About Shen Hart:
I’m a passionate writer who happens to be lucky enough to call the beautiful city of Prague home. I enjoy nothing more than cavorting with my muse and exploring this amazing city. My writing is my addiction, collecting words and carefully caressing them until they form captivating stories is my drive. I have a particular fascination with the darker strains of fiction, the shadows whisper seductively in my ear and sociopathic protagonists whisper sweet nothings. Who am I to ignore such delightful, exquisite callings?
When I’m not writing dark urban fantasy, I’m a developmental editor. My passion for psychology shines through and allows me to help my clients write well-developed, interesting characters. Of course I do, much, much, more, but I have The Editing Hart to show that off.
What inspires you to write?
The feeling that I must write is one I can’t shake off and I become morose when I can’t write. As to what inspires my actual writing, anything and everything. I’m an expat living in Prague which is a gorgeous city. Inspiration can spring from the stunning architecture, to a conversation with a friend over cocktails.
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m somewhere between a pantser and an outliner. I write character-driven stories, so I make notes on the characters, their history, personality, the roots of their psychology. Those notes go on post-its which go in my planning book. I don’t really plan the plot until I’m a third of the way in. I have the characters and the world in my mind, usually there’s a purpose, a drive, and that’s about it. Once I hit the third mark, or there abouts, it start making notes on the plot. I’ll jot down key scenes, just one sentence each in my planning book.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I’m very visual, so I don’t really talk to them, instead I watch their stories unfolding like a movie in my mind’s eye.
What advice would you give other writers?
Hire a good editor. A good editor is absolutely essential and will make a huge difference. I know they’re expensive, but they’re worth every penny.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I wanted people to read and enjoy my books, the best way to do that is to publish. I had no desire to go through the submission process with traditional publishing so I self-published. It’s hard, you have to find your own cover artists, editors, so all the marketing, but it’s absolutely worth it.
I’d advise writers to really weigh up the pros and cons and go with what’s best for them.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
E-books are a big deal and I think that despite what everyone’s saying, the big houses will be around for a good while yet. They’re lumbering dinosaurs, but they still fill a niche that indies can’t. Yet.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Dark urban fantasy, political fantasy, dark fantasy, D/s fantasy
What formats are your books in?: eBook
Website(s)
Shen Hart Home Page Link
Link To Shen Hart Page On Amazon
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