This week we asked Willa Edwards to tell us a little about herself, her new book, and her writing style:
How long does it take you to write a book?
It really depends on the book. Some stories come to me fully formed, ready to go, and others are more like difficult toddlers, fighting me the whole way and needing to move at their own pace.
Owned for Christmas, my most recent release with Totally Bound Publishing, came to me very quickly. In fact I didn’t want to write it, because I had some much going on at the time (I was moving to a different state) and I knew Grant, Daniel and Kate wouldn’t wait until my life was calmer and I had the time for them. I could feel this story would be a sprint, not a slow walk. But they just wouldn’t leave me alone. They forced me to write their story, even though I was in the middle of chaos.
But I don’t regret it at all. I wish all my characters were that demanding. The shy ones are definitely harder for me to deal with.
What does your writing process look like?
Every story has its own way of coming to me. Some start with a character, some with a question, and others unfold from a situation. Owned for Christmas started that way. I let the idea simmer in my mind until I can envision the characters, the scenery, almost like a movie, and feel the emotions between them.
Once I can see the story, even just one scene, I start writing. I want to capture as much of the characters authentic voice as I can. I usually do an outline later, after I’ve gotten a few scenes down, and I have a better sense of the characters. I needed to write some of the story to really get to know the characters, to reveal their needs, fears and insecurities. For me it’s like a giant puzzle, discovering what makes my characters tick, what’s going to happen next, how the story ends. I think if I knew everything from the very beginning, I’d be bored and wouldn’t be compelled to keep writing. It’s the mystery that keeps me going. That gets my butt in that chair every day. The desire to know what happens, just like every other reader.
Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?
I don’t think of them as strange writing habits but I wouldn’t be surprised that other writers disagree with me. One, I like to have noise when I write. TV, Radio, People talking, all works. Dead silence is distracting to me.
Two, I don’t like to write in chronological order. If I have a scene I’m dying to write (like the barn scenes in Owned for Christmas) I write it, even if it’s not where I am in the book at that minute. I know I’ll find a way to sew the pieces back together. But if my characters are talking to me, I’m always going to listen.
Three, I love to write in public. You know those people huddled in the corner of Starbucks pounding away at their keyboards. Yup, I’m one of them. I always feel so focused when I’m writing in public. But maybe it’s just all the yummy lattes.
What are you working on now? What is your next project?
Right now I’m working on Owned Forever, the next step in Kate, Daniel and Grant’s story. This one revolves around the question that is asked in the last scene of the Owned for Christmas. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, so I won’t say what question that is, but I’m really enjoying being back with my kinky cow