by E.Oberio / November 11, 2017
Audrey Rich writes Young Adult and New Adult Contemporary Romances. In this interview, she tells us about her latest project “Thinking About Love Part 1” and how she balances writing with her other responsibilities.
Hi Audrey. Could you please tell us a little about how this story first came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma or something else?
The main character, Trina Weber, in this story is a close friend of the main character in Masquerading Our Love. In that story we find out that Trina, a senior in high school, meets a college freshman on the beach and for the first time in her life she is seriously crushing on this seemingly perfect guy.
What’s the strangest thing you had to do to create this story?
The strangest thing I had to create this story may not seem strange to most but it was to change my direction on a story. I didn’t want to write stories that didn’t end in one book and for this story I had to break it up into two parts but I think it worked out for the best.
Who are your main characters?Tell us a little about what makes them tick.
The main characters are Trina Weber and Stuart Grant. She’s a typical high school senior wanting a boyfriend but because she has always been too picky she hasn’t dated before Stuart. She’s all about setting up her future as a doctor and making sure her appearance is perfect. Her focus is school and not allowing anything to get in her way. He’s a freshman in college, a part-time lifeguard, and has dated a bunch of girls. He’s more down to earth than she is but also with set goals for his future. His focus is also school but he likes to have fun as well.
Which character was most challenging to create and why?
Neither character was hard to create because they don’t seem like characters. They’re both real to me and as a pantser (I don’t create outlines) I let the stories evolve as the characters dictate.
Which scene was most difficult to write? Why?
The most difficult scene is when she makes a decision and needs to set an ultimatum for him. Knowing that their relationship might die based on his decision was hard because she still had to stand her ground and not give in.
Were you a young writer, a late bloomer, or something in between? What advice would you give to others who took up writing at a similar life phase?
I’m definitely a late bloomer in terms of becoming an author, although I’ve always written for myself—diaries, journals for my children, letters for my association, etc.. I would tell future writers to continue writing and reading in the genre they love. And not to try to change what they enjoy reading and writing to chase money making genres. In the long run it won’t make them happy.
What aspect of writing have you most improved in over time? What resources helped you most in this area?
Word selection and the famous, showing versus telling, are the two areas that I’ve improved since I began writing. Reading articles and posts on showing versus telling really has helped, although I still tend to tell more than I should.
Have you ever resuscitated a project you’d shelved? What helped it work better the second time around?
Not at this time. But there is a novel I began in 2012 that I want to finish writing either next year or in 2019.
How do you balance the demands of writing with other responsibilities?
Balancing is the hardest thing for a writer because we’re always thinking about our novels and we want to write when the muse hits us. I set time aside for family and friends as well as taking vacation.
What do you hope readers will take away from this story?
I hope readers will understand the choice that Trina has to make and why.
What’s next for Audrey Rich?
Thinking About Love, Part 2 is now on pre-order and I’m finishing that book as I begin another book for the Nanowrimo challenge.
Where can we find more about you and your books?
Readers can purchase or read in KU at http://amzn.to/2zyYUm4
If readers are interested in my new books and giveaways they can follow me at:
www.goaudreyrich.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/AudreyRichAuthor
www.goodreads.com/author/show/16025219.Audrey_Rich
www.instagram.com/goaudreyrich
Thank you so much Audrey for granting us this interview and best of luck in your writing career.