Random Musings

Image by Toban Black via Flickr

Got this idea off J Keller Ford’s blog (and J.A. Belfield’s blog) and thought how fun it would be for all my author buddies to participate and do the same.

Please copy and paste the questions in the comment box of my blog, edit in your answers, then copy and post to yours with a link back.

As we all know, the idea of speed dating is get to know your prospective date in 10 minutes. Author Speed Date works in much the same way.

This should be fun!

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Name (the one you write under): Claire Gillian (and Lila Shaw and Iris St. Clair)

Speed date Bio (one or two lines): Corporate slave for an insurance services co as ops/finance manager, mom of 2, slovenly housekeeper because writing eats up my free time.

Web Link: Well you’re already here so just look up in your browser window (this one is more for the commenters, obviously)

Next Book, pub date (if any): Um…have 3 in completed draft stage–The PURE, My Fair Vampire, Trust Me (YA working title) and an anthology about half done that I want to query…eventually. October will bring 2 pubbed anthologies containing Claire’s and Lila’s short stories. I have a third outstanding story still being evaluated but I’m not holding my breath on that one anymore.

Agent: seeking

About Me

Real Name or Pseudonym: Claire Gillian (pseudonym) My real first name is C****** but that’s all I’m sayin’ here.

Most recently read book: Mirrorlight by Jill Myles

Currently Reading: Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Next on Your Reading List: Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews…or City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare…or…never mind

Facebook or Twitter (include account name): Facebook as Claire Gillian (author page); Twitter: @auburnassassin (Claire), @lila_shaw, @iris_st_clair–>Prefer Twitter though

Three authors living or dead you would want to have dinner with: Erma Bombeck, Jean Shepherd, Suzanne Collins

Jet-setter or armchair traveler: A healthy balance of both.

Glass ½ full or ½ empty: 1/2 full

Tea or Coffee: Other–Diet Coke with coffee in second then tea

Live to write or Write to live: Is there a difference?

About My Writing

When (time of day) I write: After work, sometimes during lunch breaks or when a very slow computer program is running, between AM workout and heading to job, most of the weekends.

Writing soundtrack: I can’t listen to music when I write. Too distracting because music creates its own world for me that is highly competitive with my written worlds.

Character Inspirations: There’s a few movie & TV characters I’ve found memorable (says the former fan fiction writer) like Jim Halpert from the Office, Sylar from Heroes, probably a few literary ones too like Jamie and Claire from Outlander…

Plot Inspirations: I have no idea where they come from–sometimes a mood or a visual or a song (lots of songs). My car and shower are great incubators though.

Setting Inspirations: I don’t care that much about settings since I’m not into world-building. Usually I pick one I already know somewhat so I don’t have to research. I’m basically pretty lazy in this respect.

Plotter (carefully plot books) or Pantser: More of a pantser. I sometimes create random puzzle pieces that revolve around character development and interactions then figure out later how to assemble them cleverly. LOL
Now it’s YOUR turn to give us a speed date, pretty please.

Image by This Is A Wake Up Call via Flickr

As I near the end of my first foray into writing for teens, I’ve collected quite the range of random thoughts from the experience and from the bits of feedback I’ve thus far gleaned.

First, am I qualified to comment, given I am many decades removed from being a teenager myself? I do read the genre, not exclusively, but quite a bit. I also have two prototypes of the teen beast running around in the wild that I may observe at my leisure (whether I want to or not.) The latter reason alone should be sufficient justification.

Second, I’ve not yet queried, certainly haven’t published a single bon mot, so what follows are EARLY impressions only.

What I don’t like about YA fiction:

No sex
Minimal cussing and swearing
HEA is happily ever after for now (because I’m in the “thorough and exhaustive search” camp vs. the soul mate camp)
Cultural references are big with teens but can easily date a YA book so I stay away, plus mine are hideously out of date
I don’t have any teen beta readers…yet. My teens are boys but my writing is more likely to appeal to girls
Fear of having too mature of a voice, making the characters unrelatable
Present tense writing

What I do like:

Present tense writing
First person POV is my natural inclination and is widely accepted in YA
I get a second chance to do what I couldn’t do, was afraid to do, or didn’t want to do as a teen with no negative consequences
My characters can be immature, headstrong and rash and not damage their likability too much
I can imbue the parents with more intelligence than real life teens credit their own parents
I get to dress my characters in what I want them to wear without a single word of protest
My characters listen to me!!! (this is HUGE!)

I have no idea if my YA novel will or won’t play in Peoria. This was a writing journey I wanted, needed to take. I’ve not hidden my genre confusion. Thus far I or Claire or that other wench have written romance, urban fantasy, suspense, erotica, horror, science fiction, steampunk and now contemporary young adult. Perhaps my next will be a western. Oh, wait, I’m recalling the middle grade book I started writing for my youngest son. It’s…wait for it…a western. Ha! So there you go.

I’m sure all the genres will have likes and dislikes about them. The question will be: which one or ones have fewer or less odious dislikes than likes. Or to go with the glass is half full analogy–which one will have likes overwhelming enough to swamp the dislikes?

So, dear readers, do you have “I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up” confusion? If so, how do you indulge it, if at all? What drew you to a particular genre or target age group?