The Way I Write

Travis had this great meme on his blog and I thought I'd use it for today's post. BTW, if you've never visited Travis's blog, get thee over there. Travis is a fun, witty, and honest guy.

What is your genre(s)?
I write mostly mainstream novels. I've written one Regency historical romance novel, an inspirational novel, and my current WIP is a mainstream. I feel most comfortable writing mainstream.

How many books are you working on now?
Just the one. I've tried working on two at a time, but can't devote the focus to each one that I need to when there's more than one.

Are you a linear or a chunk writer?
Most definitely linear. I can't write scenes out of order. It would throw me completely off balance and destroy my story thread.

What POV are you partial to?
Third person, most definitely. I usually have only two POV's in my novels - but that could most certainly change. I'm not a fan of first-person in the books I read - I'd much rather know the innermost thoughts and feelings of different characters instead of just one.

What tense do you use?
Past. I don't think I've ever used anything else, but that may change.

What theme keeps cropping up in your books?
Forgiveness and acceptance. Forgiving yourself and others and accepting yourself and others.

How many days a week do you write?
Every single one. Whether it's an email or a blog post or a freelance project or my journal or my novel, a day rarely goes by that I don't write.

What time of day do you get your best writing done?
After 7 p.m. if I'm working at the day job. On the weekends, it's usually in the late afternoon. I can't write in the mornings, though I wish I was that type of writer. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do if I got my writing done first thing in the morning. What would I have to look forward to all day? :-)

Who are your mentors?
I had an English teacher in junior high and an English teacher in high school who really believed in me. Since I just contacted both of them a few months ago, I still consider them mentors. I know they still believe in me. I also like to consider all those authors I contacted through the years who responded to me as my mentors, too. They all encouraged me to keep going.

Who are your favorite authors to read?
Gah! Tough one. Rosalind Laker, Patricia Veryan, Jack Higgins, Ken Follett, Judith Pella, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jo Beverly, Dean Koontz, and numerous others.

If you care to play along, let me know so I can be sure to check it out!