Writers on Wednesday -- Samantha March
The Writers on Wednesday series returns with Samantha March and her debut novel, Destined to Fail. In addition to her crazy schedule, she runs Chick Lit Plus, and through this, Samantha has organized the second leg of the blog tour of CHOSEN in paperback. Below, she answers questions on all things writerly and bloggish...
Check out her novel and all of her fabulous links, including what's coming next. Thanks Samantha!
How do you balance your writing/blog time?
Very carefully. In all seriousness though, there is a fine balance to be found. I work a full-time job, run Chick Lit Plus, host the Chick Lit Reading Challenge, coordinate blog tours through CLP Blog Tours, and need to find time to write. And be social. And eat. Workout. With writing and then publishing, I also needed to carve out time to market myself. Make an author website, a Facebook page, Twitter handle, GoodReads presence, etc., etc. Daunting? I cried almost the first full week after publishing because I was convinced I couldn’t do it all. But, I love schedules. I adore schedules. I breathe schedules. And that is precisely what I made for myself. I won’t bore you with all the specifics and down to the minute details, but I use my mornings for writing, my afternoons to work on blog posts. My nights are dedicated to social media and posting. Voila!
How long did it take you to write Destined to Fail?
About three years. I actually rewrote the book three different times, and I mean full-on rewrites, but from when I first started typing to when everything was complete was about three years.
Are you currently working on another project?
Yes! I am about halfway through the first draft of my second novel. It is a money versus morals story, but not the traditional one man is rich, one is poor sort of way. This story involves the workplace, some sketchy employers, and the temptation of easy cash.
Is there a genre that you love to read but don’t think you could write?
I love this question and I knew the answer right away––yes! I love a good mystery book, I got hooked on Sheryl J. Anderson books right when I started Chick Lit Plus, and have a soft spot for a good cozy mystery. Writing them? I’m really not sure I could. Do I have it on my writer’s bucket list to try? Of course! But I am more of a “just write” kind of writer, I don’t have a lot of plans or details sorted out before I start the story. I let the characters evolve and the developments just, well, develop. With a mystery, I think I would have to be a lot better on planning on the details. I might want to know whodunit before I start to write!
What else is on your writer’s bucket list?
I would love to have a series, a couple of YA books, and lots of books about traveling. One goal is to have a main character be a fabulous cook––a chef, perhaps?––because I’m terrible at all things involving a kitchen and preparing food. It would be quite the stretch for me to have a heroine that runs her own restaurant, but I sure want to try it! And a book that has a magical element to it. I’m a sucker for those as well.
BIO: Samantha March currently lives in Des Moines, Iowa with her boyfriend and crazy cast of friends. She runs the popular book/women’s lifestyle blog ChickLitPlus, which keeps her bookshelf stocked with the latest reads and up to date on all things health, fitness, fashion, and celebrity related. When she isn’t reading, writing, or blogging, you can find her cheering for the Green Bay Packers. Destined to Fail is her first novel.
Connect with Samantha March!
http://www.samanthamarch.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-March/104518512989033
http://twitter.com/#!/SamanthaMarch23
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5287274.Samantha_March
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97812
http://www.amazon.com/Destined-to-Fail-ebook/dp/B005XNI560/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320108498&sr=8-1