I'm excited to participate in my first blog hop with a range of very talented writers and friends, beginning with the wonderful Alexis A. Hunter. We're in a scribophile group together and I'm constantly astounded by the scope of both her imagination and her talent. She has one freaky brain and I recommend hunting (ha) down her stories and reading every last one.
Alexis A. Hunter revels in the endless possibilities of speculative fiction. Short stories are her true passion, despite a few curious forays into the world of novels. Over forty of her short stories have been published, appearing recently in Kasma SF, Spark: A Creative Anthology, Read Short Fiction, and more. To learn more about Alexis visit www.idreamagain.wordpress.com.
Twitter -- https://twitter.com/AlexisAHunter
Onward to the questions:
What am I working on?
I'm dabbling at the moment with a MG fantasy novel, a YA fantasy novel and several short story and flash fiction pieces. My main focus is the MG fantasy novel, Treekeeper, though. It has a broadly environmental theme involving trees, their destruction and the consequences that befall such destruction. With magic. And riverboats. I'm aiming primarily for it to be a fun adventure style story with the message being secondary, which is easy to do as it is such a lot of fun to write.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
If we're solely addressing the genre of fantasy, then I would say my work differs a little by being aimed at the MG age group, which is roughly from the ages of 8 to 12. There are many YA fantasy novels on the market, but there don't seem to be too many quality ones aimed at the MG market. I think there is certainly a niche there to be filled.
Why do I write what I do?
As a teacher, I see children reading every day. Many are discovering the world of independent reading and absorbing every book they can get their hands on, while others that are not able to read independently just yet, love being read to. I have had students laugh, cry and cover their ears in fear as I've read class novels and it's a powerful daily reminder of the impact of stories.
I'd be crazy not to want to write books that will engage, transport, amaze and possibly teach (in a very subtle way) these up and coming novel readers of the future. Encouraging them to open a book rather than sit in front of an electronic device would be wonderful. And if I can slip in a bit of extra information about environmental issues, then why not?
How does my writing process work?
So far it involves a lot of procrastination, red wine and pots of tea. I waver between being a plotter and a pantser, and seem to work best when I don't over plan, but just have a basic outline. That way I don't lose that spark of enthusiasm and spontaneity that started the process in the first place.
I do however reserve the right to come back and change this answer to reflect my practice on a given day - some days I compulsively plot, some days I simply write, and some days I browse the internet or plan what I'm going to do with my million dollar 'you've written the best book in the world' cheque.
I've tagged two other talented writing friends to keep the momentum going, I've read Vila's novel and it is knock-your-socks-off good!
Vila Gingerich:
Vila Gingerich grew up reading and dreaming about life beyond her Mennonite community in Midwest, USA. For the last six years she’s lived in Eastern Europe, where she writes, reads, and—yes—wonders what’s happening back in the USA. To read more about Vila, visit: http://vilagingerich.weebly.com/
Louise Redmann:
About Louise: https://louiseredmann.com/?page_id=16
Vignettes: https://louiseredmann.com/?cat=4
Louise's Moments: https://louiseredmann.com/?cat=2
Both of these ladies are writers to watch, so you can say, "I knew them way back before they were famous." Trust me, you'll be glad you did. :)