First, I must thank Leslie Lynch for inviting me to participate in the My Writing Process Blog Tour. She’s a delightful colleague and a skilled writer, and I’m glad to be getting to count her among my “writing friends!”
Here’s the part where I actually talk about my, you know, writing process.
Here I am with La Virgen Morena Papel at CMN 2013.
1) What am I working on? Spinning plates, that’s what I’m working on. In between homeschooling, marketing Don’t You Forget About Me, and trying to figure out how to eat with hypoglycemia, I’m working on First Disciples, a series of books that will teach girls 8-15 the daily life skills that young Mary would have used as a girl living in Herodian Israel. I’m also, slowly and painfully, drafting Never Let Me Down Again, the sequel to the aforementioned Don’t You Forget About Me.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? I’m not even sure I have a genre. Theology of the Body murder-mystery isn’t exactly a category on Amazon.
3) Why do I write what I do? Because it hurts when I don’t.
4) How does your writing process work? I’m a planner but not in the traditional outline-y way. Writing Jane_E, Friendless Orphan: A Memoir got me into a writing habit that works rather well for me. Since Jane_E needed to follow the same essential plot structure of Jane Eyre, I made a “To Do” list of narrative tasks that each chapter had to accomplish. I’ve been using that technique ever since, putting the list at the bottom of each chapter and deleting each task as I write out its narrative. It’s very satisfying to watch each list dwindle as I write.
I’m also supposed to give you my Facebook page, web page (which you already have if you’re reading this), and the link to buy my books. There ya go.
And now I tag the following writers:
Ellen Gable is a Catholic mom, writer, editor, blogger, Catholic Writers Guild president, and all around great lady.
Barb S. is a Catholic mom, cook, blogger, technowizard, and busy feeding a child with Type I Diabetes.
Laura is another Catholic mom, blogger, and proponent of faithful environmental stewardship.
Enjoy, tomato pie fans!
Erin McCole Cupp 
Spinning plates over here, too…! Actually, maybe you could check out “mashups” as a category on Amazon. Just because THEY haven’t thought of “Theology of the Body Murder Mystery” doesn’t mean it’s not a mashup!!! Looking forward to reading more from you! (When the plates are all spinning nicely, of course!)
That’s a brilliant idea, mashup! I shall have to investigate!
Tell me more about this writing process of lists?! When I look at examples of 16 point plot structures, 8 point arcs and beat sheets, I get this face -_- and stop writing. But lists? I can make and tackle lists all day.
Well, it’s kind of like you take those 16 point plot structures, divvy them up under chapter titles, then as you accomplish each plot point in that chapter, you get to delete it from your to do list. Did I explain that? I feel like I didn’t explain that.
I think you explained it. Let me see if I can try it!