Tell us about your current book/project
I am working on a series of books called the Chrysalis series. The first book, EMERGENCE, was published two years ago and I am looking for a new publisher for both Emergence and the other books in the series. The last publisher, even though they were awesome to work with, weren’t the right fit for my book. They took a chance on my story and it didn’t pan. We’re all cool with the breakup. Chalk it up as a learning experience.
Is there any writing advice you think is dangerous to new writers?
Yeah, there is a ton of bad advice out there. The worst is that you don’t need a professional editor or beta readers to put out a polished piece of work. Writing, like any other art form takes time to learn and master. It also takes honest critiques and reworking. Also, we are too close to the work to look at it objectively after a few passes. We start to not see things and miss errors that other people can catch.
If you could do it all over again, which mistakes would you make more quickly this time?
I’ve been a writer since I was a teen. The love of words has never left me. If I were to do it all over again I’d do two things. I’d go to school as an English major and really learn the language. Second, even though my family is my highest priority, I’d have kept writing all those years that I was raising young children. Instead I took about fifteen years off and had to, not only start over in many things, but I had a learning curve that I took a lot of time to master. I’d have several years as a seasoned, professional author under my belt right now instead of just a handful.
Plotter, pantser, or some mix of both?
Yes and No. I am a structure gal. Which is an eclectic mix of plotting and pantsing and my own system. I use seven point structure mixed with a little Hero’s Journey. I also do what is called a Master Chapter Outline. This helps me immensely. Using both I can write a basic rough draft of 50 to 70 K words in 30 days. Then it takes me four months on average of working on it daily to revise, rewrite, and edit. Oh and the master chapter outline gives me a workable synopsis when I am done with the drafting and revision stage. Cool huh?
Tell us something we don’t know.
I am pretty much an open book, everyone I know, knows I am a red belt in Tang Soo Do, a mom to seven kids, and a fan of all things Asian. Hmmmm, my latest obsession is the old fashioned, perhaps retro style stuff. I love the dresses with the full petticoats and the retro hair styles with the pin curls and victory rolls. My most recent dream project is to get a vintage camper trailer and remodel it and make it look all vintage inside. I dream of turquoise polka dot curtains and cupboards filled with Pyrex and Melmac.
What if the woodchuck doesn’t want to chuck wood?
Well, it is a free world, at least we want to think it is, so he can’t be forced to do it. However if he doesn’t do it and that is what he was hired for, he will probably be fired. If it is a hobby, I’d suggest a little R and R to rid himself of that burn out.
About Michelle
C. Michelle Jefferies practically grew up in a library. She spent her early years learning to love reading at her mother’s side. When Michelle was ten she realized she wanted to write stories instead of just reading them. In high school, she met another writer who inspired her to write a full-length novel instead of just short stories. Michelle finished that 189 page handwritten novel the summer of her junior year.
After graduating from high school she married her best friend and started a family. She put her writing on the back burner during those early years to raise her seven children and to volunteer in the community as a lactation counselor. When her children were old enough for her to spend a few hours at the computer without them burning the house down she returned to writing and hasn’t stopped since. She can often be found writing or editing with a child in her arms or under her feet. With a passion for secret agents and all things Asian, she writes futuristic thrillers and urban fantasies about bad boys turned good. She also enjoys beating herself up in Karate class as she works toward her black belt in Tang Soo Do.
Find her here:
http://cmichellejefferies.com
http://cmichellejefferies.blogspot.com
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Buy her book EMERGENCE at Barnes & Noble or at Amazon
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