Chicki Brown is an enthusiastic early member of the first Romance In A Month class held during May-June 2014. She is a prolific author and originator of a series of HOT Stafford men. Her trope assignment was Forbidden Love and her story sizzles with forbidden desires. Chicki is here to tell us about her writing and inspire us with her stories.
Tell us about your
writing. What types of stories do you like to write?
I write contemporary romance and women’s fiction, what I
like to call “reality romance.” All of my books have a HEA, but they also deal
with issues that real women face every day, including domestic abuse, cancer,
infidelity, stalkers, single parenthood, and religious/cultural/age differences.
What stimulates
you to write? How do you motivate yourself on days you don’t feel like writing?
I love to write, but there are those days when I’m really
not feeling it, I look up at the wall of my office where I have this quote from
Queen Nora Roberts. “If you need to believe in the muse, let’s say, fine and
dandy. Whatever works for you. But don’t tell me you can’t work today because
the muse has left you. Go track down that fickle slut, drag her back, chain her
to your keyboard, and GET TO WORK. ”and" I don't believe in waiting for
inspiration. It's my job to sit down and figure out what to write. I think if
you wait for 'the muse' you may wait a very long time."
Before Romance in
a Month, how involved were you with other authors? How long did it take you to
write a first draft?
I am a member of several online author groups, a couple of
which are very active. We share helpful information, listen to each other’s
rants, and encourage the other members, especially the newbies. For the past
several years I’ve also been a member of a local writer’s group. Spending time
with other people who understand you is so important to the mental health of a
writer. J
What made you sign
up for Romance in a Month? What did you learn and enjoy the most about the
class?
My goal was to come up with a detailed outline of the next
book in my series. I’m a slow writer, and normally it takes me about six months
from the first word, through subsequent drafts to the editing process and final
draft. Getting a handle on my characters and knowing what the entire story
would be in a month was a major accomplishment for me!
The two things I enjoyed most were: 1) meeting new author
friends who are serious about their craft; and 2) doing the exercises Clare
created to help us think about our characters/plot. They were so helpful in
really getting to know my hero/heroine.
Tell us about the story you wrote for the class. Was it
something you would never have written without the class? What about the class
made your story different from how you would usually write?
DON’T STOP TILL YOU GET ENOUGH is Book Three in my Stafford
Brothers series about a tightly-knit family with six sons, three of whom are
doctors, three of whom have chosen other professions. Each book features one
brother’s story with a glimpse into the next book.
Greg Stafford is an on-air television personality in New York City. He is different from his brothers. He has a secret that none of the family knows about until he is arrested and charged. A scandal ensues, and he is suspended from his job for breaking the morality clause in his contract. In order to keep his position, he is ordered to submit to therapy. Little does he know that the woman who will become his counselor will also become the most important person in the world to him.
Greg Stafford is an on-air television personality in New York City. He is different from his brothers. He has a secret that none of the family knows about until he is arrested and charged. A scandal ensues, and he is suspended from his job for breaking the morality clause in his contract. In order to keep his position, he is ordered to submit to therapy. Little does he know that the woman who will become his counselor will also become the most important person in the world to him.
I don’t know if the story is different from how I usually
write, but doing the exercises gave me a deeper insight into Greg’s and Rhani’s
personalities, which I believe will show in the finished product.
What do you do differently now that you’ve written a
story with the class? What was something you liked most about the class?
Since I’m still writing the book, it’s hard for me to say,
but I printed out every exercise and intend to use them for my next book.
One of my favorite parts was seeing the visual character
ideas from the other members of the group.
More about Chicki:
Shades of Romance Magazine 2011 Author of the Year, Chicki
Brown has published nine novels and one novella, all of which have made
different Kindle bestseller lists. A voracious reader since she was a child,
Chicki grew up in New Jersey reading everything she could get her hands on. Now
she concentrates on reading romance, women’s fiction and suspense. When she is
not writing or reading, Brown devotes her time to helping aspiring authors.
Mother of two and grandmother of five, Chicki was born and
raised in New Jersey and now calls suburban Atlanta, Georgia home.
She can be found at any of the following sites:From Sept 1 to Oct 15, 2014, we're opening up the Romance In A Month group. There is no cost for the class. If you're interested in writing along with a group of friendly, fun, and slightly crazy romance authors, please contact me (Rachelle) at my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RachelleAyalaWriter.

Watch my blog for more author interviews and exciting news from the RomanceInAMonth authors or RIAMers - because writing romances is addictive.
Thanks for having me, Rachelle. It was a great class!
ReplyDeleteGood interview a nice way to get more insight into how the group and writing a novel in a month works.
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by, J.L. It's a great group, and even though I didn't complete the novel in the 30 days, I had a solid outline and good handle on my characters, so I was able to jump right in.
ReplyDeleteI found your great blog through the WLC Blog Follows on the World Literary Cafe! Great to connect!
ReplyDeleteWhat's even more comfortable when you are entertaining after a day of hard work.
ReplyDeletefriv 3