How long have you been writing?
I’m really lucky. I grew up in an artistic family, so I actually started writing when I was around eight years old. My mom taught poetry and creative writing classes for kids and teens and I essentially studied with her until I outgrew it.
My folks were great about pushing me to follow writing, but to be smart and make a career out of it so I studied journalism and publishing in college. I absolutely love writing romance and would likely do it anyway, but it really helps that it’s a commercial genre with potential for success. I officially started writing romance professionally in college, so it’s been about four and a half years.
Tell us a little bit about your writing, what is the process like?
Honestly, it depends on the book. I’m usually thinking of a story three or four books ahead of actually writing it, so I’ll have a general vibe by the time I get there. It’s part of the reason I really like working in series and establishing characters and worlds that will last me for longer than a single book.
I tend to be a quick writer and then I’ll dive more thoroughly into developmental and structural edits. National Novel Writing Month is a great tool for my style and I like writing sprints and daily word count goals. That being said, I’ve rewritten entire books from the inside out, so it’s really case by case.
Who’s your favorite author?
I honestly can’t pick when it comes to romance novels. Suzanne Brockmann is one of my all-time favorite authors and only more so now that she’s holding romance to a high standard. I love Laura Kaye, Eloisa James, Lisa Kleypas, Annabeth Albert, Joanna Shupe, Alyssa Cole.
Outside of romance, my top author is Juliet Marillier. She’s the queen of writing amazing heroes. I’m also a huge Leigh Bardugo and Victoria Aveyard fan.
What is the most frustrating aspect of the writing process?
Writing the book. No, I jest. I think the most frustrating part is when you know there’s a major change you need to make to the book. It’s going to make it a better book or make it easier to finish writing and there’s every reason to do it, it’s just a lot of work. For instance, my current work in progress had a hidden identity as part of the plot and about two-thirds of the way through I realized how creepy that element was. So I pulled up my pants and got into the mud and fixed it. It’s a better book for it, but it’s a lot of work.
What is the one piece of advice you’d give new writers?
It’s two-fold. The obvious one is write. That’s the one you’ll hear a lot when you first get started and for good reason. It’s easy to imagine being a fancy writer in her gilded castle, but in order to do that you have to write, often, well and again. Writing is like, the whole thing of being a writer.
But beyond that and more in line with things I wish someone had told me, treat writing like a business. Yes, it’s your artistic passion. Yes, you get to create worlds and tell stories and people will love you for it. But treat it like work. Go to work, whether it’s full-time or first thing in the morning or late at night. Save all your receipts. Make yourself a brand. The earlier on you treat writing like a business, the more successful your business will be.
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Gemma Snow loves high heat, high adventures and high expectations for her heroes! Her stories are set in the past and present, from the glittering streets of Paris to cowboy-rich Triple Diamond Ranch in Wolf Creek, Montana.
In her free time, she loves to travel, and spent several months living in a 14th-century castle in the Netherlands. When not exploring the world, she likes dreaming up stories, eating spicy food, driving fast cars, and talking to strangers. She recently moved to Nashville with a cute redheaded cat and a cute redheaded boy.
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Wild Flowers – out today!
Totally Bound
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