Steve Schatz, the Absolute Love Publishing author of Adima Rising, recently appeared on Berneta L. Haynes’ Waking Writer to discuss the art and business of writing, including how he structures his creative process and why editing is so important. Here is a sample of the interview:
Do you work to an outline or plot sketch, or do you prefer to let a general idea guide your writing?
Steve: I chart out some parts, but the book usually starts with an idea…just a flicker of an idea and grows out in little pieces. Then I start to string those together. The best time is when the characters start speaking for themselves and showing how they would react.
What are some ways in which you promote your work?
Steve: I drive my marketing by the phrase, “If you need it…You will read it.” When people are ready for the message and the adventure, it falls in their lap.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Steve: Edit, edit, edit. Then send it to friends and edit again. Then send it to knowledgeable people and LISTEN to them. Change your book. Say thank you instead of defending it. One of the hardest and most common lessons is that there will be wonderful sections of your book, but they don’t move the book forward and do not make the final version. Finally, write what you want, what you love.
Read more of the informative interview on Waking Writer.
