A Note About My Writing Style: I Enjoy Writing The Build-up
I see writing as an opportunity to live vicariously through my characters, even to the extent of experiencing the horribly terrifying dramas I feel compelled to put them through. This does not make me unique as an author. What probably separates me from most who publish in the romance/suspense/thriller/science fiction realm however is that I also love writing about the normal day-to-day part of my characters' lives. In real life, scary scenarios don't necessarily happen in the flash of an instant. The realization that danger lurks in the periphery can be slow to surface, and I take great pleasure in setting the stage for that sudden shift in momentum when the proverbial brownish efflux hits the fan!
I usually develop my characters before I start the story, although the exercises I utilize often create usable scenes that I later challenge myself to integrate into the plot. My motivation to write story comes from a surge of imagination that is usually triggered by news, travel, and of course reading or watching a thriller of any genre. I'll close the book or leave the movie theater with racing thoughts about how to create a series of scenes for my own characters that will parallel the sense of peril I just witnessed.
But before the stakes are suddenly revealed, there's a normal life going on, with personal conflicts, hang-ups and emotional baggage that get in the way even in the best of times. That's what I enjoy writing the most. And when well meaning people try to coach me otherwise, I watch myself cringe and lose confidence. And then I remember a passage from The Alchemist, by Paolo Coelho:
As he was about to climb yet another dune, his heart whispered, "Be aware of the place where you are brought to tears. That's where I am, and that's where your treasure is."
The place that brings me to tears is the page. My characters and their stories are my treasure. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
