Tell us about Unconventional. What inspired you to write it? How long did it take you to write it? Will there be more in the series?That’s a long question with a long answer. *grins*
Unconventional is actually the third story in the Trent & Lucas chronicles, which began with a rather simple premise. Now, I attend science fiction and fantasy conventions on a fairly regular basis and I had just returned home from Dragon*Con back in… I think it was 2008. So I was home and wishing the convention was still going on when it occurred to me. With the craziness and fun of conventions, as well as the profusion of different interests the attendees are there for, a convention would be the perfect backdrop for a story. And thus, ‘Conventional Wisdom’ began. The story had a Happy For Now ending, and when the characters — out and proud Goth gaming geek Trent and closeted Hollywood actor Lucas — refused to leave me alone, the second story in the series, ‘Conventional Education’, insisted upon being written. Again, it had a HFN ending, which I was quite pleased with. Then I started getting emails. *hee*
When would Trent and Lucas’ story be finished? Was I planning a third story to tie up the loose ends? At what point would I get to work on it to avoid grave bodily harm? (Yes, that last is a joke. I think. I assumed it was, anyway.)
Ultimately, I realized I had three choices. I could ignore the readers who wanted more, as well as the voices in my head… I could risk life and limb by writing a third novella that would progress the story but not finish it… or I could go ahead and just write until Trent and Lucas were satisfied, which is not as easy a task as one might think. They seemed to be enjoying sharing their story with me in novella-sized chunks, so trying to force them to tell me all of it at once was rather like herding cats. They were very stubborn. *grins*
In the end, I think ‘Unconventional’ took somewhere between three and four months to write, and during that time it was the only thing I was working on. After the first draft was completed, I spent another month or so trying to tidy it up, and when I finally submitted the story, I was very happy to have it accepted even though it’s a much longer tale than the first two ‘Conventions’ books. This book also had an unusually long editing process, thanks entirely to my own mental moments, so I have to send out huge thanks to my tireless editor, Kate, who is directly responsible for making the book far better than it would have been if left solely to me.
As for whether there will be more in this series, I don’t believe so. There are several secondary characters (some of whom readers may recognize from other books, most notably ‘Matchmen, LTD’ and ‘Making It Up’), and some of those characters are definitely starting to clamor for attention, but no, their stories will not be a continuation of the ‘Conventions’ series. This series is solely Trent & Lucas’, after all.
Okay, I think I answered all the questions. And I was right. It really is a long answer. LOL
You do a wide variety of lengths in your fiction -- do you find long or short fiction easier to write?Truthfully, it depends on the story and how long it wants to be, though as with the ‘Conventions’ series, I’m sometimes blindsided. I may think something is a sip, only to find those same characters whispering to me, months later.
Many of my stories do end up being rather long, which I have to admit I enjoy. Longer books give me more of a chance to explore who the characters are and what’s going on inside their heads. But that wasn’t the question, was it? *blushes*
Okay, as to which length is easier… the longer the better. Long stories seem to flow faster for me. I’d write novels a hundred percent of the time, if I could. But as I said above, sometimes a story doesn’t want to be long, and trying to force it seems… well, forced. Just my opinion, of course.
Tell us one thing about yourself that your readers would be surprised to know.Hmmm… that’s a tough one. I know I’ve mentioned my bizarre collections in interviews and things, so I need something different here. How about…
In the course of working as a line cook in New Orleans, years ago, I once accidentally stuck my hand in the deep fryer. This is not a joke, even if it’s funny to me now.
I won’t go into details, but to this day, I have a very odd scarring pattern on a couple fingers on my right hand. Does that count as surprising or just plain weird?
Do you have a favorite genre to read? To write? Is there any one genre you find it easier to write in than the others?Oh, good question! *grins*
I read loads of M/M fiction, obviously, but I also have a certain fondness for M/F humorous paranormal books. Like the ‘Kitty’ series by Carrie Vaughn. I read pretty much everything, including a few very old Regency romances I’ve had for decades. And I love to reread old favorites, including anything by Robert Heinlein, Piers Anthony, and Charles DeLint. I wish I could write science fiction, fantasy and urban fantasy the way they do.
As for writing, I tend mostly to stick to contemporary M/M. I did write one Single Shot, ‘Trine’, that was a M/M/M paranormal historical, but that was definitely the exception, rather than the rule. I think I like writing contemporaries because on a certain level, I feel like we can all understand them. Aside from the whole ‘true love conquers all’ aspect, which isn’t as common in real life as one would wish… contemporary romances are easier for me to identify with, and hopefully other people find them accessible, too.
What’s the best thing about writing? How about the worst thing?The very best thing about writing is being able to spend time doing it. I love the process, from start to finish, no matter how much I may whine and complain to my friends in IM while doing rewrites or edits. *sheepish grin* The idea that people actually want to read what I write is just as good, though.
The worst thing about writing is second-guessing myself, which I do quite frequently. This usually happens after a new book has been released. I’ll spend hours asking myself whether I really managed to get a particular emotion across properly, or if I could have worded something better, and whether I should have explained this-or-that in more detail or less. *chuckles* Fortunately, this stage doesn’t last more than a week or so, but it’s not all puppies and Christmas while it’s happening. LOL
Character or plot, which comes first?Truthfully, for me it’s usually either a line of dialogue, a description of a situation, or even a title. From there, I figure out who’s involved — the line of dialogue option… how they ended up in that position — the situation scenario… or what the story is about — the title option, obviously.
Once I figure out those things, the rest tends to flow pretty easily.
Of course, as I tend to write series, in one form or another, a lot of things are already established. Characters, for example, travel from one book in a series, where they’re secondary, to being the primary focus of the next book. So I generally have a base to work from.
Plot is very important, as well, but I’ve always had difficulties with knowing the plot before I know the rest.
What is your favorite way to spend a rainy day?*grins* I’m very lucky, in that I have the biggest balcony known to man. Okay, maybe not the biggest, but big enough. The perfect rainy day, at least in the warmer months, is spent on my balcony with a good book, reading and watching the rain.
If it’s a real, thundering downpour, I’m more likely to be found outside running around in it. There’s something about the primal fury of nature at play that I find viscerally satisfying.
What’s the best writing advice you ever received/found?I don’t remember who said it, or even the exact words, but it basically boils down to “Never force yourself to write something that bores you. If you find it boring, so will your readers. Write with passion and emotion, always.”
Also, and this is not a quote about writing, but I think it applies… Theodore Seuss Geisel once said “Be who you are and say what you mean, because the people who mind don’t matter and the people who matter don’t mind.” Brilliant man, that Dr. Seuss. *grins*
What are you working on now?Oh, lots of things. First is another Color Box story, ‘Mandarin Orange’. I’m really enjoying the process on this one, and I hope to have the manuscript completed in the next few weeks.
I’m also working on a story that’s somewhat connected to the ‘Conventions’ series, though it takes place before Trent & Lucas ever meet and involves — you guessed it — secondary characters. Funnily enough, I started writing this one long before I ever conceived of the notion for the ‘Conventions’ books.
I’m also trying to complete another contemporary that takes place in Washington, DC, which would make sense since I live in suburban Maryland. LOL
In addition to those, and completely opposed to what I said earlier about contemporaries, I have a sort of sci-fi-ish post-apocalyptic story and an alternate-dimension urban fantasy-ish thing that I’ve been working on for ages. I can’t swear either of them will ever see the light of day, though. LOL
Finally, in November, my very first novel, ‘Life or Something Scary Like That’, will be reissued with new editing, along with the sequel, ‘Life Changes Everything’, which tells the story of Ben, from the first book. (Yes, Ben fans! I really did listen!) Both will be available in print, as well as electronic formats. *hee*
And I guess that about sums it up.
I’m writing and thinking and listening to the voices in my head. And I’m very excited about ‘Unconventional’ being released. I hope people enjoy it and I’d love to hear about it, either way.
Army Green by J. Rocci
Gray: Grisaille in Stone and Sky by Molly Church
Ruby Slippers by Alexi Silversmith
Cross the Mountain by PD Singers
