ELEMENTS in LYNETTE'S BOOKS

Characterization: Total imagination. I don’t cut people out of magazines or pattern my characters after people I know,
although I may use a few characteristics of acquaintences. I simply try to picture the kind of characters that would fit
the story I have in mind, then I start writing. Sometimes I do a character chart. Not an in-depth one, just a sketch to
kind of get an idea where I want the characters to go in the story and to help me remember the color of their eyes, hair,
etc.

Setting: The setting is usually someplace I’m familiar with. However, my second book is set totally in Brazil.
That was an interesting write. I had to do tons of research, but I’m pleased with how it turned out.


Plot: Here’s the fun stuff. I have a general idea of the story before I start writing--the beginning, a few scenes for
the middle, and the end. I write up a 4-6 page synopsis outlining a little character background, the general flow
and tone of the book, then get to work on the actual book. I know within the first few pages whether the story’s
going to work or not. If not, I scratch it and start over. Once I have the first three chapters down, I’m good for the
rest of the book, meaning the writing pretty much flows. I’m a “seat-of-the-pants” writer, better known as a “pantser,”
as opposed to a “plotter.”

Point of View: Right now, I always write third person point of view. I’ve never been a huge fan of first person simply
because I’m nosey and like to know what all the characters in the story are thinking. But, I’ve to come to have a new
appreciation for the Chick Lit genre [much of which is written in first person.] The ones that I’ve read have been
absolutely hilarious and so, for me, “relate-able.” But for me, I’m a third person writer. There’s a really cool book
out now, by Travis Thrasher titled Blinded. He writes in second person. Yep, that’s right, second person. I’ve yet to
read it, but it’s on my stack to be read because I can’t possibly imagine how one writes in second person effectively.
But I’ve heard it’s incredible.


Revision: Can you tell me a little bit about your revision process? Oh my goodness. I revise a lot. I try not to do too
much editing as I go while I’m getting the story into the computer. However, sometimes I have to go back and read
what I wrote the previous day in order to get into the flow of things and will edit where I see the need during that,
but then I go on. Some days I choose to do only editing. And I will start at chapter one and try to read it as though
I’ve never seen the story before. I’ll go through it tightening, deleting, adding as I see fit. The next day, no editing,
only new writing. That kind of keeps the story fresh. I can’t look at the same thing day after day, I’d go nuts. Then,
of course, I send it off to my editor and she gives me plenty to revise, like cutting out entire characters and adding
new ones, double checking my research, etc.


Dialogue: I write what I hear my characters say. Seriously, it’s as simple as that. I don’t have any other way to do
dialogue. I know some authors who carry around a voice activated recorder and later study everything recorded
according to dialogue, tone, accent, inflection, and so on. I don’t. I just “listen to the voices in my head”. Sounds scary,
doesn’t it? I also read the story out loud to myself to see if everything flows. If the dialogue sounds stilted or unnatural,
I try talking like that character to see how he/she would say the line, then change it accordingly.


Description: I pretty much write what I know, so that I sound halfway intelligent. I have such a vivid imagination that if
I have something I want to describe, I can either find a picture of it on the internet or just make it up. But as long as
the reader (and my editor) believes it, I’m good.


Conflict: I have to come up with lots of conflict. That’s the only way to keep the story moving. Fortunately, for me, I
always have someone trying to kill someone in my suspense stories, so I don’t have any trouble coming up with the
external conflict. The internal conflict is another story. I often use an excel worksheet to come up with the
character’s internal conflict for each scene. In Christian fiction you also have the faith element and that also often
involves conflict. For example, you have a Christian Heroine who is very attracted to a non-Christian hero, but won't
act on that because the Bible says not to be unequally yoked. Meaning, Christians shouldn't date non-Christians.
That doesn't mean you ignore them and tell them what heathens they are, it just means don't fall in love with them
or your life will be much more difficult. Being friends is okay, just don't take it beyond that. Where the conflict comes
in is when you have the Christian wanting something more than just friendship with the attractive non-Christian and
having to fight those feelings of attraction. And then you have the non-Christian totally not understanding the whole
thing and wondering what the problem is. Great conflict there. That's just one example.

Thanks to Jeremy Jones, Staff Writer for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal for
compiling these elements from our interview.