Everything you need to know, should know, or were too afraid to ask.
Who are you?
My name is Torrey Shannon and I am a writer. I am also a wife of a wounded warrior, mother, friend, veteran’s advocate and lover of all things pertaining to coffee. In short, I am just an ordinary woman who went through extraordinary circumstances and lived to tell about it.
You can read my full bio here: About Torrey
Where do you live?
I live with my husband and three two children (oldest is now married and in the Army) in a log home in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation ~9,100′ above sea level. It’s very remote for a reason.
The nearest traffic light is 45 miles away. The nearest Wal-Mart is 1.5 hours away. Unfortunately for me, this also means the nearest Starbucks is 110 miles away.
What is this blog about?
You can follow me as I go through the ups and downs of writing my first novel – the learning process, writing tips and hints, resources to start in your own journey, and strategies on how to deal with overcoming the obstacles that comes with life’s greatest challenges. I talk about veteran care issues, my daily life while living in the middle of nowhere in the Rocky Mountains, write short stories, and share articles I write on the internet.
We all have a story. This blog is about mine.
When do you plan to finish your novel?
My first goal is to have the first draft completed by mid-2011. The second first draft should be complete by the end of 2012. I am in a self-imposed 1000-word-a-day challenge to make this happen. Clearly, by the looks of things, life got in the way. To reel it back in I started the “Extreme Do-Over Experiment” to get myself back on track.
Is it just one book or is it a series?
I’m really not sure yet. This could easily turn into a trilogy. We’ll have to see.
How did you come up with the idea for your novel?
It’s based on a true story, which makes me a non-fiction writer. I am not creative enough to write fiction yet, as I couldn’t dream this stuff up even if I tried.
It turns out it is such an amazing story that I am now defying the entire publishing process. Let me explain.,,
A typical book goes through the following steps to get published:
Authors spend years developing their craft. They read the right books and take the right advice. Then they write the first draft of their manuscript. From there they rewrite their manuscript, edit it with an editor, built their author platform and establish their credibility. Then they survive the endless process of querying, waiting, signing with an agent, waiting, getting a publisher and going through production, waiting more, and finally, finally launching their promotion and book tour. A fraction of these authors will go on to sign a movie deal. A very small fraction.
In my case, the movie deal came first.
I am a nonconformist at heart, but this is taking it to a whole new level!
Does this make me an author? No. It means I have to convert myself from an amateur writer into a professional author, and fast.
Are you getting paid to write this novel?
Sadly, no. At least not yet. I am a new author and I have to get publishing deal before I have any hope for getting money for my book. Or, I can self publish, which will end up COSTING me money.
Do you have an agent or publisher?
No, not yet. I have one agent that is interested in seeing my book proposal, but I am still working on putting it together. If you are a literary agent or publisher and are interested in representing me you can reach me by emailing: Torrey [at] torreyshannon [dot] com.
Who are your writing mentors?
Over the past few years I have had two key people encouraging me to write my book. Ron Nyswaner is an award-winning screenwriter who wrote Philadelphia and The Painted Veil and is also a published author. Dana Priest is a Pulitzer Prize author and journalist who is also ushering me through the process. I cannot thank them enough for their kind support, wisdom, encouragement and advice. I am incredibly honored to know them both. Additionally, I have been to New York City to attend two Writer’s Guild workshops, mentored by Gina Gionfriddo and Matthew Eck. And, lastly, I have been honored to attend the Twin Compass Writer’s workshop on a scholarship where I was mentored by Bar Scott and Abigail Thomas. They have been my biggest source of support through this difficult (and exciting) process.
Is there anything I can do to help?
There are three ways you can help me make this blog bigger and better and help facilitate the writing of my book: You can hire me as a consultant or speaker, become a site sponsor, or you can help me spread the word about my work and this blog by sharing it on your social media outlets. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
How do I ask a question not found here?
You may email me: Torrey [at] torreyshannon.com and I will get back with you as soon as I can.
You can also join me on Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook for sneak peeks and updates.