Writing Outside The Box by Kiki Howell

Yes, this is me with my computer in a box, a moment that I’ve been teased about many times, and lives on in print. I wanted to be outside in the spring when the sun came out, a rare event sometimes in the northeastern part of the US. And, I’d read about these black boxes you could buy to shield your computer from the sun so you could see the screen. The box was my experiement, and my family was mortified someone might see! LOL Sorry, off topic right at the beginning, but when I chose my title, I had to use the pic!

“Good art is art that allows you to enter it from a variety of angles and to emerge with a variety of views.” ~Mary Schmich

I take this approach with all of my writing. I’m all about different angles and various views. Whether I’m writing about contemporary life or historical, I feel the need to shake things up, alter contemporary life or history. How do I do this? Well, I combine genres, write not only a romance that is a contemporary or historical story, but one that is also a paranormal romance and an erotic romance with a touch of romantic suspense. Of course, who knows what else I will throw in there along the way. Just tried my hand at my first steampunk ;)

It is all about the troubles for me when I am setting up a plot, so I look at the setting and figure out what situations or issues a hero or heroine could find herself in, romantic entanglements, paranormal issues, problems with the law, you name it. This comes first. The possibilities here are so endless too, always more story ideas than time to write them. So, I create the storyline in what-ifs. What if she was forced away from the man she loved? What if her powers were increased or she just suddenly discovered them? What if she met a man like no other, one with otherworldly traits? What if there was a threat of black magic as well? What exactly would she do, how far would she go to be with the man she loves? I don’t make it any easier on my heroine to find love than I do for her to get find a cab in modern day New York City or to get into her corset in Regency England.

 These questions often , of course, lead to a bit of research. Of course, then I take myself out of my comfort zones. I push the limits of my imagination as I answer each of those questions. I see the settings and the situations, play with each of their limitations. I imagine the scenes, all the possibilities my mind can conjure up. I add in a spell or two often to make things tougher or easier, or throw in another paranormal creature, though I’m partial to witches. I have recently though really gotten into mixing the paranormal creatures together to see how their different worlds, myths, make it easier or harder to live together.

With all my paranormal elements in place, my touches of suspense set just right, I add in those love scenes fraught with paranormal elements as well. Writing paranormal sex is fun, but often also a struggle.  Yes, it is nice to let the paranormal aspects: spells, super strength and speed make the sex otherworldly, but the challenge becomes describing it! I mean I’ve had great sex, but to date not with any paranormal creatures! LOL So experience is out, it is life plus imagination all the way here! What I do have is that fight with that angel and devil who sit on my shoulders as I write, battling about whether any reader will buy it, not as in purchase it, but believe it! LOL

Look for stories written outside of the box coming to NNP in 2012:

Love, Creativity & Magick, A Steampunk Valentine's Day Tale (Feb 2012)

The Vampire’s Witch, At War in the Willows Series, Book One (March 2012)

The Vampire’s Wolf, At War in the Willows Series, Book Two (July 2012)

The Vampire’s Human, At War in the Willows Series, Book Three (November 2012)

Plus many more in NNP Anthologies!

Just Released:

“Midnight Showing” in the multi-author NNP anthology, A Wicked and Wanton All Hallow’s Eve available now on Amazon, Smashwords and All Romance Ebooks

Okay, last picture, me just after having taken my first ever book in print out of the box it was shipped in! Did I carry this box thing too far? Well, sorry, that’s just me, I like to carry things too far especially in the paranormal, fictional realms :) Plus, just a warning, don't Google words like sexy and box together to find images - the options were frightening or the girls are plastic *giggles* 

Kiki Howell

~where love is a mystical thing~

www.kikihowell.com