David H. Burton is the author of The Second Coming, the first book of a post-apocalyptic fantasy series in which ancient prophecies and old gods are resurrected. He sits down with fellow StoryBundler Geoff Morrison to discuss writing and self-editing.
No, I would say the approach has always been the same – I have an overall plot arc and then I fly by the seat of my pants. :)
I try not to plan out too much – I like learning the story as I go. When I write, even though I have a rough plotline of where I want to take things, I get surprised along the way and I love it.
Patience, in the case of both. I write when I have the mindset for it. I don’t force myself to write. I want it to be enjoyable, not work, so sometimes my books take longer to come out, but I’ve learned it’s what works for me, so I go with it.
Time. There’s never enough of it, but I’ve learned to accept that, too.
Sometimes I draw from people I know or interactions around me, but I try not to let that influence me too much.
I try to get into the character’s head, and see the world through their eyes. In TSC, I have multiple viewpoints in the novel, written from the perspective of each of the characters, and each “voice” is unique. It was a lot of fun getting into each of their heads to write from their perspectives.
>/div>It depends on the novel. My work varies: from dark fantasy to paranormal romance and children’s novels, so the pacing is dependent on the type of book I’m writing.
I drop hints here and there, but I tend to be the kind of author that reveals all at the end. It’s hard when to decide what to reveal because you don’t want to give too much away too quickly.
I hate too much. I skip pages when I read too much detail, but that’s just me. Some people love it. I try to keep it concise and choose my words carefully to illustrate the scene without getting into verbal diarrhea.
Oh yes!! I always write with music. I have various playlists for different books I’m writing – each with a particular mood that helps set the tone for the book.
I have three kids and a full-time job. My place to write is anywhere I can get some time to myself for a couple of hours – I’m not picky. :)
I sometimes edit as I go, but I try not to do that. I prefer to just get it all out and then go back. Quite frankly, I love the editing process, so I’m happy to go back after and do it.
Very few. I have a select group of beta readers that I ask to read my work when I feel it’s ready – their feedback is invaluable!
Editing. I’ve learned a lot from other writers, but the best book I ever picked up was Browne and King’s Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.
I wish that what I write came out looking as good as when it’s all edited, but I suppose with more time and experience, what I write as an initial draft will continue to improve.
Take your time, go check out some writing forums, join a critique group, and don’t take any of it personally. This is a subjective business – what I like, you won’t, and that’s okay.
George R.R. Martin, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, Robert Jordan, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien
To Margaret and Tracy, how do they collaborate and what is their process. The books they’ve written jointly are absolutely brilliant and I would love to learn how they managed to not only come up with the storylines, but how they managed to both write the novels.
Lord of the Rings, hands down. I’ve read it something like twelve times.
The Self-Editing book I mentioned earlier from Browne and King – brilliant book. A must for every writer!
I sell across lots of them and so far Kobo has been the best by a long shot.
Since I designed the cover myself, I guess it was a pretty good experience. LOL! I tend to do all my covers. I have a background in web design so I felt pretty comfortable taking it on, but I’m starting to look at cover artists more these days since it saves me the time.
Guido Henkel’s Take Pride in Your eBook Formatting” series is the best thing ever.
I sell using Createspace – love it. I sell very few print books, but I like that I can offer them so easily and quickly with Createspace.
If you can sell in it, great. I tried it recently – it wasn’t such a great experience for me, but I’ve heard from others who’ve done very well with it.
First, when it comes to marketing, I don’t do the hard sell – no one likes to be sold to. I have bought ads or sponsorships, though, and the ones with eReader News Today have been the best so far. Ads with Facebook and Google – waste of time and money.
I loved the StoryBundle experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat!! I haven’t seen an increase in sales elsewhere as a result, but that may change when I get the second book out since this book was the first in a series.
David H. Burton was born in Windsor, Ontario to parents that instilled in him the love of the written word at a very young age. Throughout his childhood, David read relentlessly, often into the wee hours of the morning. David graduated from the University of Toronto with a major in Biology and a minor in Classical Civilization. He also dabbled in Computer Science, to which he owes his current occupation in the Telecommunications world at one of the large banks in Canada. When David isn’t writing he enjoys spending time with his partner and three boys: hiking, swimming, kayaking, biking, and reading.
Geoffrey Morrison is a freelance writer and editor. His first novel, Undersea, was featured in the first StoryBundle. You can follow him on Twitter @TechWriterGeoff.