Ask the Author: Jen Colly
Answered Questions (7)
Jen Colly
Not at the moment. As soon as I know, I promise to blast it through Facebook and Twitter! Thanks for asking. :)
Jen Colly
My unique take on vampires living in underground cities scattered throughout France came about in a rather strange way. I intended to write about a pirate. You heard me right, a pirate. I had this hot picture of a man in black slacks, unbuttoned white shirt, and long black hair that disappeared behind his back. After staring at his picture for over a week (such a hardship), I had nothing. Not a name, title, plot, or even a heroine. Just him. Why could I picture him speaking, moving, and wielding a sword, but could never place him on a ship? Then it hit me. He wasn’t a pirate, he was a vampire. Looking at him in this new light…er, moonlight, all the answers fell into place. The thing is, I have a husband, and he’s nothing but trouble. After reading only a few pages, he said, ‘I like this, but I want to know what happened before this book.’ I didn’t know. I’d never considered what happened prior to that story, or that there might be other stories revolving around this character. He got me thinking. Long story short, there are now four vampire cities in France, and over ten books in The Cities Below series. The pirate turned vampire is the hero in book three, and you’ll explore a new city with entirely different dynamics in book two. The first book, In the Dark , brings a human into the vampire’s secluded underground city, introducing you to their culture and laws through her.
Jen Colly
I don't need inspiration to write, but a new story idea must come from a spark of inspiration. For me, that inspiration usually comes from a picture or a song. Sometimes I can get a sense of personality from a magazine picture, and I run with it. Don't laugh, but several ideas have come from songs, many of them country. That songwriter has a limited amount of space to relay an entire message meant to move you, and each line has impact. Just a small piece of a powerful verse can conjure up a character or storyline. Try it.
Jen Colly
Everything, all at once. At the moment I'm focused on Bound, the second in the The Cities Below series. When working in a series, I jump around. If I need a break from Bound, I write in book 3 or 4 of the series. If an event in book 3 creates changes, they need to be consistent with book 5. I only have ADD when I write, and it's been very helpful.
Jen Colly
Don't aspire. Write. If you write, you're a writer. What you do with your finished work, and how much you're willing to learn and grow through experience and critique, is all up to you.
Jen Colly
I'm a fan of the entire process, but if I had to choose, it would be the readers. Hearing if the readers loved the same parts or people that I do is always exciting.
Jen Colly
It doesn't happen often, but when anything block-like slows me down, it's a sign that I'm doing something wrong. I stop, step back, and work on other projects. When I come back to that particular spot, I often recognize that I'm either taking the story in the wrong direction, the character isn't acting as they should, or any other number of hiccups. Those little roadblocks always make the story better in the end.
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Jul 21, 2016 07:38AM · flag