I had received a request to consider participating in a writing process blog hop by Jeri Walker–Bickett. At first I thought, me, really?” What could I possibly add to the discussion about the writing process? After talking with Jeri, she assured me that I indeed had something to contribute, especially based on the fact that I’m dyslexic. Many of may, or may not, know that Jeri is also my editor. In great part, Jeri is the reason I’ve published my first with many more in the process. With that, I relented.
Writing Process Blog Hop
To begin, I’d like to share Jeri’s author bio. Afterward, I will answer four questions about my writing process ending with tagging three other authors/bloggers who have graciously agreed to participate in this blog hop.
Jeri Walker-Bickett (@JeriWB) writes short stories, creative nonfiction, and psychological suspense. The rough mining town she grew up in—with its mix of bars, churches, and whorehouses—populates her literary landscape. Food, travel, and photography also inspire her creativity. She lives in Idaho with her wonderful husband and their demanding pets.
As busy as Jeri is, she also works as a freelance editor and happens to be the one who has done and is doing, all my editing for my current and my upcoming books. I know she would love it if you would take a moment to explore her titles via Amazon.
You can connect with Jeri on:
Her Blog: JeriWB Author & Editor
Amazon Author Page: Jeri Walker-Bickett Amazon Author Central
Twitter: @JeriWB
Facebook: JeriWB
LinkedIn: Jeri Walker-Bickett
So now, in the writer process blog hop, I’ll share my writing process with you, such as it is:
1) What am I working on?
This is easy. With Jeri’s help, we are in the process of editing all my short stories, some published on the blog and some not. After we’ve done all that, we will decide which stories would be a good match for the next two to three books. All of these stories are about an event or experience from my past, accompanied by a life lesson and one of my illustrations.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I’m not sure how to answer this question but here goes. All I write are short stories about life. However that’s classified, that would be me. What makes me different is all the stories are from my own personal life experiences, and each has a special message.
3) Why do I write what I do?
Gosh. I have always been encouraged to write the stories I used to tell as a teacher, salesperson, manager, and executive. These stories or allegories were (and are) designed to teach a lesson or show how a simple life experience can offer a great deal to us. For me, the key is to listen, learn and then share what I’ve learned.
4) How does your writing process work?
The word that comes to mind is “difficult.” When I’ve decided on a story I want to write, I’ll outline the details and then order them to make sure I have the right flow. Then I write the stories from that outline. Once the stories are written the real work begins. I then run it through Grammarly to find all the obvious mistakes I’ve missed. I use a program to read it out loud on my desktop to hear how it sounds then make the changes that are necessary. I do this a couple of times. Then I check the document through Microsoft Word. Once I think I have a pretty good draft, I send it to my proofreader (this is new) who then makes even more changes. After all of that, I send the piece to Jeri to edit. I know what you’re thinking, that must take a long time, and yes, it does. The fact is, I want to make sure that I deliver the very best product I can and to do that, this attention to detail is necessary.
To keep this writing process blog hop going, I’ve tagged three of my best blogger and author friends:
Mary Lansing, from Along Comes Mary, is a California girl who loves a good adventure, road trips or just being with her family and her dog. She has been writing her whole life. She launched her blog 2 years ago and loved the opportunities she has gained through the entire experience.
Rebecca Thompson, from @ TakeChargeNow.com, writes about her journey of trying to take charge of her life, design a new 
lifestyle and reclaim her life. Having spent the past 15 years with a number of illnesses trying to pull her down, Rebecca has chosen to document her transformation from sickness to sensational.
With her loving husband by her side and a gorgeous toddler to run around after, she is always searching for new ways to enjoy life and keep healthy. She also likes to ponder life’s little curve balls and has a very active community of readers who love to share their take on any given situation.
Cheryl Therrien is a writer, author, professed tech junkie and the owner and managing editor of Grandmother Diaries. Cheryl has published two books on Amazon. She was interviewed by JenningsWire for her latest book “Letters from Grandma: Before You Were Born.” As a breast cancer survivor, Cheryl speaks to the importance of self-examinations in her articles on Yahoo Voices. She is also one of my best buds.
I do hope you’ve enjoyed this writing process blog hop. I would love to hear your thoughts about your own writing process. What are some of your challenges? What are some of the tools you use to aid in your writing process?
Life’s journey continues…
If you enjoyed this Writing Process Blog Hop, check out the Letting Go, Lessons from an Ordinary Life, and Dyslexia a Personal Challenge.