Ask the Author: Ana Waters
Answered Questions (8)
Ana Waters
Tabula Rasa came on the heels of breaking free from twenty years in a religious cult. I had written countless plays, musicals, skits, and lesson plans for the congregation, but nothing just for me since a creative writing class in college. As a huge fan of the inspirational/clean romance genre, I wanted to create a book with characters and themes I'd never seen. For me, this was a book not only tackling spiritual abuse, but helping readers identify specific behaviors with clinical terminology. I also wanted to see authentically Jewish characters within the Christian fiction genre and to help answer many of the FAQ's I've answered over the years.
Ana Waters
I am ALWAYS writing. Whether it's novel length text messages, posts on social media, or actual time on a WIP. I don't know how to NOT write.
Ana Waters
I just wrapped up Book 4 in the Beauty for Ashes series, and I have just started Book 5.
Ana Waters
Keep writing! Don't be afraid to get eyes on your #wip (work in progress), and be open to constructive feedback and criticism. As your literary baby, it can be hard to hear, but we have to remember that the readers don't live inside of our heads.
Ana Waters
As an author, I'm a neutral pantster, which means the story is created as I go. Generally, I have an idea of what I want to accomplish in the novel, but no clue how I'll get there. I love surprising myself with what comes out as I'm writing. I had a plot twist in Book 4 of the Beauty for Ashes series that made me leap out of my chair and shriek. The plot twist of my plot twist ended up with a plot twist!
Ana Waters
Whenever I get stuck, I delete whatever plot point has me stuck and re-write. Occasionally, I'll save the text for a later chapter, but forcing myself to come up with something new usually gets the creative juices flowing again.
Ana Waters
My book was full of typos that I thought I had corrected. My inbox was then filled with friends and family pointing them all out. (horror story for Type A author!)
Ana Waters
I've been branching out and trying out new authors as I've been making connections on social media with romance authors of other genres. I read a bunch by Donna Hatch. My go-to read is almost always a Tamara Leigh novel.
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