Guest Author: S.L. Dearing

Please join me in welcoming author S.L. Dearing to the page! I had the pleasure of meeting Shannon earlier this year when we shared a table at NW Bookfest, and she is a wonderful breath of fresh air. Enjoy her interview!

If you are interested in being a Guest Author, please check out this page.

S.L. Dearing

Tell us your name, and a link to where we can find you (blog, Facebook, etc).

My name is Shannon Dearing, but my pen name is S.L. Dearing and you can find me at the following:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SLDearing.Author

Facebook Lia Fail Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheLiaFailChronicles

Facebook Swag Page: https://www.facebook.com/UnderdwellerTreasures

Twitter page: https://www.twitter.com/SLDearing

Blog: https://SLDearing1.wordpress.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5808145.S_L_Dearing

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/S-L-Dearing/e/B00AWIC4JK/

How many books have you written? This can include both published and unpublished works. Describe each of them in 1-2 sentences apiece (if published, feel free to include the links as well).

My published work is The Gathering: Book One of the Lia Fail Chronicles. It’s the first book in an epic, Urban Fantasy/Romance/ Adventure/ Horror Mashup series. It takes place after the third world war, there are now colonies and while they are have a bi-annual get together, a horrible evil descends and they must fight for everything they hold dear.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Gathering-Book-Fail-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B004DCB5X2/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gathering-s-l-dearing/1025141705

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/362716

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=The+Gathering+Dearing

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/gathering-book-one-lia-fail/id723175202?mt=11

Tell me a little bit about your current WIP. I’m currently working on a screenplay and several short stories.
Some of the shorts I’ll be releasing as they work in tandem with The Gathering. The other shorts will be part of several anthologies I’m participating in.
What does writing preparation look like for you? Do you do full outlines and character profiles, or do you just start with a general idea and write?
I tend to just sit down and write and then after so many chapters I begin to outline, when it comes to my novels. For my short stories, I never outline, I just write. I have an idea and then I flesh it out. Sometimes its just an ending, or just a beginning…
Editing is a challenge for many writers. Give us some of your tips for editing efficiently and well.
I am one of those writers who edits as I go. I’m not sure that’s the most efficient way to get it done, but it’s what I do.
Research is another challenge writers face, but is an important part of the writing process. What are some of your research tips?
I do a little research before hand, but mostly I research as I go, and sometimes I’ll go back and make sure what I’ve written is in line with the facts.
If you have been published (self or traditionally), what type of marketing did you find worked the best for you? What was the least helpful?
Well, that’s hard. I think that any number of things can work or not work depending on what you’ve written and whether or not it’s a series and who long it is… bottom line, I’m not sure the successful author knows more than the unsuccessful… sometimes you can do all the same things and one of you gets more coverage. You never know… I say try it all and make sure to do a budget and stick to it.
What genre do you write in? What are some of the challenges to writing this particular genre well?
I write in whatever genre I feel at the time. I think there is a challenge to all of them. You’re trying to evoke certain emotions with every story, so regardless of genre, you need to know where you’re going in terms of final outcome. I don’t mean the ending, but what you want the reader to feel at the end. Each genre requires some sort of research, some more than others, but I think each writer sets up their own challenges and roadblocks. 🙂
What advice would you give to a writer who is starting out?
Write, Write, Write and Read, Read, Read… and find a few people who know how to help you become a better writer by critiquing and not criticizing… and find a good editor. They will help you become a better writer and you want to put out only the most polished writing.
What are your writing, editing, marketing, and research goals for 2014?
I’m hoping to get Book 2 of the Lia Fail Chronicles completed, I’m hoping to finish all the stories for then bridge from book 1 to book 2, I’m thinking of a horror anthology, I have several stand alones in the wings I want to sink my teeth into… marketing, research… I’ll just see what’s new and keep fighting the fight to get my work out there and find new readers any way I can J

Finally, is there anything else you would like your readers to know?

If my writing has touched you in some way, then I’m doing what I’m supposed to. If I never make a living at this, I’m fine with that, as long as one person enjoys what I’m putting out there, that’s what really matters.