The Perfect Illusion
Page 47
Do you have the complete thought of the story before you start or is it more organic? Coming along as you write or a combo of both? - Anthula G.
I used to outline my stories extensively and that helped me to write them really quickly (Never Kiss a Stranger was written in 10 days!). But as I’ve grown and changed as a writer, I’ve found myself preferring to make it up as I go. If I know exactly what’s going to happen next, I get bored and turned off by the story. So now, I might outline 2-3 chapters at a time and write based on that, and I might know the twists or what’s going to happen at the climax or black moment, but getting from one point to another is usually a surprise for me until I’m working on those scenes. I like to let the characters lead the way. The books feel more organic for me that way.
If you had to pick a genre completely out of your comfort zone to write, what would you want to try? – Jessica P.
I don’t know about another genre outside of this, but I’ve always wanted to do a time travel romance! One of these days, maybe I will …
Out of all your books, which character would you want to be? – Kelli J.
Addison from Never Kiss a Stranger! I think it would be amazing to live in New York and sell high-end real estate. Maybe it’s only glamorous in my mind because I’m sure that’s a super stressful, cut-throat career, but that city is pure magic and to be able to step inside of some of those properties would be heaven on earth. Those commissions though … lol.
What genres do you read? How many times do you rewrite a chapter or section of a book to fit a new idea? – Diana S.
I mostly stick to romance and non-fiction (memoirs, parenting books, writing books, that sort of thing). Occasionally I’ll grab a bestseller like Girl on the Train or Big Little Lies.
Have you always wanted to be a writer? – Tereasa J.
For as long as I can remember!
If you could collaborate with any other author, who would you choose? – Mellissa C.
I’d have to say Sosie Frost, because I love her dearly and respect the hell out of her as a writer. We became acquainted a couple years ago in a writer’s community when I posted about starting a beta group. Not only has she been a godsend to me professionally because her advice is top notch and she knows her stuff, but we chat online or text every single day and she is the sweetest, smartest, and funniest person ever. Collaborating with her would be a total blast!
Do you have a muse? – Darlene B.
It changes with each book. I try to “cast” my hero and heroine before I start the book so I can put a face and mannerisms on them immediately. If I don’t, I tend to change stuff as I go (without realizing it sometimes) and that can be an editing nightmare.
How come Locke only had a novella? – Franci K.
I’ve received this question quite a bit lately, and while I would have loved to have given Locke a full-length story, I took one look at my schedule for the year and knew it just wouldn’t have worked. I have way too much on my plate, so I figured a little bonus novella in the back of Cold Hearted was better than nothing. :-)
I seriously don't know how you write and publish so many books in such a short
amount of time. What's your secret to being so prolific? – Sherri M.
It’s all about the discipline! I set daily goals for myself (word counts or chapter counts), and I write them down every day. My husband makes fun of me because I’ll re-write my to-do list every single day on a fresh sheet of paper, but it’s something I’ve always done that helps keep me focused on my goals.
How old were you when you published your first book and what inspired you to write it? – Jessica G.
I was thirty-one when I published Never Kiss a Stranger, which was my first full-length book. I’d tried my hand at some novellas before that and none of them were doing that well. I always knew I wanted to be a writer and I’d taken several classes in college, but in retrospect, I had no idea what I was doing. I took a step back, obsessively studied my craft, read a bajillion books on writing, listened to about forty RWA seminars, enlisted the help of some amazingly talented author friends, and figured out what I could do to improve my writing. Still to this day, I “study” my negative reviews and read books on the craft of writing. I’m constantly in a state of wanting to get better and better. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing in this industry.
As far as what inspired me to write it, at that time, everyone was writing “stepbrother romances” and they were all the same for the most part. I wanted to do something trendy but different, so I thought, “What if two people hooked up using a dating app then discovered they were stepsiblings?” And the story was born.
How many books have you written/published to date? – Sabrina G.
Including The Perfect Illusion, I’ve written 16 novels and 1 novella to date. I have a few more planned for 2017!
Which book was the hardest/most emotional for you to write? Sabrina G.
Definitely Royal. Out of all my books, I think that one had the most amount of emotionally charged scenes. There were some powerful moments and I had to tap into some pretty deep emotions I’d been burying for years. It was cathartic though!
What is your favorite color and favorite flower? – Sabrina G.
They change with the seasons it seems, but right now my favorite color is geranium red and my favorite flowers are blue hydrangeas!
Want to Ask Me Anything? Send your question to authorwinter@hotmail.com and I’ll include it in my next AMA!
Acknowledgments for The Perfect Illusion
This book would not be possible without the following list of incredibly dear-to-me individuals.
Neda and Liz with Ardent PR – thank you for all of your hard work and understanding.
Ashley, beta reader extraordinaire. I <3 you so hard.
Louisa, I’m 100% convinced you’re the best in the biz. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding and for making the new cover just as beautiful as the original.
Wander and Andrey, thank you for your amazing customer service and behind-the-lens prowess.
Wendy, thank you for your patience and for always being gracious when I miss my deadlines.
Carey and Janice, thank you for your eagle eyes and helpful feedback!
K, C, and M, you’re my BAEs in this crazy indie author world. I heart you. Thanks for putting up with my MIA-existence these last couple of months.
To my readers and book bloggers, thank you for keeping the lights on at Casa de Renshaw. Your support means the WORLD to me, and I love, love, love you in the truest sense of the word. So much love for you. Thank you for all you do. I’m in this for the long haul, and I hope you are too.
About the Author
Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Winter Renshaw is a bona fide daydream believer. She lives somewhere in the middle of the USA and can rarely be seen without her trusty Mead notebook and ultra portable laptop. When she’s not writing, she’s living the American Dream with her husband, three kids, and the laziest puggle this side of the Mississippi.
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