I felt a sharp blow to my back and gasped. “Tag, you’re it!” shouted WanderChic. I reeled with the shock. I had just become the subject of my own writing in the Round Robin Blog Tour…Well, yeah, that sounds good and would make a great story but in truth, Nicole Sheets was way more classy than that. When she approached me about joining the Round Robin Blog Tour, she was the soul of grace and hospitality. Nicole of WanderChic spent two years in Moldavia working in the Peace Corps. She calls Spokane, Washington home and teaches college English. They say clothes make the man. As a woman with a sophisticated eye, she discerns a lot about a person or culture from their fashion. Read more about her in her own Round Robin Blog Tour post here. Now for my turn…
I caught my breath and focused on the first question…
What are you working on?
I have a collection of dark novel drafts I tinker with. The Project I’m currently researching is a mystery/horror inspired by this picture I took a few weeks ago in Cambodia. I don’t know who the young woman is. She just happened to look out the window at Ta Prhom as I snapped a photo. Her enegmatic expression is so interesting, and her facial features match those of the ancient stone apsara figures so perfectly it’s startling. I had the eerie impression that she could be one of the carvings. I’m developing that idea into a story. If it gels, I’ll draft it in November for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).
2. How does your work differ from others of its genre?
I write tender horror, like Tim Burton but for adults and without the sweetness. We are all broken things. Every horror writer explores the monsters and malfunctions in our world, but most of them look upon it as evil, ugly, or dangerous. I look upon torn spirits and twisted hearts as natural, if unfortunate, results of the human condition. My stories are still grim and threatening, but it always feels right- even when it’s horrifying. I like to make my readers uncomfortable with the fact that they are uncomfortable with the horrifying parts of being human.
3. Why do you write what you do.
Good question! Most people who know me are shocked (and even a little worried) when they learn of some of my subject matter. It’s like discovering your plump, sweet granny spends her nights as a tattoo artist for the Hell’s Angels! Maybe my years as an operating room nurse made me comfortable with gore and gave me compassion for all the twisted, broken things that bleed on one another.
4. How does your writing process work?
My muse is a bad-ass-mother-of-sin. Usually I’ll hear or see something that captures my imagination and she’ll start whispering “what if” questions at me. I cannot escape the what-ifs. After enough of them, the story comes to me in a lightening strike. That’s when I start using the snowflake method to outline the novel. I save the actual storytelling and naritive drafting for NaNoWriMo every November. I pick the best outline I have and draft at least 50,000 words in a month. If I still recognize (and like) the story come December, I start my first revision. So far, I haven’t done more than one complete revision on any of my drafts. This leaves me with a trunk of unfinished manuscripts. But I’m OK with that. I get better with each one. When I retire from my day-job I will open up that trunk of drafts and polish the best stories and start working on becoming a published author.
5. Who will you be introducing us to for the next round on the Blog Tour?
I am so grateful for the creative and artistic friends in my life. Here are a few I’d like you to meet:
Sage Collins is an author of young-adult fiction and a mad scientist with access to our water supply. Her Blog, Sage Like the Spice follows her adventures and gives insight to her tales.
Melinda Eliza Sabo is an artist, photographer, and writer. She is also a delightful creativity coach and can help others get in touch with their own muse through art.
Rachel Staggs is a touring musician, photographer, and filmmaker. She is also my fellow WanderBlogger. She writes Wandering Artist where she shares her insights of on-the-road life with her band, All in the Golden Afternoon.
I hope you enjoyed this stop on the Round Robin Blog Tour.
Read ~ Write ~ Wander
~Angie
(Photo credit: My mug shot was taken by my husband, a.k.a. “Dearest”)