Author Bio:
Author and journalist BV Lawson’s award-winning stories, poems and articles have appeared in dozens of national and regional publications and anthologies. A three-time Derringer Award finalist and 2012 winner for her short fiction, BV was also honored by the American Independent Writers and Maryland Writers Association for her Scott Drayco series. BV currently lives in Virginia with her husband and enjoys flying above the Chesapeake Bay in a little Cessna. Visit her website at bvlawson.com. No ticket required.
What inspires you to write?
The writing itself actually inspires me to write! I come from a creative background (art, poetry, and two degrees in music), so I’m drawn to the creative process and especially to words. There are few things I enjoy more than sitting down and writing down a story.
Tell us about your writing process.
I have a degree in musicology and also am the product of a mathematician father and librarian mother, so I am most definitely an outliner. I use a combination of products, including Word, Excel, and something like Scriverner or yWriter to create settings, character sketches, and plots and collect research snippets before I begin writing word one.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I do listen to them, and I find myself wondering what they might do in a particular real-life situation. It’s enjoyable to see the world through someone else’s eyes – something like what I believe actors must feel, too.
What advice would you give other writers?
Write every day, if you can, and read as many books as you can. Not just books in your genre, but all different kinds of fiction and nonfiction. The more you surround yourself with words in your life and in your head, the more facile you’ll be in turning ideas and plots into stories.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Ten years ago, I shopped an early draft of my first novel, PLAYED TO DEATH, to a few New York agents after attending some writers’ conferences. But life got in the way (the ole “making a living” thing), and I put the book on a back burner. I wrote many short stories in the interim and had success with those, but the itch to continue the book led me to pursue publication. But in the intervening ten years, self-publishing had come along, and after reading all the horror stories about draconian traditional publication contracts and how so many authors were dumped by their agents/editors, I knew I wanted as much control over my career as possible – so I decided to create my own imprint, Crimetime Press, trademarked it, and set about developing a five-year business plan.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think it’s both depressing and exhilarating! We are in a great upheaval of the traditional publishing paradigm, and it remains to be seen how it will all play out. The business will continue to grow and evolve, and I’m optimistic about how these new forces will actually grow publishing by bringing in new readers and fans.
What do you use?
Professional Editor
What genres do you write?
Crime fiction, mysteries, literary, short stories
What formats are your books in?
Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
BV Lawson Home Page Link
Link To BV Lawson Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site
Your Social Media Links
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5751024.B_V_Lawson
http://www.pinterest.com/bvlawson/
https://twitter.com/BVLawson
http://www.pinterest.com/bvlawson/
