I always sing author Quanie Miller‘s praises because she’s such an outstanding writer. In fact, I did a fun and interesting interview with her in 2013 about her premier book It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy. As the owner of Proof Positive, I am proud to be featured on her blog with my guest post, “How (Not) to Write a Novel”. I’d love it if you comment and ask questions – I will answer every single one. Take advantage of some free advice from an expert editor!
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Meet Author Hanna Peach
Have you ever read a book you just couldn’t put down? One in which there is so much action and tangled-up relationships that you end up reading it in no time at all? Mix that with warrior angels, demons wearing human skins, and Earth as we think we know it, and you’ve got Hanna Peach’s Dark Angel series. So far three books from the series have been published and every single one has been unique and exciting.
Between writing the fourth book in her series, Angelblood, and starting a brand new, completely different series, Bound, Hanna took the time to answer a few questions about her writing, her sudden move to Europe, and her memorable characters.
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Have you planned out each of the books in your Dark Angel series? If so, do you have an outline for the entire series and where it’s going? Or do you plan each book individually without the next one in mind?
Yes, I have planned out the whole series. Not every little nuance and there is always flexibility for the story to take a different turn, but I do have an outline for each book and I know how it ends.
How many books are you planning in the Dark Angel series?
Six books. However, I have been getting some questions about other secondary characters such as Vix and Symon. I admit I have roughly written out their backstories during a character development exercise I did a while ago, so these might end up being standalones. Maybe.
Do you mostly write in this particular genre or do you dabble in other genres? If so, which ones?
I used to label myself as a “fantasy author”, but I have since let go of this limiting label and now I just write wherever the ideas take me. My next book release, for example, is an adult romantic suspense called Bound by Lies. A far cry from Dark Angel which is young adult urban fantasy. It’s about the story first. Genre is an afterthought merely to help readers (and retailers) categorize the book.
What do you think makes your work stand apart from other works in your genre?
I have seen my stories described as a “tapestry”. My urban fantasy series has web-like plots and multiple points-of-view which you don’t usually get in urban fantasy, this being more of an epic/high fantasy trait. I like this element of high fantasy, but I personally like the faster pace of urban fantasy. I guess this is why I have combined them in my stories. I write what I want to read.
Are any of the characters in your book based on people you know or have seen/talked to in real life?
Ha ha, of course. Art imitates life. Most notably, the men I have cared for throughout my life make up the pieces of Israel and Jordan – snippets of the romance have been taken from my past. I gave Alyx a few issues that I personally struggle with, specifically her fear of rejection and her thinking that she needs to do everything by herself. And Tobias has been taken from my very dear writing mentor Bryce Courtenay (RIP). His very first words to Alyx are the very first words Bryce said to me: “Come now. I know we are going to be great friends, so why not start now.”
What made you decide to pack your bags, move to Europe, and become a writer? That’s a huge risk to take!
From my perspective, the risk was in staying.
Moving overseas and travelling was always something I knew I would do. But my plans were never concrete. The final decision of when and where, I felt, was made for me. Within a 48-hour period just before Christmas 2012 I found out that I was being made redundant from my job, I got a notice that the lease on my flat was ending, and I received a call from my father to tell me that he was getting re-married and would I come to the wedding in Berlin.
That said, I wasn’t silly or unrealistic about things. My first book had been released and I was already working on my second. I had been saving and building up equity in investments for years, so I knew I had a financial buffer to support me until I made it work. Everything just felt right. So by early February I was all packed up and on a plane.
What inspires you to write? Music? Other books? Real life events? Just an incredible imagination?
I see two elements to that question.
The writing side of things for me is like a hunger, so it doesn’t take inspiration for me to sit down and tap away. I need to write like I need to eat.
But as for what inspires my ideas … I don’t know. Sometimes the ideas just come (like Bound by Lies). Sometimes the ideas build from a really intriguing “what if” (like Dark Angel – what if angels lived among us?). Whatever I write, I write because I am compelled to do so. I can’t answer why.
Are you part of any writers’ groups? If so, what do you like about them? How do they help you or inspire you? If not, why not?
Yes, I am part of a group called The Sunflowers. We are made up of some of Bryce Courtenay’s ex-students. I love the support and togetherness that comes with being part of this group. Writing is a solitary business, but in having The Sunflowers, I know I am never alone. If I ever get stuck I can ask for help or advice from these guys and within hours I get such love and support back. They especially helped me through writing Dark Angel Book 3 – I had a moment when I thought that everything I wrote was horrible and laughable and I just wanted to quit. These guys helped pull me out of my “pit of angst” and I love them dearly for it.
There is some political edge to the names you’ve chosen for your main characters (i.e. Alyx, Israel, and Jordan) and their relationships to each other. Was your intent to make a political commentary?
Would you believe me if I said I liked the names and they seemed right? Perhaps subconsciously there was a reason I chose those names. I will admit that there is a great deal of symbolism in the books. It saddens me that there are people who will tarnish an entire race with a single brush. The angel/demon good/evil mythology is a representation of this. But the story comes first. Always first. Readers don’t want to be lectured, they want to be entertained. Bryce taught me that.
Do you read the kinds of books you like to write? Do you watch movies similar to or the same genre as your writing?
Yes, I write the kinds of books that I like to read, the kinds of stories I like to read, in the style that I like to read. I’m quite selfish in that regard, haha. Movies, not so much. I prefer books.
If you could write anywhere in the world – in a fictional or non-fiction place, where would you write?
So there are two answers to this question for me.
Romantically speaking, I would want to write on top of Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree, so I could watch different worlds and people and things travel past me. Or on the balcony of a remote rainforest retreat, perhaps in the Peruvian jungles. It sounds fabulous, doesn’t it? But I wouldn’t get any writing done!
Realistically, if I want to be productive I need to write in a comfortable chair with an ergonomically setup table and desktop computer in a room with no windows but with good lighting. A writing cave. The more exciting and interesting my location is, the less I will be inclined to use my imagination. The space needs to be a blank canvas for my ideas to project onto. This sounds boring, but it works best.
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Connect with Hanna Peach:
Website: www.hannapeach.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AngelfireBooks
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hanna-Peach/e/B00ACCHF1S/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1388719454&sr=8-2-ent
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/hannapeach
Check out the teaser for Bound by Lies on Hanna’s website:
s://www.goodreads.com/hannapeach
Meet Author Quanie Miller
Humor isn’t easy to write. In fact, it’s one of the hardest things to write because of how easily the punch line can be blown. Predictability will kill anything funny and at the same time, what you write should be as universally funny as possible, not only appealing to a few people who will know what you’re talking about.
Meet the master.
Quanie Miller’s first book, It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy, hardly seems like her first. Her natural writing style makes you think she’s a seasoned pro. You won’t be able to help laughing out loud, and I mean that quite literally.
I interviewed Quanie recently about writing, her novel, and her hilarious yet relatable characters.
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Is this your first book? How long did it take you to plan it before you began writing it?
Yes, this is my first book! It probably took me about 3 months of planning before I started writing.
Do you plan your writing with outlines, character development exercises, and other pre-writing activities? Or do you just write as it comes to you?
I definitely have to outline when I write. I think of outlines as a roadmap. Sometimes I follow it or sometimes I veer off course a bit, but I always need to know where the story is headed.
What drew you to this genre?
I’ve just always loved writing funny stories with over the top characters who are always getting themselves into these hilarious situations. It’s a lot of fun. Sometimes they do or say things that I hadn’t anticipated. I laugh out loud a lot while writing.
Do you mostly write in this particular genre or do you write in other genres too? If so, which ones?
I also write paranormal novels. In fact, I was trying to write a paranormal novel when I sat down to write It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy. The novel was supposed to be about a woman who accidentally gets a job as a nanny and later discovers that the children’s new stepmother has mystic powers. So I start the story with the main character getting a flat tire in this affluent neighborhood and cursing her GPS for getting her lost. I was going to have her ring one of the door bells and get mistaken for an interviewee by the woman of the house. But when I started writing, she never made it to the house. She called her best friend to get directions and the banter between those two had me laughing out loud. I stopped and thought, “But wait a minute. This isn’t supposed to be funny!” So I had to take a step back and decide if I wanted to scrap what I had and rewrite it to make the tone consistent with a paranormal story or go in a completely different direction and write the funny story. I decided to write the funny story and I’m so glad I did because Jazzy and her family were a hoot to write (I later ended up writing the paranormal story. It’s called The New Mrs. Collins and will be out next year).
What do you think makes your work stand apart from other works in your genre?
Well, Jazzy is a Louisiana girl living in San Jose, California. She’s hilarious and she’s also got this southern sass about her, so when she meets all of these really quirky characters in Silicon Valley, some really funny situations occur that I think readers will enjoy.
Are any of the characters in your book based on people you know or have seen/talked to in real life? I’m especially interested in Aunt Cleotha with this question!
I think that all of my characters are some variation of me, my family and friends. I grew up around really funny and sassy women who didn’t mind telling you about yourself! You wouldn’t believe how many real life Aunt Cleothas I know!
Who’s your favorite character and why?
Definitely Aunt Cleotha. I cried laughing while writing her. She’s so funny and gives it to you straight no matter who you are.
Are you planning on writing a sequel? When can we look forward to it being published?
I am! I’m actually in the outline phase right now and hope to have it out within the next year.
Do your friends and family know you’re a writer? Were they surprised when you told them?
Oh, yes. It’s all I talk about so I’m sure I drive them crazy!
What inspires you to write? Music? Other books? Real life events? Just an incredible imagination?
I’m especially inspired by dialogue. The things that people say during conversation! It’s a goldmine for stories. Little quirks that people have also give me ideas for characters or sometimes I’m sitting there doing nothing and I’ll get this visual of a character doing something intriguing and I’ll go, “Whoa! Who are you?” I also get ideas by just watching people. For instance, my husband and I went out to dinner the other night and there was this seemingly nice couple a few feet away from us. I thought to myself, “They seem nice enough. But what if they’re over there plotting a murder?” And just like that the wheels start spinning.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Find your voice as a writer. Don’t try and be like anyone else and don’t worry if your book isn’t like another author’s. You are unique and your story will reflect that, so don’t try and be like somebody else. Let your voice be heard!
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Connect with Quanie Miller:
Website: http://quaniemiller.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/QuanieMiller
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuanieMillerAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7218800.Quanie_Miller
Check out It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy on Amazon:
How Do You Name Your Characters?
The names you give your characters are more important than you may realize, but how easy is it to choose a name which creates the right impression of your character? Not so easy! Everyone has a different impression of common names because most readers have met Sarahs and Matts and Jennas throughout their lives. As you read those names, did particular pictures or emotions flash through your mind? They will flash through your readers’ minds. So how can you pick a name that gives the right impression? Here are a few things to consider:
- Extremely common names can cause readers to picture someone they strongly relate to that name, which can fight against your own description of the character.
- Names that are spelled in an unusual way which may be hard to pronounce can cause readers to stumble over them whenever they appear in your text. Readers may even end up skipping over those kinds of names. For example, unless you’re writing a book which takes place in or around Wales or is historical fiction having to do with that area, you might want to reconsider names like Angharad or Ercwlff. Owain or Davydd might be better choices.
- Names commonly related to something like religion will predispose your character to a biblical or innocent impression.
- Most importantly – and this overrules everything – no matter what you name your character, whether it’s Ashley, Angharad, or Mary, strong character descriptions throughout your book will make or break not only the general impression the reader gets of the character, but to what depth the reader understands your characters. Light description of the character’s looks and traits will lead the reader to picture whatever they want. Well thought out descriptions peppered throughout the book with consistent traits and mannerisms will give the reader a clear idea of what YOU want them to imagine.
How do you choose names for your characters? What kinds of names are most common in your books?
Tuxedoed Writing
Will Rogers, Jr. once advised a fellow actor, “Don’t ever take a dramatic lesson. They will try to put your voice in a dinner jacket, and people like their hominy and grits in everyday clothes.” The actor – Dale Robertson – followed Rogers’s advice and became a highly successful television star.
This golden advice is similar for writers: don’t let writing classes, editors, or well-meaning critique groups dress your writing up so much that it’s no longer yours. Separate good advice that will benefit your story from advice that would change your voice, tone, or direction.
Without a doubt, writing classes and seminars can be beneficial, as can the opinions of friends and fellow writers. But opinions are just that – opinions. They’re not black and white formulas for writing success, they’re someone else’s personal ideas and preferences, and those may not necessarily be right for the story you had in mind.
Sometimes we writers tend to forget that helpful, well-meaning suggestions aren’t solid answers for writing a best seller, and we take them as hard facts rather than suggestions. I have a friend who belongs to an informal writing group that critiques each other’s works. She finds going to the monthly meetings helpful in keeping her on track with her writing commitment, which is great. But because there are a couple of published authors in the group, she takes their critiques as etched-in-stone fixes for her work, which they’re not. In fact, even though some of their suggestions are excellent, others were derailing her plot and changing her main character so much that she didn’t even recognize him anymore. She kept hitting walls and found that she couldn’t write about this new “stranger” in her novel. Had she tried to force her story out, it would have suffered and lost its authenticity. All those well-meant critiques would have turned her novel into everyone else’s novel. She finally realized that she had to back away from certain suggestions in order to move the story forward and keep it hers.
So weigh those well-intended suggestions and critiques objectively and see if they actually improve your story or if they’re just putting a dinner jacket on your words. Readers want authenticity – they can see right through the fake bow tie and tux; what they want is your style of everyday clothes.