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Would you
call yourself a "pantser" or a "plotter"?
I’m definitely a pantser. I have tried outlining my stories,
but this boxes my creativity in. I do some preplanning on my
character, so I have the main characters clearly in my head,
then I start writing. When I write, most of the time I don’t
feel as though I’m making up the story. I feel as though I
am watching my characters live their lives and recording
what they do.
What is your perfect writing atmosphere?
I need peace and quiet for my creative process to work when
I write a first draft. When I am revising and editing, I
don’t mind working in a noisier environment, but I prefer to
be undisturbed. I am always amazed when I read about authors
who like to write in a noisy coffee shop. I wouldn’t even be
able to write a letter in a coffee shop.
Is there
anything you want to write but haven't?
I would like to write a sweeping story covering generations
and taking the characters to different countries. The book I
have in mind would probably be mainstream or women’s
fiction. I have an idea for a love story set in WWII, but I
may never get around to writing the story. I hope I do
because I have the characters living in my head.
Where were you
when you got your first contract? Who did you tell first?
My first contract was for my American Title IV winning book,
The Magic Knot. I discovered I’d won the day after voting
closed in the contest. But I had to keep the result secret
until the official winner was announced at the Romantic
Times Convention six weeks later. I was sitting in my office
at home when I received the email from the RT editor telling
me I’d won. The first people I told were my critique
partners and my husband.
Romance leads
people to expect a happily ever after. Have you ever had to
fight a character to achieve his/hers?
I haven’t had to fight for a HEA, but I have had to fight
three characters for a traditional HEA. They wanted to all
three stay together. Actually, as the book stands, they are
all three together at the end. I have never submitted this
paranormal romance. I am intending to revise one of them out
of the ending to make it more acceptable, although since I
wrote the story the market has changed so much, the story
might be publishable as it is.
Have you found
yours or are you still looking for it?
I celebrated my twenty-fifth wedding anniversary last year!
I’m very happy with my wonderful supportive husband. I
couldn’t ask for a happier life.
If I followed
you for a day, what would I see or experience?
You wouldn’t see anything very exciting as all the exciting
stuff goes on inside my head. I get up late, because I’m a
night person not a morning person. In the morning, I often
read workshop notes, non-fiction, or fiction for an hour.
Then I settle down to check emails and social networking
sites. I may also do work relating to the business I own.
Throughout the day, my employees may seek me out to ask
questions, but I get to spend most of my time on writing or
writing related activities. I tend to do most of my actual
writing in the late afternoon or evening, as that’s when I
find I’m most productive. I usually watch one hour of TV in
the evening, a show I’m following like Grey’s Anatomy, 24,
Lost, or my favorite show Spooks, a BBC drama series about
MI5. I’m never in bed before midnight, and I often stay up
writing until 2am.
What would be
your perfect "me" day?
Quiet time without interruptions where I didn’t have to tidy
up after anyone. I would sit comfortably, eat chocolate, and
read. Long uninterrupted fiction reading sessions are a
treasured luxury for me now.
What are some
of your favorite things in life?
My home is in the countryside about thirty minutes walk from
the coast. I love to walk down to the sea through the
surrounding woodland. I adore my cat and wouldn’t be without
her, although her habit of sitting between my keyboard and
me can get annoying. I like ice cream and chocolate, and ice
cream with chocolate is even better. I love reading and wish
I had more time to indulge. My tbr pile has become a tbr
bookshelf stacked to bursting with books I want to read. I
love travelling as well and visiting places that inspire me
with story ideas. During the summer, I enjoy visiting
historic houses. I always look for interesting historic
sites and houses to visit when I’m on vacation.
What character
or couple would you love to bring to life, if you could &
why?
I would like to bring to life the hero from the first
paranormal story I wrote. Francois from Passion Beyond
Reason is still my favorite character. He is wealthy,
elegant, and sophisticated on the surface but very much the
dark tortured hero underneath. He’s really a demon from a
parallel world and he needs a lot of love and understanding.
What do you
currently have in the wings and what is just around the
corner?
I’m currently writing the second book in my Magic Knot
Fairies series. The Phoenix Charm will be out either at the
end of 2009 or start of 2010. This book is Michael’s story,
brother to the hero of The Magic Knot. I have three other
books in this series brewing in my head. The third, which I
plan to start writing soon, will be Nightshade’s story. He
is the winged vampiric fairy from The Magic Knot, and seems
to be a favorite with reviewers.
Some authors
say they are open to bribes to drop hints – if you would be,
what type of bribe would it be? (Not that I'm suggesting
anything)
Chocolate always works!
How can a reader
contact you and/or find out what you are doing?
Website:
www.helenscotttaylor.com
MySpace:
www.myspace.com/helenscotttaylorauthor
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1017908954&ref=profile
Blog:
www.titlemagic.blogspot.com
Email:
helen@helenscotttaylor.com |
