BE MY GUEST: On Writing Fiction by Author Samantha Bayarr

Samantha is one of those versatile writers who know how to please their readers. I caught up with her to know what makes her choose different genres of fiction. I told her that many of my readers are aspiring writers, who would love to know the craft of writing “fiction”. So, in today’s guest post, she is here to share with all of you, the whys and hows of writing fiction, the rules she swears by and how it feels to be an indie author. Read on! 

Guest Post:

On Writing Fiction

By Author: Samantha Bayarr

Why and How I Write:

I have been referred to by my friends and fellow writers as a sort of “writing savant” because of the way I write and the different genres that appeal to me as a writer. New books come to me almost on a daily basis, and it doesn’t take much for the ideas to flow. Once I come up with an idea for a book, the entire book, including the last line, is in my head and I can never seem to get it down into my computer fast enough. Though I am a very fast typist, my mind reels at warp speed and if I don’t write something each day, my busy mind will interrupt my sleep with ideas.

At the present time, I am writing five different books in the following genres: Paranormal Romance, Time Travel Romance, Chick Lit, Amish Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, and I just finished a Young Adult Paranormal Novella.

Most people write one genre that they are comfortable with. I write several different genres because so many subjects interest me, and I happen to have a very big imagination. I like to challenge myself in my writing, and I love to take my readers on unlikely journeys. For instance, my first Amish Romance, Little Wild Flower, is about a hippie chick in the 1970’s who falls for the Amish boy next door after her family moves to an Amish community as a respite for her alcoholic mother.

Most of my books come to my mind when I look at photographs, sometimes for potential book covers. For other people, it’s the other way around. They think of a book, write the book, and then they go hunting for a picture or illustration that fits their book. I do the exact opposite! For my first paranormal novel, The Apothecary, the idea for the book came to me when I was looking at a 100 year old photograph of three children that I’d found in an antique store. I looked into their faces and wondered who they were and what their lives were like; since I didn’t know, I reinvented them.

 

The same holds true for my recently published novella, Grave Robbers. I came across the picture while searching stock photos for a book trailer. When I saw the picture of that little girl with a dirty hand clamped over her mouth, I knew she had gotten herself into some trouble. So, in my imagination, she became twelve-year-old Charlie—a jewelry-stealing grave robber.

To me, there is nothing worse than reading a book that feels like the author was bored with the subject when he or she wrote it. Those are the books people put down and don’t recommend to their friends. I want my books to be as interesting to my readers as they were to me when I wrote them.

My Rules of Writing:


My first rule of writing is always to set goals. When a new book idea hits me, I set a goal of how long it can reasonably take me to write it. After deciding how long I want the book to be, I do the math and divide the number of words the book will contain by how many words I can reasonably write per day, and the end result is an approximation of the book’s release date. I don’t recommend this method for the faint at heart, because it takes discipline, and determination. As evidenced by the fact I have written and published eight books in the last ten months.

A second rule to observe would be: if you’re bored or hit a stumbling point, move to the next project. I write several different books at the same time, and often write several chapters in the same book at the same time (this helps to keep your time-lines straight). I may write in one book for several days straight, then, move to another book as the ideas flow. I don’t know how people can stand to write one book from start to finish. In my mind, I assume that’s what causes writer’s block!

Last, but not least, yield the advice of those that have gone before us. They all say two things:

1. Keep a notebook handy—in case of inspiration.

I have several. I keep one for general ideas and new titles that come to me when I’m busy with something else (or trying to sleep). But the most important notebook I keep is the one that I use WHILE I’m writing. If I’m writing, and an idea to twist the plot occurs to me, I write it down immediately—mostly because I can usually write 5,000 or more words per day, and I don’t want to stop in the middle of a writing jaunt because I usually have to continue writing until my brain is emptied for the day!

2. Throw away your thesaurus.

No one wants to have to keep a dictionary on them when they’re reading your book. I’ve found the best way to gauge this is to write the same way you speak. And unless you make a habit of stopping midsentence to look for a bigger word for what you are trying to convey, you shouldn’t do it with your writing.

Being an Indie Author:

I published my first book in August of 2010, and currently have eight books published, with a goal of publishing a minimum of five more before the end of this year. I’ve observed the release of books by fellow authors that are in contract with big publishers, and I see that they publish only ONE book per year! That would drive me absolutely mad!

I have several book ideas of different genres in my head at any given time. Being limited to one book per year in one specific genre would not only prohibit my creativity, but would slow my career to a pace I could never tolerate. As an Indie Author, you can go at your own pace, and the sky is literally the limit if you go by this route.

About the Author: 

Samantha Jillian Bayarr is the founder/owner of Livingston Hall Publishers. Working in the production aspect of publishing has provided her with the expertise needed to produce, develop and design books from the inside out. When it came time to publish her own work, her experience in the field lent her the ability to produce several genres such as: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult Fantasy, Time Travel Romance, Chick Lit, and Amish Romance. 

To know more about her and her books, visit her blog: http://livingstonhallpublishers.blogspot.com/

To buy her books, click here.

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