Guest Post: Brynn Stein on Writing Style

Today I’m happy to welcome Brynn Stein to talk about her new release, Living Again, and her writing style—a subject I love to hear about for any author!

I’m enjoying my blog tour so far, and have gotten a fair number of responses for my give away. If you haven’t seen any of my other stops on this tour, here’s how the giveaway will work. Comment below, and go to as many sites listed in the blog schedule listed here and comment there as well. Each blog you comment on will earn you one entry for my giveaway. Three prizes will be given. One signed paperback copy, and two electronic copies of Living Again.

Now to talk about other things.

For this stop, let’s talk about my writing style.

I tend to be a person who likes to plan and organize. I have responsibilities and even fun activities planned two months in advance, if at all possible. I actually almost didn’t have a second date with my husband because every time he asked, “what about such and such date”, I’d tell him, “oh, that’s when I’m going here or doing that.” He thought I was blowing him off and just didn’t want another date. But, I actually did have things planned that far ahead.

So, you’d think that my writing style would reflect that. You’d think that I’d have outlines and flow charts and know exactly what was going to happen. I could picture me with timelines and banks of quotes to use throughout the story, probably even in order. Very organized and methodical.

I get the story in fits and starts in my head, usually while driving. The longer the drive the more of the story I get, but not necessarily in order. I also dream it, but again, not in order. By the time I actually sit down at the keyboard I have a good idea of what will happen in the story. A general outline, if you will, in my head. But not quite every detail.

Once I start writing, it just flows. The characters natter away at me, and I just write what they say. Sometimes I end up in entirely unexpected places, but the characters assure me that is exactly what happened, so I just write it down.

Usually they have the common curtesy to tell me the story in order. With Living Again, they told it in order (both in its fan fiction incarnation and the current one). I struggled to keep up. The story just flowed from my head to the page. It was a joy to write. It was like I was watching a movie in my head and was like a courtroom stenographer, writing fast and furiously just to get everything down as it happened.

In an upcoming story, For Mac, due out in March, the details didn’t come in order at all. It was all over the place. I had the basic idea, but from what I had, I figured it was going to be a novella. There wasn’t enough detail for me to think that it was going to be very long. Once the characters got going though, the thing turned out to be over 85000 words. But they came out of order.

I had written the basic story. It had a beginning, middle, and end. It was short, and to the point. Okay, but missing the heart. The characters then led me on a merry chase for that heart. They said, ‘oh yeah, we forgot to tell you about one of the characters.’ It was a minor character, but he really needed to be there, and of course, he popped up throughout the story. When I wrote about him in one place, it affected how the characters would act throughout the rest of the story, so I had to seek out the other scenes that he needed to be in. It was nuts, and my characters just sat back and laughed at me. I swear they did.

That was the only story to date that I did end up with an outline of sorts. I used the headings in word to be able to navigate from one part of the story to another because, for that one, I kept going backwards and forwards. It was definitely not written in my usual style.

What about you, writers? Do you plan and organize? Or does your story just flow? Have you ever had that one story that just delighted in not fitting into your usual style?

Readers, what about you? Do you plan for projects, hobbies, etc? Or do they just pop up. Has there ever been something that went against your usual style? That one vacation that you didn’t plan for, but just found yourself on the beach even though you usually plan everything months in advance? Or that remodeling project that you planned out thoroughly, with charts and diagrams and stages outlined in advance, even though you tend to be a fly by the seat of your pants person?

Leave me your comments. I’d love to know what you think. And here’s a link to my Blog Tour Schedule. Thanks so much for stopping by today. Please pay a visit to these other blog sites as well. Don’t forget, the more you comment, the greater your chance of winning a copy of Living Again.

Daniel Larson has walled himself off from any possibility of romance since his lover died violently five years ago in Afghanistan. The same bomb that ended his partner’s life took the lower part of Daniel’s left leg. The only support Daniel has, his Uncle Lawrence, is dead-set against anything homosexual, including Daniel.

Now, a popular language teacher at the local university, Daniel’s suffering from a car accident that broke his one good leg. His uncle, who is much better at throwing money at things than offering emotional support, provides a rented power chair and a private in-home nurse. Unbeknownst to his uncle, the nurse comes in the form of a man named Jonah Thacker.

Instantly attracted, Daniel and Jonah fight their mutual feelings in favor of professionalism. They become friends anyway, and Jonah shares his life with Daniel, including his handicapped son, Ethan. As Jonah and Daniel grow closer, Daniel becomes more involved in Jonah and his son’s lives, even being there for Ethan when his medical conditions worsen. But when Daniel’s uncle finds out the nurse he’s hired is male, he uses all of his resources to keep Jonah and Daniel apart.

Buy Link: Dreamspinner

Goodreads
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About the Author

Brynn Stein has always loved to write. Fan fiction, original fiction, whatever. While Brynn wrote in numerous genres—everything from mystery, to contemporary, to supernatural—she had always tended toward strong male characters. And then she discovered “slash,” male/male romance, and all those strong male characters were finally allowed to express their love for one another. It seems that there are always at least two characters clamoring to tell Brynn their story.

Brynn lives in Virginia with one of her two two-legged children, and two four-legged ones. Her supportive family encourages her writing and provides a sounding board for fledgling stories. When she isn’t writing, Brynn teaches children with special needs. In free time, when such a thing exists, she reads anything she can get her hands on, and haunts bookstores. She draws and paints, and enjoys the outdoors—especially if she can get to the beach—and is always thinking about her next story.

Please feel free to contact Brynn at any of the following:

http://brynnstein2.wix.com/books-and-thoughts
https://twitter.com/BrynnStein
http://brynnstein2.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/
brynnstein2@gmail.com