I’ve often
been asked if I’m a pantser or a plotter. Those who write know exactly to what
I refer. For those unfamiliar with the terms, a plotter drafts an outline first
before penning their wonderful prose. The pantser, of course, writes from the
seat of their pants.
I’m a pantser
but this comes with its own set of difficulties. First, it’s very easy to get
lost or sidetracked. Sometimes a small reference is made in one chapter that
can have a great impact on another and I’m a forgetful sort. Needless to say,
my rewrites are probably more intensive than those from someone who plots.
With
pantsering, you don’t worry so much about the rhythm. There’s a certain ebb and
flow to writing romance that some stress over. Instinctively, I seem to know
when to rev up the suspense or tension or when to relax the moment. Writing
from the seat of my britches allows me to write from my gut. Hmm, I almost want
to change the term to gutser instead of pantser.
When I place
my characters in a corner, I really stew over how to get them out of a bad
situation. I’ll come up with an idea and automatically discount it because it’s
my first solution and probably the expected solution. I want a solution that’s not so normal. My
best plot twists happen by not giving into the easiest answer.
Another thing
that works for me with drafting as I go, is the absence of a sagging middle. A
lot of authors worry over what to do with the middle of their stories. Not I.
If I’m going to stress, it’s over the ending. My latest release, The
Rose Hunter, was five years in the making mainly because I could not
settle on an ending. Perhaps some of the difficulty rests with not wanting to
bid characters I’ve fallen in love with adieu.
The Rose Hunter came out in November and I’m so happy
to share it with readers. Here’s the blurb:
Lucian Willshire is plagued by
thoughts of a fae world and the disappearance of his aunt some nineteen years
past, but when his friend drags him back to Hamingjur Castle, he stumbles into
Alfheim Haven once more where mystical beings become more than a distant
memory.
Lyerra Ahdia is baffled by the sudden
emotional changes she’s experiencing until she discovers she’s the only witch
to suffer “the change” since her mother stole the Rose, a special talisman with
the power to perpetuate life among those in her coven. Tasked with finding and
bringing the Rose home, she begs Lucian’s help in navigating the human realm.
Against his better judgement, he agrees.
Though
neither set out to find anything except the Rose, fate has other plans. Will
love be more elusive than hunting the Rose?
Ciara Gold wrote
her first “under the bed” book at twenty. Another fifteen years passed before
she bravely attempted another, but she’s been happily writing ever since. A
true Renaissance woman, when she’s not penning lively stories, she’s reading,
sewing, painting, camping, sailing or dancing. A recent empty nester, she and
her soul mate currently live on a modest plot of land surrounded by trees, a
pond, an array of wildlife and seven barn kitties.
Website www.ciaragold.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/ciaragold
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ciaragold
Goodreads http://goo.gl/ebcxKR
Amazon Author
Page http://goo.gl/oTWhDG
