Joanne Dannon on the web:
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FREE e-copy of Bidding on Love!
I started writing in 2005 but my first romance was not published till 2015. In those years, I learnt a lot about craft and also discovered the “way” that I write.
Authors are either plotters or pantsers. I’m somewhere in between and it took me years of trial writing to determine what style works best for me.
The way I write a book is to initially plot heavily and write after. I spend up to two weeks creating the hero and heroine for my story (irrespective of the length of the book). Not only do I know what they look like but their characteristics, their personalities as well as their GMC. GMC is goal, motivation and conflict. It’s what keeps them together and keeps them apart. All good books (and movies!) should have strong GMC irrespective of the genre.
I spend a lot of time in creating and plotting my characters, and then have a loose direction of the plot. However, my hero and heroine will drive the direction of the story, not me.
Once I’ve finished writing, my editor cleans up my typos and grammatical errors, and may ask me to so some minor re-writes but generally I don’t have “substantial” edits. I’m a faster writer and will complete the edits in 1-2 days. Once completed, my editor does another check of the changes I’ve made and a final read looking for typos.
When I have the proofed copy, I do a read through to ensure there are no typing or grammatical errors that have been missed.
Every writer has their own style in writing, but for me it’s taken years of writing to work what is best for me. I love plotting whilst some writers don’t. I believe that my work in creating a strong foundation for my book is the reason that my edits are not complex, challenging or difficult.
A Magical Christmas In Jerusalem
Australian project manager Kiara Lonsdale is career focussed and determined to provide and care for the grandmother who raised her. Taking time off work to vacation has never been high on her agenda, but this year she’s made an exception. She’s helping her gran fulfil a life-long dream by accompanying her on a Christmas to the Holy Land tour.
Jacques Lenoir and his extended family run tours in Israel and he’s committed to their business. Jacques feels responsible for his grandparents’ welfare since they risked their lives, and others’, as operatives in the French Resistance, during the War.
But over romantic dinners in the desert, camel rides, and mud baths at the Dead Sea, sparks fly between Kiara and Jacques. Will this only be a holiday romance or will a touch of Christmas magic make it last a lifetime?
A Magical Chanukah in New York
Lisa Sassoon has shunned the scandal of her loser-ex cheating on her by escaping to New York. Instead of sightseeing, she’s become a recluse focusing on helping the less fortunate at a homeless shelter.
Gabe Olivari, entrepreneur and savvy business New Yorker, can’t let go of the pain of losing his best friend. So caught up in his own grief and believing he doesn’t deserve to be happy, he compensates by pushing everyone close to him away.
But when Lisa and Gabe meet, there is an instant connection that forces them to question not only their behaviours but their aspirations.
Can a dash of Chanukah magic help Lisa and Gabe realise that sparkling dates and dreamy kisses can lead to more? Perhaps even a lifetime of happiness?
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It's always a bit of a journey to figure out what works best for your writing life! Thanks for sharing yours :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Meradeth - so true! It took me a few years and four manuscripts till I was able to work it out!
DeleteThanks for dropping by and apologies for the late reply x
Good to meet you, Joanne. Discovering how we write and what works best is leaping over a huge hurdle. We're all different, so it's a unique journey for each of us.
ReplyDeleteHow very true Carol - it's a hurdle that new writers don't often realise when they start out.
DeleteThanks for dropping by and apologies for the late reply x
Hi Joanne. Great to meet you and hear about your approach to writing. Good luck with your book and all your future ones.
ReplyDeleteHi Clem - that's so lovely of you to say, really appreciate you saying so.
DeleteThanks for dropping by and apologies for the late reply x
Hi, Joanne! I love that you said your hero and heroine drive the story. Mine do the same. I may come up with the initial plot, but they tend to change it on me, and I let them. :)
ReplyDeleteJinks! Love meeting writers who can create the magic of having their characters drive their story :) That's so cool to hear :)
DeleteThanks for dropping by and apologies for the late reply x
Finding out our style and what works for us is so important. Glad you figured out the way you write best. Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDelete~Jess
Thanks so much Jess - you are so right :)
DeleteThanks for dropping by and apologies for the late reply x
Finding that style is tough. I'm still working on it, but I feel like I'm making progress! :)
ReplyDeleteIt is hard. As I mentioned above, it took me years and 4 manuscripts to work it out. I'm glad you're making progress - well done :)
DeleteFeel free to email me if you want to bounce ideas joanne@joannedannon.com :)
Thanks for dropping by and apologies for the late reply x
That strong foundation does keep the rewrites to a manageable level. Good luck with your books!
ReplyDeleteYou're so right SP :) Thanks for the well wishes :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by and apologies for the late reply x
It's always interesting to read how writers create their stories. I'm mostly a plotter. Once in a while though, the characters take me to places I hadn't planned.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sherry - that's so nice to hear :)
DeleteYeah, you're a plotter like me! I also love when my characters take my story on a different turn, hooray!
All the best with your writing and thanks for dropping by x
Wonderful insight. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletePersonally, how I write is still sporadic, but I've found that going through the major plot and then going back to fine tune is working quiet well for me.
Thanks Robert, so nice of you to say :)
DeleteAll of us write differently and there is no right or wrong way to do it. You just need to work out what's best for you....even sporadic ;)
All the best with your writing and thanks for dropping by :)
That is so true, Joanne, and another reason I don't like labels. We're too diverse to be put in one category. I'm not a pantser or a plotter either. I let my characters tell me their story by listen to them. So nice to meet someone who feels the way I do. Happy New Year. Hi, Kelly! Happy 2017.
ReplyDeleteHi Joylene - lovely to meet a writer like me :) I agree, a good writer can let their characters direct the story.
DeleteHappy writing and hope the words flow in 2017 :)
It's interesting to me how we all develop our own way to doing things. It almost makes me sad for those of us who get stuck in the whole "but it's supposed to be done this way" mentality. I suppose that's part of the writing process though, learning to forge our own path.
ReplyDeleteI agree - it's your learning curve in becoming a writer. I think it's really important to do an "apprenticeship" in writing i.e. you need to write before you're published. This gives you time to work out HOW you write :)
DeleteThanks for dropping by x