About Lily Bishop:
Lily Bishop writes romances about strong, smart women and the men who love them and she helps her characters find their happy-ever-after. Originally from Georgia, she now lives in South Carolina with her husband of 15 years and two children. When she is not writing, she and her family enjoy American football and Euro board games. Her goal is to blur the lines between romance, chick lit, and women’s fiction. Her books are peppered with family members who make things complicated and couples who can’t seem to find a way to be together. Lily writes with a Southern flair, but her characters find themselves in exotic locations and sometimes dangerous situations. She loves to interact with readers about her characters and stories.
What inspires you to write?
I’m inspired by snippets that I pick up in everyday life. Larger than life stories. Pieces of conversation. Or I might hear something, and think what if it had happened a different way?
Tell us about your writing process.
I start with a spark between two characters. Why would the reader want to see them together? What about this couple is special? What would keep them apart? I usually know an ending, but it’s not always the ending, and I’m writing with the end in mind. If I get stuck I often list nine or ten things that could happen next–given the story–and pick one. That usually helps. If I overplot, I feel like I’m too constrained.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I talk to my characters all the time. I tell them what to do, but they don’t listen. Their “not listening” comes in the form of getting stuck, or what some people like to call writer’s block. Then I have to backtrack, ask them what they would do, and then move forward again. I usually know how the book would/should end, but sometimes I don’t know how I’m going to get there. My daughter described it as asking, “What would the character do?” and then writing that.
What advice would you give other writers?
Read, read, and read. In the genre. Out of the genre. Stretch yourself. I am always skeptical when a writer tells me that he or she doesn’t have time to read. Read with an eye for things that work and work well. Borrow technique, not ideas.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I decided to self-publish after a publisher asked me for a revision but wouldn’t tell me what to revise. Then I found out that the publisher I had queried paid no advance and minimal percentage. I started researching and decided I could do it just as easily myself. Then I connected with some writer groups online, and I’ve made really good friends that way. I’ve actually met two people in real life when I traveled to their area, although they live nowhere near me. I’ve found an amazing community of supportive writers all over the world.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think it will just become harder and harder to get noticed. The only way to rise above the drivel (and it is out there) is by producing quality books. As we move toward a future with fewer and fewer gatekeepers in terms of publishers, it’s even more important for readers to get involved and review the works they like. Tell their friends about books they love. Connect with authors on social media and encourage them to keep writing, because writing is a lonely business.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: romantic suspense, contemporary romance, women’s fiction, science fiction romance and paranormal
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
Lily Bishop Home Page Link
Link To Lily Bishop Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
