About Wendy May Andrews:
Hello! I live in Toronto with my husband, and am rarely without a book in my hand. I have been an avid reader since I was a small child, but only became a writer recently as a result of a dare from my husband. I write Sweet Romance set in England during the Regency era. When not reading or writing, I love to travel. We always have a couple of trips in the works. Exploring the world helps me form the characters for my books. I have started to make an effort to be more health conscious of late so I can occasionally be found hiking around my neighborhood. It’s a great way to work out plotting issues 🙂
What inspires you to write?
This is a tough question because I find nearly everything inspiring. A conversation overheard in a coffee shop, song lyrics, movies, a situation a friend is dealing with, something on the news… anything can trigger the thought: “How could this be used in Regency England?”
Now, if this question was meant to ask me what inspired me to become a writer, that one’s easier. My husband doesn’t quite “get” how absorbed I can become when I’m reading a good book. And he certainly doesn’t understand why I read so MANY books. So one day he said I ought to write a book instead of reading them all the time. I didn’t think I would be able to do it but I decided to try. And I fell in love with writing 🙂
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m trying to become more of an outliner. Usually I have a rough idea of who my characters are, what the situation is when they start out and where they’re heading. But the details along the way usually get worked out as we go. My next project is going to be a trilogy so I will need to plan for that a lot more than for stand alone novels.
What works best for me is to plan for a two-four week period where I have less commitments, I freeze meals ahead of time and stock up on easy to prepare food. And then I sit down and write the first draft of a book. I’ve done National Novel Writing Month successfully for the past three years. And Candace Havens’ “Fast Draft” works really well. This method works for me because my head really stays in the story. I don’t lose track of details when I stay immersed. And I get in “the zone” and the story just flows. I love it!!
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I don’t usually feel as though my characters are talking to me even though they do feel very real. It’s more as though I’m eavesdropping on fascinating people and writing it all down without them really being aware of me. I feel like a spy reporter 😀
What advice would you give other writers?
Join a community. Writing can be a very solitary endeavor. There is nothing more affirming than attending a writers’ workshop and being with “your people”. Other writers “get” you in a way that non-writers just don’t. And never stop working on the craft of writing no matter how long you’ve been a writer. You will never know everything there is to know.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I felt very strongly that I wanted the affirmation as well as the accountability of being with a publisher. Because I write “Sweet” Romance (as opposed to steamy) it was difficult to find a publisher but I finally found a small press that specializes in “clean” fiction (no graphic violence, foul language, or sex on the page) and have felt at home ever since. Some people are very successful at self-publishing, but there are also many books out there that should never have been put on the market. I wanted a professional opinion other than my own as to whether or not my work was marketable. This is a very personal choice and I think it would be difficult to advise another writer on how they should manage their own career.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
While so many around us are becoming aliterate (unwilling to read, although able to do so) I believe strongly that books are here to stay. Avid readers still rule the world! With technology, digital books are becoming ever more popular, but even paper books are deeply loved by many and I doubt they will disappear completely.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Historical, Regency Romance
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print, Audiobook
Website(s)
Wendy May Andrews Home Page Link
Link To Wendy May Andrews Page On Amazon
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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.
