Author Deborah Woehr is the moderator of Paranormal Watch, a popular blog focusing on ghosts and the supernatural. She's on tour this month of February to promote the release of her ghost novel Prosperity, available from Lulu.
Welcome to Blogcritics, Deborah! It's nice to have you here.
Why don't you start by telling us a bit about your book, and what inspired you to write such a story?
Prosperity is about an embattled psychic who would rather call herself crazy than believe in ghosts or the afterlife. I've always been interested in the paranormal and the debate about whether or not ghosts exist. Researching for both Prosperity and Paranormalwatch.com, I found that there are two hardcore camps. It's always interesting to read what they have to say on the subject and about each other.
How would you describe your creative process while writing this novel? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline? How long did it take you to write it?
It was definitely stream-of-consciousness writing, although I did try to draw up several outlines. I started the book early in 1998 and went through seven or eight drafts before I finished it in December of last year.
Have you ever suffered from writer's block? What seems to work for unleashing your creativity?
Oh, yes. Many times. Music helps most of the time. It helps quiet my "everyday" thoughts so my creative thoughts can get through.
How was your experience in looking for a publisher? What words of advice would you offer those novice authors who are in search of one?
I received a couple of rejections before I decided to research other avenues of publishing. Traditional publishing is almost impossible for most writers. I've heard quite a few stories, especially lately, from writers and editors about the frustrations they've dealt with. The horror stories from writers who went the POD route were even worse. My advice to novice authors is to research every possibility for publication. Start researching for editors well before you submit your book anywhere, and don't go for the cheap one.
Article comments
1 - Deborah Woehr
Thank you for having me, Mayra. If you have any questions about Prosperity or my writing, please feel free to ask.