The Writing Process-Blog Hop

A couple of weeks ago I was tagged by Jennifer Rumberger for the writing process blog hop. I've been following Jennifer's blog for some time now and got to know her even better when we were on the Cybils Panel for Middle Grade Fiction. To find out more about Jennifer you can head over to her website.

Edited to add that I forgot to add that I will be away for a couple of weeks (holidaying in B.C. with my daughter and family!). Will be checking in and reading blogs and commenting but no new posts until July 21, 2014 when I will be back with a MMGM featuring ALL FOUR STARS author Tara Dairman. Doing an interview and giveaway!

Now, on to the blog hop questions. Thanks to Jennifer for inviting me to join the fun!

What are you currently working on? This summer I am working on a new middle grade novel called MY DAD, THE FROG PRINCE. I keep leaving it and coming back to it. Had an epiphany on POV and am going to experiment with that. Also considering looking back at another book of mine called THE TO DON'T LIST. Wondering on taking a secondary character and giving him a voice. We'll see on that. Plus, there are a couple of picture books that are poking at me so I will see where they go. I have the summer off so have lots of time between visits with family and camping to get writing, writing, writing.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?  With my middle grade, I am experimenting with multiple points of view--that is something does occur in middle grade but not something you see a whole lot of.

Why do I write what I write? I am convinced there is a ten year old alive and well inside of me. Very often went a story comes to me it is middle grade and the MC is ten! This may also have a lot to do with reading middle grade for my work and as part of Middle Grade Mondays. When it comes to picture books, that dates back to my days working the reference desk in Calgary Public Library's children's department downtown. I read a lot of picture books for storytimes, for school visits, for summer reading programs. Fell in love with the genre.

How does my individual writing process work?

I am between a plotter and a pantser. And once I have the story in in place I have been known to write scenes as they come to me. Lately I have been writing in a notebook everyday, just exploring and developing ideas AND...I have been writing outside of the lines trying to really loosen myself up. Here is a part of my writer's process in pictures.

Early morning writer, sometimes around five...so...

Drink some coffee!

Then...

Scribble in notebook to get the creativity flowing.

Then open book's file (Scrivener)

 Stare at computer screen. Visit Youtube, Twitter, Google Hangouts....um, research, connecting with other writers, fellow creatives. You know the drill.

Drink more coffee.

Stare at screen, then....BINGO...the typing begins!

 Use resources of awesome like Writers Helping Writers thesaurus's . These are always with me. I even just sit and read through them to get ideas for new characters.

That's all from me! Next on the blog hop is.  She is a long time friend, haiku poet and writer who lives in New Brunswick, Canada.  You can find out more about her on her blog Ebb and Flow. Her post will be going up on July 7.