Writing Process Blog Hop-H.M. Jones

This post is a part of a writing process blog hop. I was invited by Maron Anrow, author of the fantasy novel Laika in Lisan. You can read about her writing process here. 

What am I working on?
I'm currently working on a couple of things, as I can't seem to stop having writing ideas. My most pressing idea (because I want to release it by the end of the year) is Lexis: Book One in The Old Wood Trilogy. This book will be my first young adult book, and it will be a contemporary fantasy with elements of high fantasy. It has some underlying questions about gender association and societal norms. 
I've been asked by a handful of my fans if I am going to write a sequel to Monochrome, my new adult, literary fantasy. The answer is maybe, but it will probably be a prequel: Ishmael's story. If you loved Ishmael, as many of my readers do, then you can watch out for that. Even if you don't know Ishmael from Monochrome, you could love his story. I love prequels for that very reason. They are less a continuation and more of a fully fledged separate story. 
Other than that, I write a lot of poetry and have been sketching an outline for a book about a writer who cannot stop turning her life into thrilling short story vignettes. This one will be an adult contemporary fiction, and I think it will be really fun when I can get started on it. 

How does my work differ from others in its genre?
Well, I suppose it is mostly unique because it is a new story, but elements of my favorite authors will, inevitably, show up, as I studied English Literature as a B.A. and M.A. student. Readers call it different because it is not quite fantasy, not quite reality, not quite literary fiction, but certainly not a light read. It is a mash-up of genres, but is not overwhelmingly one genre. 
Mostly, it is unique because of the world I created: Monochrome. Monochrome is a place void of smell, void of the most normal sounds of nature, void of any color, other than variations of blue. It is a representation of the depressed mind, and it has been making a HUGE impact on readers, who say that they can feel my eerie world, as if it were a real destination. That makes me very proud. 

Why do I write what I do?
I have written since I was very young. The main reason I write is because I just do. It seems to be second nature for my mind to turn ideas, conflicts and feelings into stories. It is, truly, how I deal with the hardest issues this world has pushed upon me. 
For me, writing is a release but it is also a form of art, so studying great writing has really helped me be a more capable author. It has allowed me to take my story, relive those snapshots of pain and joy, and do so in a way that seems more universal and less personal. 
So, I write for readers and for me. I enjoy it, and I hope, very much, that society is benefited by what I release, which is why I am a self published author. Money is nice, so if sales make me a full-time author I won't complain (this is not very likely), but I have a full-time job. I write because I love to write and I love to try to help others think through this life. 

How does my writing process work?
I write down an idea whenever it hits: on a napkin, a spare piece of mail, or in a notebook (if I'm lucky). Moments of inspiration usually hit me when I'm driving because it is the only time I'm not chasing preschoolers around. I think about the story for a bit, and write down any pressing or really good ideas I have about the story. Then I sit and I write like a madwoman. 
The first daft is not good after writing like a madwoman: there are many awkward sentences, many grammatical mistakes and many loose threads. But it gets the story out, so that I can edit, edit, edit, edit, edit, edit, edit, edit and then edit some more. I then have beta readers go through my book, and I try to take their best advice and edit again. Then, I either find a publish or I don't. I don't, actually, as, alas, my books have not touched the heart of an agent. Then I turn the cover out, legal it up, and get it to my readers as fast as my full-time mommy job and my part-time community college instructor job will allow. 

My Books