05/09/2013
5
Andrew
May 09, 2013

Author Profile: Anne Barwell

Today’s Author Profile is Anne Barwell.  Anne’s from New Zealand, home of my good friend and co-author Anyta, so this was really a treat for me.  Anne has several books published and several more in the works. Today she’s sharing her approach to getting the story down for the readers. Take a look, read the excerpt she’s provided, then let her know what you think.

MagicsMuse_headerbannerAuthor Profile: Anne Barwell

Plotting vs Pantsing

AKA The illusions of outlines.

Big thanks to Andrew for hosting me here today

I’ve always written with a mix of plotting and pantsing. I start with an idea, and usually work out the beginning and end and then start on the journey itself. My muses tend to think that outlines are something to make rude gestures towards, but I like to have a fair idea of what I’m doing, especially with writing longer stories such as novels. I also tend to write in series so knowing what is going to happen in book three is useful to know in book one. Foreshadowing can be a wonderful thing.  When writing a historical story, it’s also important to keep in mind what was going on in the world at the time in order to avoid anachronisms. It doesn’t matter how much I’d like to be able to have characters take shelter in a park that happens to be just in the right place, if said park was a railway station when the story is set. Research is one of those necessary evils, but the up side of it is that I’ve learnt a lot of very interesting things because of it.

These days I write a fairly detailed outline before I start writing. I like my illusions. A novel usually equates to about three pages of bullet points. But in saying that, I’m very much aware that these are just signposts along the journey, and very subject to change. I’ve discovered the hard way that it’s a good idea to listen to my characters and that they tend to know what they’re doing. Part of that is that I learn more about them as I write, and get to know them better with each story. It would be nice though if they actually shared a bit more ahead of time! An example of this was when I was writing A Knight to Remember, my upcoming release from Dreamspinner Press.  The main villain isn’t in the outline.  At all.

As I said I like my illusions.

As I’ve already mentioned I tend to write in series so, although I do let my characters ‘do their thing,’ there are certain things they need to adhere to because diverting too far off a path will have ramifications for what happens in future books. It’s like one domino falling and taking out the rest with it.  Some diversions are fine and are easily brought forward and adjusted, others not so much. When the characters want one thing with these ‘set in stone’ things and I want something else, it tells me I need to rethink my priorities or at least reach a compromise. When I was writing Cat’s Quill, I was determined that it be set in our world and that Tomas didn’t venture into Naearu, Cathal’s world. In the finish he won, and I’ve heard from a lot of readers that that was their favourite part of the book.

To use an analogy, here in Wellington we live on a fault line so we build so that everything moves with an earthquake rather than stands rigid and unmoving. Things survive better that way, or at least they do for me when I’m writing. I know other writers have different experiences and ways of doing things. I’d love for readers of this blog to share what works for them.

I’m sharing an excerpt from Magic’s Muse today as one of the main characters, Tomas, is a writer, who has as much trouble with his muses as I do.  Revenge is sweet 😉

Blurb: Magic’s Muse.

Sequel to ‘Cat’s Quill’

MagicsMuseTomas and Cathal have escaped from Naearu, Cathal’s mystical homeworld, but happily ever after is never as straightforward in real life as it is in books. Then again, most people don’t deal with the complication of a lover who’s magically bound to a tree or have an interfering cat for a cousin.

With Naearu’s police force, the Falcons, still after Cathal, he can’t go home. Now that he and Tomas have consummated their relationship, Cathal’s abilities are evolving and changing to the point that Tomas can sense them. And until the oak portal closes, Cathal—and his new life with Tomas—are in limbo as Cathal can’t expect Tomas to stay with someone who can never venture past the property line. Will he and Tomas ever get to follow through on their engagement?

Buy link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2732&cPath=55_426

Excerpt

Cathal smiled. He removed the pencil from behind Tomas’s ear and placed it on the desk. He’d chewed the end of it again. “What I’ve read of it so far is very good, and I’m not just saying that because I love you.”

“That’s good to know.” Tomas threaded his fingers through Cathal’s hair, playing with it. Cathal had suggested shortening the length, as it was longer than what he’d observed to be the norm in this world, but Tomas would have none of it. He liked it the way it was, so unless it was something Cathal really wanted to do, there was no need for it to be cut. Apparently there was a wider variety now in what was considered fashionable than there was the previous time he’d visited. He’d worn it longer then too, and no one had commented, although he’d noticed the sideways looks he and Christian had received because of their dress and manner of speech.

“Can I read what you’ve written today?” Cathal was keen to see how the story was progressing. It was very different being able to read something as it was written, rather than having to wait until it was finished. It reminded him of when he was a child and his mother would tell them a story by the fire each night, careful to leave it in such a place so they’d want more.

“Of course.” Tomas leaned over and tapped several keys on his laptop. A whirring sound filled the room, and the printer began to spit out pieces of paper covered in writing. He’d shown Cathal how the machine worked earlier that morning. With every visit to this world, it seemed as though the devices they used became smaller and could do so much more. There were still so many new things to learn about and discover. Even the technology with which he thought he was familiar had changed, although he hadn’t had the opportunity to ask as many questions as he’d like. Taking things apart to find out more had gotten him into trouble ninety years ago, and he wasn’t about to test the theory that it might again.

Cathal got up from Tomas’s lap and retrieved the papers once the machine had done its work. He flopped down on the bed, already beginning to read what was written on them and losing himself in the words. “Oh, you’ve written the kiss!” This was what he and Tomas had role played, and the last time he’d seen it had been as handwritten notes in Tomas’s journal. Now Tomas was “taking dictation again”, he’d reverted to using his laptop instead of writing longhand, as he said it was faster and easier to edit later.

“And more.” Tomas didn’t move from his chair but instead watched Cathal read, chuckling at the way in which he devoured the new material.

“Deimos isn’t as good at keeping secrets as he thinks, is he?” It was very apparent, the more Cathal read, that Deimos was not of this world. His speech slipped into more of an old-fashioned pattern on several occasions. He also seemed unaware of some of the things of which Mark spoke, but that was understandable, as Cathal hadn’t heard of some of them either. What was 3D, and who was Harry Potter? How could so much have happened in this world in such a short time?

“Neither were you, my love.” Tomas stretched his arms out and took another sip of coffee. “I didn’t realize just how much at the time, but as they say, hindsight is twenty-twenty.”

Bio:

Anne Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand.  She shares her home with two cats who are convinced that the house is run to suit them; this is an ongoing “discussion,” and to date it appears as though the cats may be winning.

In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra.

She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as “too many.” These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of “spare time” is really just a myth.

Links:

http://anne-barwell.livejournal.com/

http://annebarwell.wordpress.com/

http://coffeeunicorns.wordpress.com/

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_426

5 Comments

  1. […] blogging at Andrew Gordon’s today on this and the illusion of outlines. Drop by and leave a comment. I’d love to hear from […]

  2. Between outlines making rude gestures at us and our muses staring at us wide-eyed, as if they have no clue what we expect of them, writing is an adventure. Thanks so much, Anne!

  3. elizabethnoble19 says:

    LOL…I loved the rude gestures. Such a great article. I think there are more opinions on this and ways to write than there are writers.

    Elizabeth

    • annebarwell says:

      LOL. I swear that’s exactly what they do. Glad you enjoyed the post and that’s so true about there being infinite ways to write.

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