Review: DRIVE by Stephanie Fournet
I have loved everything I’ve read from Stephanie Fournet, and DRIVE did not disa[...]
C.L. Taylor is here for a “How I Write” feature as part of her BEFORE I WAKE blog tour! Thanks to Cally. for participating, and Sourcebooks for working my feature into the tour!
About the author:
C.L. Taylor works in higher education and has a degree in psychology, with particular interest in abnormal and criminal psychology.
Are you a planner (outline, etc.) or do you “pants” it?
It depends on the book. I plotted BEFORE I WAKE because I was on maternity leave and only had 45 minute snatches of time to write during my son’s naps. That wasn’t enough time to think AND write so having a detailed outline meant I could hit the ground running the second he fell asleep.
I pantsed my second book LAST GIRL STANDING. I took part in an online writing challenge organised by a friend of mine – 100,000 words in 100 days. It was exhausting and I wasn’t sure what I was going to write from one day to the next but I did have a first draft after 100 days. The downside was it was a very rough first draft and I’ve just finished a fairly extensive rewrite.
I think I’ll go back to plotting for my next novel – it’s quicker!
Do you write daily or sporadically when you’re inspired?
It depends on what stage in the process I’m at. If it’s a first draft I try and write every day to keep the momentum going and keep the story fresh in my head. If I’m rewriting I might take a day off occasionally – particularly if I’m stuck or need to recharge my batteries.
What inspired you to want to become a writer?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I submitted a ‘book’ I’d written to Penguin publishers when I was was eight years old – and subsequently received my first rejection. I loved reading. I read everything and anything I could get my hands on but Enid Blyton was my greatest inspiration.
What time of day do you find you write best? Or you enjoy more?
Before I had children I was a real night owl and would write from 10pm until 2pm. These days I’m far too tired to write that late so I fit in an hour after I’ve dropped off my son at the childminder’s house and another hour at lunchtime. If I’ve got a deadline I’ll write after I’ve put my son to bed until my bedtime (7.30pm-11pm) or my partner will take our son out at the weekend so I can get a good three or four hour writing session in. I’ve got a day job so I need to squeeze in writing whenever I can.
Do you have any writing quirks?
I need to have a drink and some chewing gum to hand. I also need to have my ski socks on. I can’t write with cold feet!
Where is your favorite place to write?
I like writing at my desk in my study. I’ve got all my CDs to hand, my photos of my family in front of me and my favourite artwork on the walls.
What tool(s) do you use to write? Microsoft Word, Pages, Scrivener, typewriter, pen and paper, and/or napkins/toilet paper?
I start a novel by scribbling my ideas down into a notebook with a pen. I draw mind maps and graphs and plot out the three act structure. Those scribbles often end up on whatever I have to had so my notebook will end up stuffed with random bits of paper. Once the plot is strong enough I start writing into Word.
How do you stay motivated?
I give myself little challenges – 2,000 words a day or write 1,000 words by 2pm and I can have a break or biscuit. I also like writing down my progress in a notebook, totting up how many words I’ve done, what percentage of the total I’ve completed and how many chapters I have left to do etc.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received for writing?
‘First drafts are supposed to be s***’ and ‘you can’t edit a blank page’. Don’t spend forever polishing your opening chapters. Instead, keep writing and don’t look back until you reach the end. The chances are you might even delete your first couple of chapters when you redraft.
What aspect of writing is most challenging for you? Easiest?
I’m not a huge fan of writing description. I find it quite dull and laborious. I’d much rather write dialogue which I can write really quickly.
What do you use as inspiration while writing? (Music, pictures, etc.)
Whilst I’ve been writing my current novel, LAST GIRL STANDING, I’ve been listening to the soundtrack of In Time by Craig Armstrong. It’s thrilling, heart-pounding and emotive and really gets my blood going when I’m writing tense scenes.
This secret is killing me.
It’s only one line from her fifteen-year-old daughter’s diary, but Susan knows it means everything. Charlotte is smart, popular, and beautiful. She is also in a coma following what looks like a desperate suicide attempt. What’s more, Susan has no idea what compelled her daughter to step out in front of a city bus.
Did she really know her daughter at all? In her hunt for the truth, Susan begins to mistrust everyone close to Charlotte, and she’s forced to look further, into the depths of her own past. The secrets hidden there may destroy them both.
A compelling story of moving forward and the power of a mother’s love through the most difficult of times
June 3, 2014 – Sourcebooks Landmark
Many thanks to Cally for stopping by today to answer my questions!
More “How I Write” Q&As!
