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Why do writers write? That’s a question that many have asked and explored, and answered. I thought I’d go a little deeper: what aspect of writing do some of today’s most successful authors like best, and what do they wish they could do less of? Over the next few editions of Written Words, I’ll present their responses.

First up are Sydney Landon and Julie Gilbert.

Sydney Landon is the New York Times & USA Today Best Selling author of sexy romances in the Danvers series, such as Weekends Required, Not Planning on You, and the latest, Watch Over Me, as well as the Pierced series, Pierced, Fractured and Mended. She lives with her family in Greenville, South Carolina.

Julie Gilbert writes in many genres because they truly interest her. She’s a Lego maniac, a teacher, a tea/coffee drinker, and a Star Wars fan with collector tendencies. She loves answering emails and getting lost in different stories both by writing and reading. Her most recent works are the Lei Crime Kindle World Defining Moments series, including Never Again, Money Makes it Deadlier and Revenge Makes it Sweeter.

Which element of fiction is most important to you as a writer?

Sydney Landon: Plot as well as some element of surprise.  I usually don’t know what that will be until I’m well into a book since I don’t outline ahead of time.

Julie Gilbert: In order of importance, I tend to place them in this order: characterization, plot, action, details, setting, sex, and other.

It takes me about 21 intense writing days to put together a full novel (about 75,000 words). Those days can range from four to ten hours or more. You can scale that down for novellas accordingly. That’s a lot of hours, so I get to know the characters pretty well.

From the other perspective, writers are going to ask readers to spend anywhere from a few hours to a few days or longer getting to know those characters. I know from being a reader that it’s disappointing when I can’t either relate or sympathize or even like the protagonists. A lot of my stories take shape around throwing different characters into tough situations and seeing how they react. So, plot, action, setting, and details are all close behind characterization. The genres I tend to gravitate to most often—children’s, young adult—make sex a low writing priority.

What part of writing do you spend the most time on: research, writing, editing, making coffee or cleaning your work space?

Sydney Landon: Writing and editing. My work space is a disaster so I certainly don’t spend time doing that.

Julie Gilbert: It really depends on the project. I have some projects that I’m still editing and reworking years and years later, but I think it “feels” like the actual writing takes the most time. I count my research as part of the writing. In reality, editing/refining is probably the most time consuming, but I enjoy that part.

Which of these do you enjoy most?

Sydney Landon: Probably the editing because I have a nearly finished product at that point and some of the pressure is off.

Julie Gilbert: I like all aspects of the writing process, but there’s something immensely satisfying about reading the first draft and putting in small details that change things in big ways. So, I guess the beginning of the editing is the most fun. Putting together the rough draft is also a ton of fun. Time just flies. There are satisfying moments sprinkled throughout: making myself laugh with random dialogue, having plot threads snap together, figuring out the next step, etc.

What do you wish you had to do less?

Sydney Landon: Writing. I need a vacation!

Julie Gilbert: I wish there was some magic way to catch all the little typos. Also, it would be nice if I just knew everything and didn’t have to research details like what shoes Marcella Scott would be wearing and how much they would cost.

What part of writing or publishing do you think you could help other writers with?

Sydney Landon: Possibly my experience since I’m both self- and traditionally published.

Julie Gilbert: I could probably help make dialogue more realistic and help with proofreading. Finding mistakes is so much easier in other people’s works because you don’t have the handicap of knowing what you wanted to say. I might be able to help with characterization since I put a lot of stock in getting that part right. Some of it’s instinct, but it’s also a skill that can be cultivated over time. One thing I enjoy about writing in general is the ability to improve with each and every work.

Which of your books or other works are you personally happiest with? Why?

Sydney Landon: I am the most proud of the Pierced series.  While I love the humor and relationships in the Danvers series, I feel that Pierced really showed my range as a writer.  I brought everything I had to the table with those books.

Julie Gilbert: I love this question. In a sense, the most recent story always becomes my baby, but if I had to choose one, I’d go with Nadia’s Tears. I think that was the first time I focused on a bigger issue besides putting the story together. There aren’t many books that tackle the notion of human trafficking is still a problem in the world, and of those, there are less that are written with teens in mind.

On the other hand, I like all my stories for different reasons. For example, I like my unpublished scifi series because it’s the first “successful” time of building my own world. The Lei Crime kindle world novellas allow me to work with already established characters yet expand on them in my own ways. That’s always fun.

Thanks, Sydney and Julie!

You can find Sydney Landon’s books and information at her website, and find her on Author page on Facebook. You can also see a complete list of her published books here.

And you can find out all about Julie Gilbert on her

• website
• Facebook page
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorgilbert
  email: devyaschildren@gmail.com

Julie Gilbert’s Lei Crime Kindle World Defining Moments series includes:

• Episode I: Never Again (Michael Stevens)
• Episode II: Money Makes it Deadlier (Marcella Scott)
• Episode III: Revenge Makes it Sweeter (Marcella Scott)

Devya’s Children Series (YA science fiction):

• Ashlynn’s Dreams (Book 1)
• Nadia’s Tears (Book 2)
• Malia’s Miracles (Book 3)

Heartfelt Cases Series (Christian mystery):

• The Collins Case (Book 1) free novella
• The Kiverson Case (Book 2)
• The Davidson Case (Book 3)

Next up: Bob Nailor and Russell Blake.