Lucynda Storey-Erotic Romance Writer

Today the Steamy Love and Laughter Sirens are visiting my blog.   One lucky responder will win a gift bag that includes items from:

Lizzie T. Leaf, Sloane Taylor, Sam Cheever and moi.  Now for my first interview of Sam Cheever!

1) Where are you from?  What is your writing name?

Hi there, I’m Sam Cheever. Some would say I’m from Mars. But in actuality I grew up in a mid-sized town in Indiana. Kind of the same thing, actually.

2) How long have you been seriously writing?

Seriously? I haven’t started that yet. #:0) But I’ve been working pretty hard at it for ten years.

3) How many hours a day do you spend working on your stories?

Between inspiration, preparation, perspiration, and reparation, it’s probably about 5 hours a day.

4) What is your self-editing process?

I write the first draft all the way through, going back and rewriting parts as necessary. Then I do an online edit. Then I print the whole book out and do a paper and red ink edit. Then I do a final edit online again as I make the red ink changes. This nets me a fairly clean manuscript. But I’m still amazed at some of the stuff I miss. Sigh…

5) What happened when you found out your first story was being contracted?

I actually sold my first book, a psychological thriller called Brutal Indifference, to a publisher years ago so I knew what my reaction would be. After a few minutes of self congratulatory chicken dancing, I sat down and started writing more stories! Nothing motivates a writer like having somebody take an interest in her work.

6) What was the best piece of advice you were given in regards to your writing?

Nothing earth shattering there…the advice is the same for everybody…just keep writing. Much easier said than done as you get rejection letter after rejection letter. But the only writers who eventually make it big are the ones who believe in themselves enough to keep slogging through all the disappointment and criticism. It ain’t easy! But if you truly believe you’ve got what it takes, hang in there, keep writing, it will come, grasshopper. 

7) Are you a plotter or a pantser?  Why?

I plot by the seat of my pants. In other words, I do both. I usually plot at least part of my stories, but I find I can’t stick to a firm plot from beginning to end. I have creative ADD.

What author would you like to be most like?

Janet Evanovich. Her writing makes you laugh and leaves you with a warm, good feeling. I consider my writing mind candy. Not world changing certainly. But, to me, it serves a larger purpose. Especially in trying times like we’re living right now. It creates an alternate reality for a while. A fun, sexy, roller coaster ride kind of reality. It’s real life on steroids, without the icky parts.

9) What’s your favorite genre to write in? Why?

Fantasy, definitely. Because I can make up anything I want, as long as I make all the parts fit together properly. Running a close second is romantic suspense. I LOVE romantic suspense. The only reason it’s running behind fantasy is because of the ugly “R” word. Research! Blech!

10) How do you avoid interruptions?

Avoid them? I embrace them! If something has managed to interrupt me it’s probably because I’m stuck on a plot point or have exhausted my creative energy for that moment. I’ll usually take a break and then come back to it. It works for me.

11) What have you found to be your most effective form of marketing?

Not marketing. This doesn’t mean I don’t spend time every day (every hour, every minute) telling people about my books. But I try not to sell to people all the time. Instead I just get to know them, offer insight, show interest, and enjoy their company. The rest usually follows.

12) If you could do one thing different in regards to your writing career, what would it be?

Maybe start earlier trying to get published. I didn’t really try until a few years ago. Until then it was more like a hobby.

13) What is one problematic area you have with your writing and how do you fix it?

I forget to describe my characters occasionally. Har! Thank goodness for editors!

14) Do you have critique partners or beta readers? Why?

No on both counts. I’m a loner when I work. I don’t share my toys in the sandbox very well. It’s just never been something I’ve sought out.

15) Were you always a writer?  What did you do before you started earning money as an author?  Do you still do this?

I’ve always been a writer. I’ve made my living writing business and marketing collateral, I still supplement my writing with that. I work as a writing/editing consultant on the side.

16) What would your ideal day be like?

Write 10 pages on each of my 3 current WIPs, play with my dogs, ride my horses, have quality time with my family, and do power yoga before dropping into bed to watch my current favorites on DVD. Right now I’m enjoying Angel, and Bones. LOVE David B!

17) Who has given you the most support along this creative path?

My mom. Sometimes I don’t think she gets my work. But she always pretends she does. And I know she’s proud of me for taking it on. That feels really good.

18) What piece of advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Just hang in there. Write, write, write, and then write some more. Chances are your first attempts won’t be good enough to sell. Lord knows mine are hidden in dark, dusty places. But if you keep writing you’ll find your voice and hone your skill. The other thing I’d tell you is, though you need to believe in yourself, never assume you have nothing to learn. There’s always room to improve.

19) What do you do to refill your creative well?

I take my dogs for a walk through the woods. I have benches strategically placed beside our creek. I sit on a bench and plot. And giggle at my dogs playing in the water. #:0)

20) Who do you model your heroes after?

Of course all the best parts come from the men in my life. But for the larger than life attributes you need in a fictional hero, I have the perfect man living in my brain. He helps me create the perfect hero for every story.

21) Do you have any tricks for keeping your heroes separate from one another or for remembering their attributes in your stories?

For my series work I keep a tally sheet with everybody’s attributes. For standalone works I rely on the picture in my mind of my characters…with some back checking to make sure the mind is still sharp!

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 31st, 2009 at 9:44 am and is filed under Lucynda Storey, Interviews, Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.