About Violet Howe:
Violet Howe enjoys writing romance with humor. She lives in Florida with her husband, who is her knight in shining armor, and their two handsome sons. They share their home with three adorable but spoiled dogs. When she’s not writing, Violet is usually watching movies, reading, or planning her next travel adventure. You can follow Violet’s ramblings on her blog, The Goddess Howe.
What inspires you to write?
Since I was very young, I have been fascinated by stories and constantly coming up with stories and characters in my head. I even have a third grade diary that proclaims my goal for the summer was to write my first novel. Sadly, it took me many years beyond that to achieve the goal! As I see things and experience life, I am always figuring out how it would work in a story or how I could expand on it for a character. There are usually three or four stories going on in my head at all times.
Tell us about your writing process.
I am definitely a pantser, but I do have some idea when I start of where I want to end up. I tend to write in scenes. I will be thinking of a certain scene or conversation, and I’ll work on that until I feel like I have it down before moving onto the next one. I use Scrivener when I write, and I am able to write whatever scene comes to me and then put them in order within the program or move them around as needed. Usually, when I start stringing them together in order, I’m surprised by how well it all fits. I think my subconscious knows more about the overall plan than I realize! But there are times when I get to a scene I wrote earlier and realize I need to make some tweaks based on what I’ve written up to that point. I am sporadic with character sketches. I need to be better at doing them, because they are great tools for fleshing out the characters and making sure I understand who they are. I normally do them for the main characters, but not so much for secondary characters.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I definitely listen to my characters. I have conversations going on in my head all the time, and sometimes one character is trying hard to get their side of the story told or they will give me information I didn’t know before. Which sounds kind of scary and might make some people question my sanity, but it’s just the way the story comes to me.
What advice would you give other writers?
First, I would say stay true to your story. While you should certainly listen to constructive criticism and take it into consideration, you also need to stay true to the story that only you can tell. Work on it, improve it, make it the best it can be, but tell your story. Second, you have to write. You can have the most wonderful story in your head, but if you don’t get it down on paper, no one will ever read it. You have to write. Make it a priority. Set aside time every day, or on certain days, or at designated times, and then honor that. Treat it the same as you would a doctor’s appointment or an important meeting. You have to write.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I did a lot of research on traditional and indie publishing, and I decided that for me, I wanted to have more control over what I was publishing and how much profit I made from it. So I opted to publish independently. I think each writer has to weigh what works for them, and what they are comfortable doing. Publishing independently means handling all the marketing, social media, accounting, forecasting, etc on your own. If that seems daunting or overwhelming, it’s because it is! So it’s a decision that must be made with much consideration and research.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I do not paper books will go away, and I do not believe brick and mortar bookstores will disappear. Despite the conveniences offered by digital reading, there will always be people who prefer to hold a book in their hands, or situations where a paper book is more manageable than digital.
Also, I think the market is highly oversaturated right now, especially with so many people self-publishing without the proper attention to professional editing. I think eventually some of that will be weeded out by necessity, and authors will be forced to be more professional and polished in order to be competitive in the market.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: I write chick-lit, but from the publishing industry’s viewpoint, it doesn’t exist any more. So I guess you could classify my writing as romantic comedy, or romantic women’s fiction. I don’t fit the mold of traditional contemporary romance.
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Violet Howe Home Page Link
Link To Violet Howe Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
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.
