Once a chapter is completed, I have an editor that takes it by the chapter. He then submits back a list of questions/comments in the margins.

I rewrite - We repeat at least twice.

My writing goes to a proofreader and then to my beta readers who send me comments by the chapter.

I rewrite and reproof

That is basically my process.

So far - my passes to new authors for next week have not sent me the information.  I will come back and edit as soon as I get the updates and links.  My week was a little hectic so hopefully I will hear from them soon as their's was likely the same with Mother's Day and all.  Be sure to go back to the top as D. Wilder passed to three other authors.  Hopefully they can keep the tour going!!