This week Shannan Albright visits the blog. I met Shannan in 2010 at the Las Vegas Romance Writers group in Las Vegas. In 2011, she invited me to be her Programs Coordinator for the group and we hit it off immediately. Since then we've attended several conferences together and she even insisted I publish my very first story with Evernight. Thanks, Shannan. :) Shannan writes dark paranormal romance with great characters, and her brand is Romance you can sink your fangs into. Today I asked her one question about what she loves about alternate worlds and how she makes them real.
BBTF: You write many stories in alternate realities to ours. What do you love most about them and how do you make them seem real?
Shannan: I love toying with “what if’s”. Changing the rules of the world or even running an alternate history against the backdrop of our actual history. Weaving the two together where they can seem plausible is a challenge, but can build a very rich world for the overall story. Another key factor is bringing characters to life by giving them depth. It is all well and good to know a farmer's name is Joe Smith, but it is even better to know Joe has a nervous tick in his left eye when his emotions run high. I give my characters a lot of quirks to flesh them out. It helps to identify with them and carry a vivid image to the reader.
The more I know about my world and characters, the easier it is for the reader to identify with my story. It must be real to me before I can make it real to others. I spend a lot of time working on bios and outlines of my books to guide me through the writing process. The end result is a story which pulls you in and carries to from the first page to the last, and if I do it right then it leaves you wanting more.
As I recalled your last story dragged me in all the way, Shannan. You can find out more about Shannan Albright's books on her website. Be sure to buy a book and tell a friend. Happy reading!