I'm so glad you did this, Erika!
I love surveys.
How many stories do you have in progress? Do you plan on ending them this year or soon?Currently, I have three... I've been toying around with another couple ideas, but haven't posted anything yet. We'll see! Right now, I'm trying to finish my thesis, so I'm trying hard to focus on that and not "fun" writing, but that's nearly impossible it seems! I hope to finish the three I'm working on now by this summer so I can start some new stuff.
How hard is it to write an ending? Why?I've always been better at beginnings than endings just because I usually get attached to my characters. It's pathetic, but I have a hard time wrapping it up in a nice bow and sending it off. I've never really been a fan of cliched, romantic comedy endings when it comes to what I read, but I find myself doing the "happily ever after" thing a lot, especially since I write a lot of romances.
Do you outline or just go with the flow?It depends on the story. If it's something that spans a great deal of time, I do an outline to keep the timeline straight. If not, I just write and go with it. I usually start with a general idea of where I want things to go in terms of conflict, character growth, and ending, but it doesn't always make me stick to it.
What do you think is your best story idea (already written)? How did you come up with it? Umm... I'm really happy with how Time Has a Way turned out. Nick and Lisa were characters that I think were both flawed, but worked well together. I really enjoyed writing it and it was definitely the fastest story I've ever written and finished. I wrote the whole thing in about 45 days. For 67 chapters, I was pretty happy with myself. It just flowed, which I love. I came up with it after looking at some pictures of Nick over the years and thinking about all the ups and downs... Then I started to think about constants in his life and Lisa was born. lol. It just went from there! I don't think it's the most original idea in the world (best friends falling for each other and whatnot), but I liked where it went.
Do your story scenes play out like a movie in your head? (LOL)Haha, sometimes! Occasionally, I'll get frustrated with myself because I can see things happening, but I can't find the words to describe specific gestures or tones of a character's voice. Drives me nuts!
Have you ever won an award for your writing? What category?Yes.
I won a Felix Award for my series, Hearts Don't Lie, and I won Best Romance for "Any Other Way" and Best Unrecognized Author in the Never Gone Awards.
What do you think your readers like about your stories/writing?Umm... I'd hope they enjoy it. I wouldn't want someone to read my stuff if they hate it, lol. I'm fortunate enough to have some really devoted readers that have been with me since 2007. When I took some time off of writing to concentrate on some personal things, I was so lucky that a lot of them came back and started reading my new stuff this past year or so.
I think some people think I'm a little too sex-crazed in some of my stories, though! To each his own!! lol.
Do their reviews inspire you to write more?Absolutely. Even though I write what I ultimately enjoy and want to write, I am so happy when people respond to it. I especially love the long, thoughtful reviews that really critique my plots and characters. Feedback helps me grow as a writer and I really appreciate each and every review! Knowing that people are eagerly awaiting a new chapter definitely gets my fingers typing faster!
Why do you think some people wouldn’t read your stories?Like I said before, the sexual content definitely turns some people off. It's understandable
. I know that I have my own preferences and comfort levels, so it's completely cool if people aren't interested in what I have written. Also, if you're not a Nick fan, I'm guessing my stories wouldn't hold your interest too long considering he's always the main character!
Now that most of the guys are married do you find it harder to write about the BSB?Eh, I don't know. Since I write primarily about Nick, I don't run into that much of an issue even though he and Lauren have been together for a long time now. I end up including the Backstreet Boys as minor characters and their wives are usually in there as even more minor roles. I usually just change up their lives or don't include them. I think that even if Nick were to get married, I would continue to write him in my own way and not feel the need to write his actual wife out of the story or anything. She just would be left out of it, if that makes sense, instead of dictating certain plot points (such as a divorce or something).
Do you write them as BSB or in AU?Both, almost equally. Even when I write Nick as a Backstreet Boy, I tend to leave the other guys out of the story as much as I can. It gets so hairy when I write about all of the guys and I feel like I don't do each of the characters justice. It's more like I'm just writing them in because they're there, more than that I have a meaningful part for them to play.
Name a story of yours that you think we shouldn’t go without reading!!I'd recommend Time Has a Way for sure!! I'm hoping that Define Love will also be one that I'll be proud of... But we'll have to see as it goes! lol.