Author Caroline Flynn Interview

What inspires you to write?

I find inspiration in everything. But, honestly, music is a huge inspiration for me. I LOVE country music, and whether it's a song title or a lyric from a song, there is always something to be found in music that can be used as inspiration to write romance stories.

How do you develop your plot and characters?

I like to outline. Mostly, I need to think about characters and plots and settings for a few days to really conjure up vivid descriptions of what and who I'm going to be writing about. But I always outline. I have to wait until I have a clear sense of who I'm dealing with before I find out which direction they're going to take me. Character descriptions almost always stick to the outline, but the plot--that almost always gets changed a bit in the process of going from outline to written story.

Could you share some of your challenges as a writer?

I'm a perfectionist, so no matter what story I'm writing or where I'm at in the process, I have a really hard time believing it's "the best it can be". It doesn't matter how many revisions or edits I do, I struggle with the "letting go" part. But I think most writers do.

What are your current/future projects? I'm currently working on a small-town romance series featuring a has-been rodeo cowboy and a city girl who's been thrown into the country life without quite knowing what she was getting herself into. The results are humorous, to say the least.

Do you have a routine you follow when writing?

I have to write every day. If I don't, it's easy to get pulled away from a project and lose traction. I may not always pull off high word counts, but I try so, so hard to write daily. It becomes a habit and a need, like the day isn't complete without it. I figure that's a good thing.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Just write. Edit later. Build social media and all that extra stuff later. Just write. Write, and keep writing. Because there's a big difference in being a writer and being someone who talks about writing. W.R.I.T.E.

What is your preferred method for readers to get in touch with you?

I love Twitter. It's simple, and it's a good way to keep tabs on many authors, including myself. I can be found at https://twitter.com/flynnromance, and I would love it if readers reached out to say hello!