Author Interview: Louise Rose-Innes

Today it is my great pleasure and honor to welcome the talented Louise Rose-Innes to our blog to give us some novel writing tips. Definitely not a novice in the writing world, Louise can offer great insights into the writing process that works for her.

What genre do you write in? Any specific reason why you chose the genre?

I write contemporary romance, and more recently romantic suspense. It’s important from a novelist’s point of view to define which genre you write in for a number of reasons. Firstly, it helps your readers define you. If they like suspense, and you write suspense, it’s a good match. If you write something in between, they may not think of you as a suspense author, and you’ll miss out on those sales. Also, it helps with search terms. With a definite genre you’re more easily found if a reader searches for suspense, or contemporary romance. In between genres are not easy to search for or find, and are searched for less frequently. To make your books available online, it’s better to be linked in a definite genre.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Why?

Most definitely a plotter. I can’t figure out how authors write a story without knowing how it’s going to turn out. For me, that would be impossible. As I like to include elements of adventure and suspense in my books, I have to know the plot before I start writing. For me, its essential. 

If you are a plotter, how thoroughly do you outline the plot?

Pretty thoroughly. I know all the major turning points of the story. I know the characters and how they react to all the plot elements. I even have a rough chapter breakdown. It makes writing the first draft so much easier, and quicker. 

What is your writing process like? Do you finish the first draft and then start editing or do you edit while you write? Is there any specific reason why you do it like that?

I plan my story from start to finish. I know the plot points, the characters, the conflicts and what happens in each chapter before I start writing. Then I sit down and writing the first draft. This usually takes about a month, maybe two, depending on the length of the novel. I write and try not to edit too much. It stops my momentum and if that happens, it takes a while to get back into the right train of thought again. Then I spend another month or two re-writing, ironing out any issues, spicing up the love scenes and adding in elements here and there, but mostly I just focus on improving the writing. 

Do you only self-edit or hire a professional editor? Why? 

If I’m self-publishing I hire a professional editor. You cannot underestimate the importance of a polished manuscript. Readers are brutally honest in their reviews, and any mistakes will be highlighted. If it’s with a publisher, then that’s all taken care of. 

If you have to give one sentence advice to a novice writer, what would it be?

Keep writing. It’s only after about the third book that you come into your own style and find your rhythm. I’ve written five books now and I finally feel like I’ve got my own definitive “voice” and my writing feels like it flows better than it ever did. With every book your writing will improve, as will your process and your technique. 

Could you please give us a list of your published books and a short blurb about each one? Please state the publisher and year published as well.

a. Personal Assistance – A woman with a deadly secret is trapped in a country in the midst of a revolution. (Entangled Ignite – 2014)

Available from online retailers like Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Personal-Assistance-Entangled-Ignite-Rose-Innes-ebook/dp/B00M65OFKS

b. The New Year Resolution – A single mother struggles to find love, and then bites off more than she can chew. (Self-published - 2013)

Available from Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D7HXMDU/ 

c. The Italian Inheritance – A young woman travels to Italy in search of a father she never knew. (Self-published - 2012)

Available from Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009VJ1M44


d. Antarctic Affair – A journalist interviews an intrepid photographer on board a vessel bound for the Antarctic. (Self-published - 2010)

 Available from various online retailers :Amazon.com

Where can we find you on social media?

a. Twitter: @LouiseRoseInnes
b. Facebook: www.facebook.com/louiseroseinnes/
c. Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/louisenovelist/

d. Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4720289.Louise_Rose_Innes

About Louise Rose-Innes







Louise Rose-Innes writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Born in sunny South Africa, Louise is a lover of sunshine and the sea, and this is often reflected in her novels. After completing a post graduate in Marketing Management, Louise headed off to the United Kingdom to gain work experience and travel. She now lives in leafy Surry with her family, and when she's not writing, is traipsing through the beautiful countryside, or kayaking on the river Thames.

Visit Louise at www.louiseroseinnes.com.




Thank you for sharing your processes on the blog today. Seems like most of the authors do some form of plotting. So, are you a plotter or a pantser—or maybe a little bit of both?