AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT WITH BARBARA LONGLEY

 

 

 

 

 

I am very pleased to announce that author Barbara Longley features next in the series.
As you may be aware I asked authors on my facebook page if they would like to appear in a series of *interviews*. I wanted to connect with other writers, find out what they write about, why they write, their thoughts about the writing process, their drives, and learn a little more about them. Please find the full interview below (also linked to my twitter, tumblr, facebook, Goodreads, and google + account).

Please do share with your circle of book friends and leave me a like/comment - thank you very much.

 

 

What started the interest to write?
I have always used writing as a way to process what is going on in my world, including some really ghastly, angsty adolescent poetry regarding unrequited love, etc. etc. I decided to try my hand at writing fictional novels in 2005. Of course I thought it would be easy. Not so much. Ha!

Tell us about your first novel?
I had intended my first novel, Until September, to be a modern day version of Jane Eyre. I wrote the first draft entirely on yellow legal pads, because I didn’t own a computer. Once I finally bought a computer, I word processed the entire 300 page manuscript onto the computer, printed it out and began submitting to agents and publishers. When that went nowhere, I decided to take a class at The Loft, a literary centre in Minneapolis, MN (U.S.)—a class that required students already had a finished manuscript. After two weeks, my 300 page masterpiece was reduced to 185 pages. The rest was total crap. So . . . I learned my craft and eventually deleted Until September from my hard drive. Everything about my first novel sucked. Talk about purple prose!

Are you self-published or traditional?
I am traditionally published, but hope to become a hybrid author at some point, like . . . when I catch a break in contract deadlines. (Not a bad problem to have.)

Do you have a literary agent?
I do. I’m represented by the amazing Nalini Akolekar, Spencerhill Associates.

 
Do you have a publishing contract?
I’m on the last book in a three book deal with Amazon Publishing’s Montlake Romance. The tale from there to here is a long one. My first book came out in 2011 with an e-book only publisher. I did not have an agent at the time, and I was quite naive. My experience with that e-publisher was less than satisfactory, and I realized I needed an industry professional in my corner. I realize some writers can do everything on their own quite successfully, and I admire those individuals. I cannot be that person. So, I began the agent search and was very fortunate to sing with Nalini. Within four months we had a six book deal with Montlake, and I’ve been with them ever since.

What genre do you write and what draws you to it?
I write contemporary romance, Celtic fantasy romance, and romantic comedy. Why so many genres you ask?? Because to write only one genre would eventually bore me, and a bored writer is going to write boring stories. I have to switch it up. I’m drawn to Celtic fantasy because I’ve always loved Celtic myths and legends, and those ancient tales provide an endless supply of muse fodder. Contemporaries draw me because, like in the past, I process what is going on in the world around me through my writing. I’m not always happy about how things turn out in real live, but when I write? I am the goddess of my imaginary universe. Things work out exactly the way I want them to. Romantic comedy is a new genre for me, and I like the light, funny aspect of that particular form of entertainment.

How many books have you written?

I have two – 4 book series out now, THE NOVELS OF LOCH MOIGH/time travel/historicals involving faeries, and the LOVE FROM THE HEARTLAND series, contemporary romance with military elements, one single title, HEART OF THE DRUID LAIRD, and immortal curse/quest tale, and a freebee, ONCE UPON A NIGHT AT SEA. That’s ten. November 2016 the 1st of the romantic comedies will be released, WHAT YOU DO TO ME (The Haneys series), and number 2 in that series will be out early 2017.
That’s it so far.

Who is your favourite character of your books?

My all time favourite hero so far is Ryan Malloy, in THE DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES. He’s soooo messed up, so creative, funny, sweet and complex . . . he’s a veteran with PTSD, who self-medicates with alcohol. He’s also suicidal and plays Russian Roulette with a vintage handgun. The opening chapter he’s finally going to pull the trigger, when fate intervenes. Honestly, THE DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES is the best book I’ve written. (so far) My readers don’t agree with me on that though. TRUE TO THE HIGHLANDER and FAR FROM PERFECT are my bestsellers to date.

 

What challenges do you face when writing?

I love the writing part. I tend to be very hard on myself, and I forget to count my blessings. I suffer all the insecurities most writers do. Sometimes I’m convinced I suck at writing, and sometimes I think I’m pretty good. I’m a total introvert, and writing can be isolating. The usual stuff I guess. How about you? What are your challenges? I’m always interested in hearing what other writers experience.
Who do you act out the scenes in your novels with? If you do
I do act out scenes! In each scene, I act out the part of the POV character. Since I write in third person and include H/h POVs, my role changes. I’ve tried to explain to newbie writers that writing IS acting. You have to become that character if you’re going to achieve deep POV, right?
What is your favourite thing you've written and why?  Favourite line/scene/plot
There are parts and scenes in all of my books that are favourites, but the fantasy world building, like when my heroine is kidnapped by a fae princess, and left in the land of shadow . . . that was a fun world to create. Then, there’s the first chapter of THE DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES, which I mentioned before. If I can create the image, evoke the emotions, and draw a reader in . . . then that’s my favourite.

Where do you do your writing?

I have a home office where I’m surrounded by my favourite reference books, a comfy chair, my printer, and all of my book bibles.

How many hours a day on average do you say you spend writing?

Hmm. It varies. I’m generally writing by 6:00AM, and stop around 1:00PM or 2:00PM. So, 7 or 8 hours a day including breaks, like at a regular job. I go to Yoga three mornings a week, which leads me to write seven days a week to make up the hours. I write every day unless something is going on which prevents me from doing so. I get cranky when I can’t write.

How do you structure each story - do you start with an outline, plot each chapter as you go or just write and see where it flows?

Generally, I create a book bible before I start writing the story. These include character development sketches, plot, synopsis and research. It’s nice to have these in place first, especially when writing series, because you have everything you need right there if you have to look something up.
I find doing things this way helps me avoid the, “Uh . . . now what(s)? Where do I go from here(s), and the saggy middles.” I don’t lose my way, but I can still be flexible enough for my characters to take things in new directions.

Where do you market your work?

I market on social media, just like everyone else. I’m lucky, because no one sells books like Amazon sells books, and they do most of the marketing for me. Occasionally I submit my books to review sites, and I do a few promo sites.

Any tips on what to do and what not to do? Like marketing strategies that have worked for you or something that had poor returns?

I have no idea what works and what doesn’t. Do any of us? Marketing really is the toughest part of what we do, because what works now . . . most likely won’t work next month.

What social media platforms do you use?
My current favourite is to have readers follow me on my Amazon author page, because Amazon will send my followers a direct e-mail when I have a new book come out. Direct e-mails are the best marketing tool at present. Then of course I’m on twitter and Facebook.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Longley/e/B005H0LRLE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1460144868&sr=1-1
Twitter: @barbaralongley
Facebook: Author page https://www.facebook.com/Barbara-Longley-221712464539145/
Profile page (which is way more fun) https://www.facebook.com/barlongley

What has surprised you most about writing?

What surprises me the most is this: I get paid to make shit up. Honestly, how cool is that? Originally, I had hoped writing/being published would be a good way to supplement my teacher income. Never did I imagine I’d be able to earn my living through writing, but I am. No, I’m not a millionaire or even rich, but I am making my living by doing what I most love to do—tell stories.

 

How much do you feel you've evolved creatively?

I write much cleaner and faster than I did when I started out. My first two books took 18 months to write. Now I write a full length novel in 4 to 6 months. I have a much better understanding of story structure these days. I feel more professional at what I do now than I did when I began writing seriously for the purpose of publication.

Have you attended any literary events? Writer's workshops?

Absolutely! Attending conferences, workshops and literary events helps us to develop our craft and to network. Writers “get” writers like no one else does. I need to be with my tribe whenever I can.

What do you think makes good writing? What do you think the secret to success is?

Tight writing is good writing. Avoid superfluous words, buffer words, passive verbs, and dive in deep. My books are character driven rather than plot driven. Compelling characters drive the plot forward, rather the plot driving the characters along. It’s the humanity, the connection and the relatable aspects of a story that captivates a reader. (For me, anyway.)

And what book has had the biggest influence on your work?

Shakespeare’s Comedies, because he so “gets” human nature, and because I prefer the comedies to the tragedies.

What's your favourite character archetype of literature?

My all time favourite archetype is the “Unwilling Hero,” that poor hapless soul who gets caught up in a situation he or she did not ask to be caught up in, and yet he/she rises to the occasion, overcomes all obstacles and grows. Come to think of it, this archetype shows up a lot in my stories.

And lastly, what advice can you give to other writers?

Be open. By that I mean, if you seek productive criticism, don’t be defensive. Listen. If more than one person tells you the same thing about your work, pay attention, and make the necessary changes. Learn your craft, and never stop improving. Persevere, and see obstacles as stepping stones leading you to where you want to go. Write on!

 

Thank you so much for agreeing to feature on the Spotlight series and sharing your thoughts.