Interview: Allison Blanchard, Author of Forget Me Not

I heard about Allison Blanchard from one of her sorority sisters. "There's this girl in my sorority who writes," she'd told me. "She just published her first book. You need to get in touch with her."

Just like that, I shot off an email. I began talking to Allison and discovered, in no time at all, that she is one of the sweetest and most down-to-earth young women I've ever met. Allison attends a liberal arts college as a double major in French and creative writing. Four years ago, she started writing a book. On April 6, 2012, Allison's book got published. Her debut novel, Forget Me Not, is a young adult paranormal romance that is difficult to put down.

Recently, I interviewed Allison for this blog. I wanted to know all about her process, what writing means to her, and how she uses her writing to glorify God. Warning: this interview may cause you to fall in love with Allison.

B: What made you decide that you wanted to become a writer?

A: I was eleven when I had finally realized the answer to the dreaded question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I decided being a writer was what was going to make me happy and fulfilled. It was after I had read a series of books by my favorite author, Marianne Curley. She is an Australian young adult novelist whose books helped me through a dark time in my life. I am forever grateful to her because without her books, I don’t think I would have ever written one word of fiction.

B: Describe your writing process. How often do you write? Do you outline? How do you stay organized? Do you have a target word count?

A: I try to write every day, but things often come up or I get distracted, especially when I am in school. But several times a week, at least. I outline very little, but I find with a trilogy it is needed to make sure I don’t forget certain subplots that need to be resolved by the final book. However, I don’t like to be too detail oriented with my outlines. I like the writing process to be more organic. I like being shocked and surprised when a character does something completely different or not what I was expecting. That’s what I love about writing – being able to see how my characters change and grow and become their own people.

I usually try to stay organized by writing out ideas as they come to me. Basic plot points and different character motivations are written out as the ideas are born. I don’t usually have a word count, but a typical novel that a publisher will publish is 60,000 to 100,000 words. Usually, I keep my books around 75,000 – 85,000. I try to hit a certain word count each time I write, but now I tend to just say to myself, “Let’s write this scene out and see how long it goes.” Like I said before, it’s very organic.

B: How do you react when someone tells you that they've read your book?

A: I have a minor panic/happy attack inside – usually I’m dancing in my head, but try to remain calm. It is still really surreal to think that people are reading my book. Like right now. People I don’t know. It’s super humbling.

B: Is the relationship between Cole and Adeline based on a real romantic relationship? If so, which one? If not, where did the dynamic come from?

A: If Cole and Adeline’s romantic relationship was based on something in my own life, I’d be living it, not writing it. Haha! No, this relationship is fictional and comes from my brain. As a writer, I do put a little bit of myself into all of my characters. I honestly find myself more like Cole than Adeline, which a lot of people don’t expect. The dynamic, again, sort of wrote itself. Both characters are shy, but Adeline is way more insecure. Cole is embarrassed by his family (like most teenagers), but the two of them find a lot of common ground. I think that’s why they are drawn to each other. They’ve finally met someone who understands them.

B: What are your top five favorite books?

 A: Ah! What a tough question! But here are my top five favorite books!

"Old Magic" by Marianne Curley 

I think most people know about my unhealthy obsession for this author and her work, but she of course made it to the top of my list. I absolutely adore this novel. It is a young adult paranormal romance that deals with time travel and history. It is so good in every way. If you haven't read it, then you are missing out. Go buy it now. No, but really. Do it.

"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen 

I am a hardcore Austen fan and I am not ashamed. I love everything about this book and often reread again and again. Austen does a romance justice and I aspire to be like her. Oh, Jane. If only you were alive today for me stalk.

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini 

Oh. My. Gosh. This novel literally punched me in the face. It was so good. No, but really. This book is insanely well written that I laughed, cried, laughed again, and cried even more. If you haven't read this beautiful book, then you haven't lived life.

“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte

I love both of the Bronte sisters, but this novel is one of my absolute favorites. It is so beautiful and tragic. It is one of those novels I can read again and again. LOVE!

"Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers 

I think it's clear that I love Jesus and therefore would like to fall in love with a man who does too. This romance novel showed me that it is possible. Francine Rivers' words and truth of the Gospel changed my perception of true love and what it is all about. I cried throughout this novel, loving the characters and seeing myself in them. This book is a must read for any follower of Christ who is looking for a man to lead her closer to God. Although it is fiction this love story will ignite of flame to know Christ more intimately so that you will be able to perceive the right man from the wrong man. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.

B: What websites or resources have been the most helpful for you as a writer?

A: Writersmarket.com was absolutely HUGE in my quest to find a publisher. I paid a small fee each month to gain access to contact information to literary agents and publishers. That and reading. If you want to be a serious writer, then you need to be a serious reader. Read anything and everything. It will help you grow as a writer and learn what you like to read, which more than likely will be what you love to write. 

B: What would you like to do after graduating from college?

A: I would love to continue writing and also become an editor in a publishing company. Since being published, I have really fallen in love with the process. I would love to help an author see his or her work go from the computer to the hands of a fan.

B: How do you feel Christian writers can use their gifts to glorify God, as you have with your writing?

A: I think Christian writers need to remember why/how they write. Because God has given you the gift and talent to write. I always pray before/during the writing process. I want my work to glorify Him and I want Him to lead me in what I am supposed to write. Therefore, I would encourage other Christian writers to continue to lean on Him, trust Him, and write to glorify Him.

B: What was the most difficult part of the publication process?

A: Getting someone who would actually read the full manuscript. Many would only ask for a few chapters or only 75 pages and make a decision based on those pages alone. I was always thrilled whenever someone asked to read the full manuscript. And even more excited when someone actually sent me a contract!

B: If you go back to before writing Forget Me Not, what kind of advice would you give yourself about writing, publication, or the process as a whole?

A: To trust God and this process, no matter how long it takes. Don’t freak out or get discouraged when someone says no. Like my mom constantly told me, you don’t need a 100 yeses, you need only one. And that one yes will come. 

As you can see, Allison Blanchard is a wonderful woman with a passion for writing and also for God. If you'd like to learn more about her, check out her blog. Her first novel, Forget Me Not, is available through Amazon.

From Daily Writing Tips: 34 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better Writer

Today's post comes from Daniel Scocco at Daily Writing Tips. You can find the article in context here. I highly recommend that everyone have a look at this awesome resource.

A couple of weeks ago we asked our readers to share their writing tips. The response was far beyond the initial expectations, and the quality of the tips included was amazing. Thanks for everyone who contributed.

Now, without further delay, the 34 writing tips that will make you a better writer!

1. Daniel
Pay attention to punctuation, especially to the correct use of commas and periods. These two punctuation marks regulate the flow of your thoughts, and they can make your text confusing even if the words are clear.

2. Thomas
Participate in NaNoWriMo, which challenges you to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. I noticed that my writing has definitely improved over the course of the book — and it’s not even finished yet.

3. Bill Harper
Try not to edit while you’re creating your first draft. Creating and editing are two separate processes using different sides of the brain, and if you try doing both at once you’ll lose. Make a deal with your internal editor that it will get the chance to rip your piece to shreds; it will just need to wait some time.

A really nice trick is to switch off your monitor when you’re typing. You can’t edit what you can’t see.

4. Jacinta 
In a sentence: write daily for 30 minutes minimum! It’s easy to notice the difference in a short time. Suddenly, ideas come to you and you think of other things to write. You experiment with styles and voices and words and the language becomes more familiar…

5. Ane Mulligan 
Learn the rules of good writing… then learn when and how to break them.

6. Pete Bollini
I sometimes write out 8 to 10 pages from the book of my favorite writer… in longhand. This helps me to get started and swing into the style I wish to write in.

7. Nilima Bhadbhade 
Be a good reader first.

8. Douglas Davis
While spell-checking programs serve as a good tool, they should not be relied
upon to detect all mistakes. Regardless of the length of the article, always read and review what you have written.

9. Kukusha
Learn to take criticism and seek it out at every opportunity. Don’t get upset even if you think the criticism is harsh, don’t be offended even if you think it’s wrong, and always thank those who take the time to offer it.

10. John England 
Right click on a word to use the thesaurus. Do it again on the new word and make the best use of your vocabulary.

11. Lillie Ammann
After editing the work on screen or in print, I like to read the text aloud. Awkward sentences and errors that slipped through earlier edits show up readily when reading out loud.

12. H Devaraja Rao
Avoid wordiness. Professor Strunk put it well: “a sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.”

13. David
Write as if you’re on deadline and have 500 words to make your point. Then do it again. And again.

14. Yvette
Sometimes I type in a large font to have the words and sentences bold before me.

Sometimes, in the middle of a document I will start a new topic on a fresh sheet to have that clean feeling. Then, I’ll cut and insert it into the larger document.

I wait until my paper is done before I examine my word usage and vocabulary choices. (And reading this column it has reminded me that no two words are ever exactly alike.) So at the end, I take time to examine my choice of words. I have a lot of fun selecting the exact words to pinpoint my thoughts or points.

15. Amit Goyal
To be a good writer is to start writing everyday. As Mark Twain said, “the secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

Try using new words. i.e avoid repeating words. this way we learn the usage of different words.
Do edit your previous articles.

Start with small paragraphs like writing an article for a Newspaper, and proceed from there.

16. John Dodds 
Remove as many adjectives as possible. Read Jack Finney’s tale, Cousin Len’s Wonderful Adjective Cellar for a fantastical tale about how a hack becomes a successful author with the help of a magical salt cellar that removes adjectives from his work.

17. John Ireland
I set my writing aside and edit a day or two later with the aim of making it terse. It has trained me to be more conscious of brevity when writing for immediate distribution.

18. Jai 
Try to write in simple way. Express your views with most appropriate words.

19. Mark 
Read great writers for inspiration. If you read them enough, their excellent writing style will rub off onto your dazzling blog.

YOU ARE what you read (and write!).

20. Caroline
I watch my action tense and wordiness in sentences when I am writing my technical diddley.

For example, in a sentence where you say …”you will have to…” I replace it with “…you must…”, or “Click on the Go button to…” can be replaced with “Click Go to…”.

Think of words such as “enables”, instead of “allows you to” or “helps you to”.

If one word will work where three are, replace it! I always find these, where I slip into conversational as I am writing quickly, then go back and purge, purge, purge.

21. Akhil Tandulwadikar
Don’t shy away from adopting the good habits that other writers use.

Do not worry about the length of the article as long as it conveys the point. Of course, the fewer words you use, the better.

Start the article with a short sentence, not more than 8 words.

22. Julie Martinenza
Instead of adding tags (he said/she said) to every bit of dialogue, learn to identify the speaker by showing him/her in action. Example: “Pass that sweet-smelling turkey this way.” With knife in one hand and fork in the other, Sam looked eager to pounce.

23. Aaron Stroud 
Write often and to completion by following a realistic writing schedule.

24. Joanna Young
One that works for me every time is to focus on the positive intention behind my writing. What is it that I want to communicate, express, convey? By focusing on that, by getting into the state that I’m trying to express, I find that I stop worrying about the words – just let them tumble out of their own accord.

It’s a great strategy for beating writer’s block, or overcoming anxiety about a particular piece of writing, whether that’s composing a formal business letter, writing a piece from the heart, or guest blogging somewhere ‘big’…

25. Shelley Rodrigo
Use others writer’s sentences and paragraphs as models and then emulate the syntactic structure with your own content. I’ve learned more about grammar and punctuation that way.

26. Sylvia
Avoid long sentences.

27. Mike Feeney 
Learn the difference between me, myself and I. For example: “Contact Bob or myself if you have any questions.” I hear this very often!

28. Richard Scott 
When doing a long project, a novel, for instance, shut off your internal editor and just write.

Think of your first draft as a complex outline waiting to be expanded upon, and let the words flow.

29. David
Careful with unnecessary expressions. “At this point in time” came along during the Nixon congressional hearings. Too bad it didn’t go out with him. What about “on a daily basis?”

30. E. I. Sanchez 
For large documents, I use Word’s Speech feature to have the computer read the article back. This allows me to catch errors I have missed – especially missing words or words that ’sort of sound the same’ but are spelled differently (e.g. Front me instead of ‘From me’).

31. Cat
Either read the book “Writing Tools 50 Strategies for Every Writer”, by Roy Peter Clark, or read the Fifty Writing Tools: Quick List on his blog. Then join a writing group, or hire a writing coach.

32. Suemagoo 
Write the first draft spontaneously. Switch off your internal editor until it is time to review your first draft.

33. Lydia
If you’re writing fiction, it’s a great idea to have a plot. It will coordinate your thoughts and add consistency to the text.

34. Pedro
Edit your older articles and pieces. You will notice that great part of it will be crap, and it will allow you to refine your style and avoid mistakes that you used to make.

After reading this article, I was surprised that I hadn't heard of many of these tips. I plan to implement Bill Harper, Jacinta, Pete Bollini, Lillie Ammann, and Caroline's suggestions.

What do you think about these tips?

Immerse Your Readers in Your Setting

Imagine yourself in the middle of a meadow on a summer afternoon. Hear the soft buzz of the bumblebee, the rush of wind-blown grasses, and the trickle of a nearby stream. Feel the warmth of the sun on your face. Taste the tart sweetness of the lemonade you sip from the glass in your hands. Feel the chill of the ice in the glass as condensation slides down the sides of it. See the sky—impossibly blue, bright, and cloudless. Reach out to touch the smooth wooden railing of the front porch.

Come back to the present.

Were you in the meadow?

As writers, one of the hardest parts of our job is convincing our readers to dive into our stories. We want them to become fully immersed in the worlds we’ve created. We want them to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell the reality of what we’ve put on the paper. Characters, dialogue, and plot are important, but setting is what makes the prose come alive for the reader. You want to get your audience hooked? Develop a fully-dimensional setting.

Start with sight. When you walk into a room, sight is the first sense activated in the brain. You notice what’s in front of you because it’s at eye level. The same should be true in your writing. If you want your audience to be in the desert with your characters, show them sand, cacti, and perhaps a snake. Once you develop sight, you can move on to the other senses.

Hearing should come next. What do you want your readers to hear? Rushing water? Crackling fire? The dull roar of a crowd? Whatever it is, be sure to describe it in as much detail as possible. Be unique. Find fresh ways to describe the soundscape of your setting to grab the audience’s attention. The readers will feel like they’re more involved in the story if they can see and hear what’s going on.

Smell is the sense with the closest ties to memory. A single scent can be powerful enough to take you back in time all the way to your childhood. For me, that scent is chlorine. I grew up in Florida surrounded by pools. The smell of chlorine is all it takes to bring my mind back to summers spent splashing around with my friends. Describe the smells inside your setting. Use sweet, fresh smells to evoke pleasant feelings and acrid, strong smells to evoke unpleasant ones. Smell can do a great deal in bringing out your setting.

Touch. How does your character interact with the setting? Give the reader the same experience. If he's petting a cat, let your reader feel the soft fur of the animal's back. If he's touched a hot stove, describe the sharp pain of the hot burner. Touch is a sensory detail that is often left out. I would encourage you to utilize it whenever and however you can.

Taste is arguably not as essential as the others, but nevertheless, it is worth mentioning. We are not constantly tasting things. The same is true for your character. If he is walking down the street and not eating or drinking anything, you don't need to tell us anything about taste. If he's digging in at an all-you-can-eat buffet, the reader is going to be much more interested in how everything tastes. Use taste when it makes sense to draw your readers in.

Utilizing the five senses is one way out of many to encourage your readers to dive into the world of your story. Sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch can make your setting come alive. Armed with this knowledge, you should be able to put your audience right where you want them--an encourage them to stay for longer than they'd had in mind.

Beat Writer's Block by Casting Your Story

Whenever I come up with story ideas, I usually have a mental image of the story’s characters as well. For example, my characters are usually famous people. In the novel I’m working on now, my protagonist would be played by Mila Kunis, and my antagonist would be Johnny Depp.

    

Why bother casting a novel if it hasn’t been made into a movie yet? Because visualizing your characters as they would actually appear in reality is fantastic.

Take a minute to calm your mind. Breathe in and out. Focus.

Now, I want you to imagine the world of your novel. Unravel the setting, the landscape, and the time frame. See the buildings, trees, and streets in your mind’s eye. Next, move on to your characters. Imagine them going about their everyday lives. Who do they look like? Pretened you’re watching a movie adaptation. Which actors come automatically to mind?

Once you’ve come up with some famous names, do a Google image search to find some photos of them. You can save them to your computer for reference if you want. Now, whenever you get stuck on a difficult scene, imagine the actor in your character’s predicament. Picture him or her in as much detail as you can. What does he or she do in that same situation? What does he or she look like? What does he or she say?

This exercise has proven useful to me, but it might not work for everyone. It’s been my experience that visual learners and writers with a more visual sort of memory have a better time with this technique, but feel free to give it a shot, no matter what your style.