By Leslie Lindsay

Just when I was thinking of what I ought to post for my weekly writing post, I got this tag (Tweet) from a colleage, David Ozab who writes in the Pacific Northwest. It has to do with four questions that are floating around in the blogosphere about–what else–writing!  At the end of this post I’ll tag three more writers.

Question 1: What are you currently working on?

I often have my hand in many pots, but this time I have learned to focus on one project at a time. Okay, well that’s not entirely true with two young kids, an aging basset hound, and well everything else that needs doing. But you want to know what I am writing?! Oh, that’s easy.

A ghost story.

Oh, you want more information? Okay, how about a ghost story based on an urban legend originating in St. Louis, Missouri. We’ll call it a “Midwestern Gothic.”  But there is so much more going on: orphans, miscarriages, the ghosts of Christmas’s past (Well, what I’m getting at is: most ghosts are the result of human suffering, metaphorical haunts scare us more than anything)…and the possibility that psychic abilities can be inherited.

It’s all fiction, but the legend is real. Folks in St. Louis  claim the place I am writing about has been called “Zombie Road” since thr 1950’s, but it has been teeming with spirits long before then–Native Americans, Civil War soldiers, and escaped mental patients.

I also continue to blog regularly on the writing life as well as bestselling and debut author interviews (Wednesday), share fiction excerpts (Friday) over at http://www.leslielindsay.com, and keep up a blog on Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), my first “baby.” (www.speakingofapraxia.com)

Question 2: How does my project differ from others in the same genre?

Ah, always the BIG question. And a good one. This is different because there are a lot of different voices (POVs). Most haunted house/ghost stories have something to do with “old” things, this is a brand-new McMansion on the banks of the Meramec. So that begs the question, can a new house be haunted? And if so, how or why? We also dive into the past. It’s a work of fiction that teeters between contemporary and historical, mostly contemporary.

Question 3: Why do you write/create what you do?

Because I can’t stop. So it sounds a bit cheesy and cliches, but I love ideas and words and capturing them on paper. I find it fun to re-live past experiences, too. Even if I didn’t exactly “live” them myself. For example in my current WIP, there’s a scene from 1984 in which a bunch of teenaged boys are partying in the woods.  Have I ever been a teenage boy? Nope. But my hubby has. Have I ever been a partyier? Uh…no. But I did live in the 1980s. Piecing it all together is somehow oddly satisfying, what can I say?

Question 4: How does your writing/creating process work?

Honestly, I don’t know! I wish there were a magic formula I could tell you.

Well first, you take an idea mix with equal parts creativity and grit. Toss in some tension and genius. Get little sleep. Multitask till you’re blue in the face. Fold in a critique partner. Read a multitude of genres. Bake at 350 for inordinate amount of time. Sprinkle with copious self-editing and then allow to be read by an agent. Sign multi-book (and dollars!) contract.

In reality, it’s more like: Have ideas. Put butt in chair. Wear the letters off  keys on laptop. Read. Write. Read about writing. Get frustrated and attempt to throw laptop out of second story window until supportive folks insist “this is good stuff, you can’t do that.” And so you sigh and roll up the sleeves cause you got work to do.

Question 5: Which Three Writers Am I “Tagging?”

Oh gosh! It’s like picking my favorite kid. Nearly impossible. But here goes:

1. Mary Kubica author of THE GOOD GIRL (Mira, July 2014) because she writes in the hybrid women’s fiction/thriller genre, is a busy mom of young kids and debut author. See my interview of Mary here.
2. Tanya Chernov, author of A REAL EMOTIONAL GIRL (Skyhorse Publishing, September 2012) cause she is real and writes in a very authentic voice–memoir–another genre I just adore. Read Tanya’s Guest Post here.
3. Jennifer Weiner, bestselling author of well, many! Most recently–ALL FALL DOWN (Atria, June 2014) about a very real issue–addiction to prescription pain meds. Why her? Well, why not?! Because I’d love to hear what she has to say. Because I love her quick wit and snappy come backs. Because she can weave a fun read around a very serious issue.  See my review of ALL FALL DOWN here.

Can’t wait to hear from them!