Fast Writer: Candace Havens

I have another fast writer for you...Candace Havens!

She writes for Harlequin Mills & Boon, Berkley and Entangled Publishing. You would have probably seen the post below where I shared that I was about to take Candy's Fast Draft class. It's amazing! Candy hosts it several times a year and if you are vaguely considering it, I urge you to seriously consider it!

I hope Candy doesn't mind me telling you this, but she recently wrote a book in FOUR AND A HALF days!!! AND got it accepted before she edited it. Is that cool or what?

We like Candy, she's cool beanz ;D Here is her interview.

MONIQUE: Thank you very much for agreeing to be interviewed for my Fast Writers blog series, Candy. First, I’d love to hear about your writing day in a quick snapshot. Do you have a special time to write? Or do you grab moments whenever you can? I guess I’d like to know how structured you are.

CANDY: I write whenever I can. I usually break the day up into non-fiction writing for my day job as a film and TV critic and I write my books later in the day or at night. But I’m never stuck with one way of doing things. I mix it up all the time. 

MONIQUE: What sort of writer are you? Planner or pantser? 

CANDY: I have to write a brief synopsis for my publishers, but for the most part I’m a pantser. I never stick to those synopses.

MONIQUE: Can you tell us a bit about the technique you use to help you to write quickly, and how you developed it?

CANDY: The class I teach is called Fast Draft. It’s a process where you write your first draft in two weeks. People think it’s impossible, but it isn’t. I have certain rules and tools that help you psychologically get into almost a state of hypnosis to write. Your subconscious is a much better writer than you are and that’s what we delve into.

MONIQUE: Did you always write this way? Or is your method something you picked up along the way?

CANDY: I have a crazy life. I’m a film and tv critic and a radio personality. I write three columns/cover stories a week for the TV job. I’m the president of the TV Critics Association. I have kids, who are older now, but were young when I started. I had to write fast or it was never going to get done. I’ve revised the process over the year, but it works every time.

MONIQUE: How many words do you write per hr/writing session? 

CANDY: I try when I’m doing Fast Draft to write 20 pages a day. I sometimes break that up and do 10 pages early in the day and 10 pages at night. I can write between 1000-1700 words an hour. I do a lot of #1k1hr on Twitter, which is a great motivator. It’s just nice to have people going through the same thing you are.

MONIQUE: How many hours per day do you write? And how many days per week?

CANDY: I honestly have no idea on the hours, but I write about six days a week, seven if I’m on a tight deadline, which happens a lot.

MONIQUE: How quickly can/do you finish a book?

CANDY: From first draft to polished book about a month if I have to. I like to let a book sit between first draft and that first set of revisions if I have time.

MONIQUE: Do you know what you're going to write each day before you start your writing sessions? For instance, do you draft the scenes/chapters you’re about to write just before you write them, or do you thoroughly outline before you even start the book (if you’re a planner, that is J)?

CANDY: I don’t plan that much. I just write the next scene I know. Sometimes that might be in chapter three, and sometimes it’s the last chapter. When I finish writing, I leave my self notes about what I just did and where I was thinking about going every time I finish a scene. That way when I pick it back up, I know where I want to go. The great thing about Fast Draft is your continuity is better because you eat, drink and sleep that book.

MONIQUE: How do you prevent your internal editor/critic from interrupting?

CANDY: This is the toughest part of writing for everyone. I tell people to send their internal editor on vacation. Maybe to Fiji or Alaska. Somewhere far away. You have to give yourself permission to write a crappy first draft and you have to write even when you don’t feel like it. I’ve found that when I write when I’m tired, the words are better. That’s because my subconscious takes over.

MONIQUE: Do you have any more tips you’d like to share?

CANDY: The trick is being disciplined. There isn’t a job in the world where you can work for a few hours and then pick it up three weeks later and expect to be successful. Set your hours and goals for the week and stick to them.  

MONIQUE: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to spend time with us here today. We’d love to hear about your new book, would you tell us a bit about it?

CANDY: I have a new series debuting in October 2012. The first book is Iron Demon. It’s a southern steampunk. Professor Maisy Clark is a female version of Sherlock Holmes who hunts down paranormal creatures. She has a trusty sidekick, a Scotsman named Barnes. And there is a hot cowboy involved. Oh, and there is a hot U.S. Marshal involved with Maisy. And I have a new Blaze novella with Lori Wilde and Kathleen O’Reilly called “All I Want for Christmas…” and my story in that is “One Hot December Night.”

Thanks for letting me hang out. It was fun.

MONIQUE: It was fantastic having you here with us, Candy!

Author Bio:

Bestselling author Candace Havens has written six novels for Berkley including, Charmed & Dangerous, Charmed & Ready, Charmed & Deadly, Like A Charm, The Demon King and I and Dragons Prefer Blondes.

Her new venture is writing for the Blaze line of Harlequin. Those books include Take Me If You Dare, She Who Dares, Wins, Truth and Dare, and The Model Marine. She is also in the anthology Spirited, and the proceeds go to help literacy. And she has a new southern steampunk series debuting October 2012 with Iron Demon. Her books have received nominations for the RITA's, Holt Medallion and Write Touch Reader Awards.

She is the author of the biography Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy and a contributor to several anthologies. She is also one of the nation's leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities including Tom Hanks, Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise, George Clooney and many more. Her entertainment columns can be read in more than 600 newspapers across the country.

Candace also runs a free online writing workshop for more than 1800 writers, and teaches comprehensive writing class. She does film reviews with the Dorsey Gang on New Country 96.3, and is the President of the Television Critics Association. Her book Model Marine is a 2012 National Readers Choice Finalist.

My Next Step In Learning To Write Fast

To follow through with my great endeavours to write faster, I've signed up to Candace Havens' Fast Draft and Revision Hell which starts on May 14. She promises to teach us how to write a complete first draft in two weeks--Yikes!

I'll keep you posted...

Fast Writers Blog Series: Marie Higgins

It's Friday and that means it's time to interview another fast writer!

Today we have Marie Higgins. One of my dear friends and CPs. She writes Historical Romance and I tell you, this lady writes pretty fast. The amazing thing is that she has a full-time job and only writes part-time!!! :)

Hi, Marie,

Thank you very much to agreeing to be interviewed for my Fast Writers blog series. 

·         First, I’d love to hear about your writing day in a quick snapshot. Do you have a special time to write? Or do you grab moments whenever you can? I guess I’d like to know how structured you are.

I’ve never been a structured writer. When I first started writing, I worked part time and my girls were in school, which gave me time to write and be with them when needed. Then I started working full time to help pay the bills. I didn’t think I would ever find time to write after that. So my days consisted of me going to work, coming home, and while I made dinner, I helped my daughters with their homework. I drove them to school functions when needed before I went into my office, closed the door and wrote like mad.

Now my daughters are grown up and I still work full time. So when I come home from work, I make dinner, visit with hubby before and during the meal. Clean up afterwards, then go to my office and shut the door to write. Sometimes I’m too exhausted from work, so I don’t write, but normally, this is how my days are outlined. And weekends…write like mad on Saturdays (and try to fit cleaning the house in there somewhere). Sunday after church, I’m back on the computer writing.

·         What sort of writer are you? Planner or pantser?

Definitely panster! Out of all the stories I’ve written (approx 30), I can only name two stories that I actually had to plot. I enjoy not knowing the ending until I get there.  

·         Can you tell us a bit about the technique you use to help you to write quickly, and how you developed it?

For several years I would write a chapter then go back over it several times to edit before moving to the next chapter – and repeating the process. About four years ago, I discovered a different way to do it. I’d heard other authors say that they just wrote what was on their mind without stopping to edit until they finished the story. I decided to give it a try. It was hard with the first book, but every one after that became easier. I realized my thoughts were clearer, and didn’t second-guess myself as much. Now I can write a story all the way through without going back to do edits…and then I only go through the story two more times before I’m ready to let my critique group at it. 

·         How many words do you write per hr/writing session?

Depends on what day of the week it is. If I write after work, I can usually write between 1-2,000 words a night. If I write on the weekends, I can write about 6,000 words a day.

·         How many hours per day do you write? And how many days per week?

I try to write something every day, but at least every other day. If I’m going strong on a story, I’ll write from about 6:00-9:30 on week nights. On the weekends I’ll write all day – that I can stand, anyway. 

·         How quickly can/do you finish a book?

Usually about six weeks for a book that's 80,000 words. And that includes reading through it for edits.

·         Do you know what you're going to write each day before you start your writing sessions? For instance, do you draft the scenes/chapters you’re about to write just before you write them, or do you thoroughly outline before you even start the book (if you’re a planner, that is J)?

I don’t draft a scene, but I know what I want to happen. Sometimes I write what I’d been thinking about, and sometimes my characters want the scene to go their way, so then I’ll write what they want instead.

·         How do you prevent your internal editor/critic from interrupting?

It takes practice. As I’d mentioned before, I wrote with my internal editor for many, many years. It’s only been about four years ago when I started writing straight through without stopping.

·         Do you have any more tips you’d like to share?

Don’t give up. Find a method that works for you, especially if you have to write around a regular job – or write around raising a family. If you love to write, you’ll find time!!! 

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to spend  with us here today. We’d love to hear about your new book, would you tell us a bit about it?

My newest release is actually book 2 in my Regency Romance series. The series is about three brothers and their lives / trials.  The first book is “The Sweetest Kiss”. Book two is “The Sweetest Touch”. (Available on Kindle & Nook April 1^st)

Orphaned since age six, Louisa Hamilton lives as a low-life miscreant, not knowing when she’ll be able to break free of her guardian’s steel hold. When she sees the cousin she had been told died in a house fire all those years ago, she follows him only to discover her family is alive. In her haste to escape the past, she leaves the loving scene only to be hit by a passing buggy.  Louisa awakes in the home of a duke, horrified to discover she has lost her memory.

Trevor Worthington, Duke of Kenbridge, can’t trust women. Yet after nearly killing the poor straggly woman, his heart softens and he feels he must help her. He sets her up in his household as a servant. Surprised to learn Louisa speaks French, is extremely well educated, and interacts so tenderly with his children, he wonders about this woman’s past. Following his instincts, he gives her the position of the children’s nursemaid. When he starts having feelings for Louisa, he’s hesitant to enter another nightmare like the one he had in his first marriage.

As the heartbreaking truth of Louisa's past comes out and decade old questions come to light, will Trevor be able to give love another chance?

About the author –

Marie Higgins is a multi-published author of romance; from refined bad-boy heroes who makes your heart melt to the feisty heroines who somehow manage to love them regardless of their faults. Visit her website / blog to discover more about her – http://mariehiggins84302.blogspot.com

Fast Writers Blog Series: Nicola Marsh

As promised, here is Nicola Marsh's secrets to fast writing! She's certainly given me some ideas to get the words on screen.

Hi, Nicola,

Welcome! Thank  you very much for agreeing to be interviewed for the new Fast Writers Blog Series. 

·      First, I’d love to hear about your writing day in a quick snapshot. Do you have a special time to write? Or do you grab moments whenever you can? I guess I’d like to know how structured you are.

With young kids, my writing day isn’t structured at all! Usually, I write from 8.30-11pm but with my youngest starting kinder this year I’ve been able to squeeze in a few hours in the morning too, from 10-12.  I’ve been writing at night for 9 years though and still feel that’s my most productive time. Old habits die hard, I guess. 

·       What sort of writer are you? Planner or pantser? 

Pantser. I used to be a plotter for my early books but changed along the way. These days I write up a rough 2-3 page outline before I start, just a basic storyline description and the characters’ motivation, then off I go. I have no idea what will happen along the way, that’s part of the fun! 

·      Can you tell us a bit about the technique you use to help you to write quickly, and how you developed it? 

My guaranteed speed machine is the Alphasmart, a portable word processor that runs on 3 AA batteries! It has a tiny 4-line screen so you can’t edit as you go.  It’s perfect for writing fast. No Internet, no self-checking, just write. I’ve written many books on it, including mainstream novels I’ve completed in a month because of it!  I absolutely swear by my Alphie for speed.

·         Did you always write this way? Or is your method something you picked up along the way?

I bought Alphie at my first RWAustralia writers conference in Sydney 2004 and have written consistently on it ever since.  Love it!

·         How many words do you write per hr/writing session?

I go by page count and on Alphie I average 6 pages an hour, 8 if I’m in ‘the zone’!

·         How many hours per day do you write? And how many days per week?

Total, I probably write 3 hours/day, but spend another few hours doing the business side of things (eg. Promo, answering emails, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, blog, etc…)

I write 5 days a week, 6 or 7 if I’m on tight deadline. I always try to have Sundays off and don’t turn on the PC (though I check emails on my phone! And can’t resist the occasional tweet…)

·         How quickly can/do you finish a book? 

My category romances (50K) usually take 4-6 weeks.

Crazily, I’ve written a few mainstream length books in that time length too, but I wouldn’t recommend it! 

·       Do you know what you're going to write each day before you start your writing sessions? For instance, do you draft the scenes/chapters you’re about to write just before you write them, or do you thoroughly outline before you even start the book (if you’re a planner, that is J)? 

No, I don’t draft scenes/chapters before I write them (definitely a pantser). Sometimes I like ending a scene partially way through so I have a good starting point the next day.  Other times I have a vague idea of what needs to happen next and jump straight in.

·         How do you prevent your internal editor/critic from interrupting?

I never edit as I go along.  I write the first draft straight through. Internal editors are not good for speed.  The more you stop and revise along the way, the slower the process. (This works for me, while others can’t write a story without editing along the way. That’s the beauty of storytelling, everyone has a different method that works for them.)

·         Do you have any more tips you’d like to share?

The key to faster writing is…write, write and write some more.

Make it a daily occurrence. Like anything else the more you practice, the easier it becomes.

Writing often breeds faster writing. 

I always find I’m slower after I’ve had a holiday or taken a week off between books, but once I’m in the groove again my fingers can fly J 

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to spend with us. We’d love to hear about your new book, would you tell us a bit about it? 

I’m thrilled that my first mainstream contemporary romance/women’s fiction/romcom/chicklit, BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD, is being released in mass market paperback this June.

This book released online in December 2011 to rave reviews, including being named in the Top 5 Best South Asian Fiction 2011.

I think the blurb best sums it up:

Shari Jones needs to get a life. Preferably someone else’s.

Single, homeless and jobless, Indo-American Shari agrees to her best friend’s whacky scheme: travel to Mumbai, pose as Amrita, and ditch the fiancé her traditional Indian parents have chosen. Simple. Until she’s mistaken for a famous Bollywood actress, stalked by a Lone Ranger wannabe, courted by an English lord, and busted by the blackmailing fiancé.

Life is less complicated in New York.

Or so she thinks, until the entourage of crazies follows her to the Big Apple and that’s when the fun really begins. Shari deals with a blossoming romance, an addiction to Indian food and her first movie role, while secretly craving another trip to the mystical land responsible for sparking her new lease on life. Returning to her Indian birthplace, she has an epiphany. Maybe the happily-ever-after of her dreams isn’t so far away?

Thanks for sharing your method with us, Nicola. It was lovely to have you join us today :)

Readers, you can pick up a copy of Nicola's new romcom chicklit from any of the links below:

AMAZON
BOOK DEPOSITORY (free postage worldwide!)
KINDLE
BARNES & NOBLE

USA TODAY bestselling author Nicola Marsh writes flirty fiction with flair. 

She’s had 30 books published with Harlequin Romance and Presents series and sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Her first mainstream contemporary romance, Busted in Bollywood, ‘Sex & the City’ meets ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ released with Entangled Publishing December 2011.

            She’s also a Waldenbooks and Bookscan bestseller, has finalled in several awards including the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, HOLT, Booksellers’ Best, Golden Quill, Laurel Wreath, More than Magic and has won several CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Awards. 

            A physiotherapist for thirteen years, she now adores writing full time, raising her two little heroes, sharing fine food with family and friends, and her favourite, curling up with a good book! 

            She also loves interacting with readers. 

            She blogs daily at http://nicolamarsh.blogspot.com

            Tweets incessantly http://twitter.com/NicolaMarsh

            And chatters on Facebook http://facebook.com/NicolaMarshAuthor

I'd love to hear what you think of fast writing. Do you have a secret method that works? Then share! :)