Look and Listen

Biography

Nancy grew up in rural Illinois, spent years in the middle of the Shawnee National Forest, lobbied state legislators for community colleges,then moved near the "Windy City" to teach high school and sell insurance. Mother & stepmother to six, she presently resides in Arizona with her husband of 30 years. "I'm a night writer, 11PM to 4AM. Daytime, look for me spoiling my granddaughter, walking the track, playing Mah Jong, Canasta, doing acrylic painting, or critiquing a friend's writing." Nancy recommends "local writers join AZ Authors, national join Romance Writers of America,(even if romance isn't your thing--RWA has terrific programs, maketing tips and mentors), and on-line Epic offers great support for ebooks. MuseItUp may be the most valuable freebie on the net."

Inspiration

My published novels are general fiction, mainstream and follow no formula. Strong characters with subplots make the read rich with multiple viewpoints. After all, in real life, we seldom agree on what actually took place in any one incident. Intrigue, deceit, betrayals, romance, triumphs, all the drama of real life fills the pages. All exaggerated and edited in page-turning thoroughness. My tales are rarely fully researched within a year, seldom written within a second year, and the critiquing takes at least one more year. To start, I know the beginning and how I want the tale to end--after the first ten pages, the characters travel on their own. For novels as detailed and epic as mine, a timeline must be established. Content rewrites are impossible if the scene in question becomes lost among 400 pages. Sketchy five word chapter outlines provide parameters to keep the plot from wandering, but changing a chac's mind is impossible. If you find your protagonist won't do what you want, you have either the wrong protagonist or a badly conceived scene. If writer's block attacks, you're forcing your character to do something unnatural for them. I would advise you live with your chacs for months, put them beside you in the car, at lunch,what to wear, what to watch on TV--discover what they would do in your situation, only then can you write their story. Be careful to set up a file for each chac. You'd be amazed how eyes can change color and curly hair grow limp after 398 pages and five rewrites. For the most thorough, intense writer's guide, use Donald Mass's workbook--before and after you've decided to become a writer. And always remember, what a reader buys and likes is his personal choice. You won't please everyone. Just make sure you're happy and satisfied with what you've accomplished, then present it to the world.