Author Bio:
Lee Arrowood started his writing career in high school as editor of the yearbook for two years. He later was a sports columnist in college and contributing editor for a national trade magazine for six years. He has always been known for telling humorous stories and making people laugh. Lee always looks at the lighter side of any event or adventure. He is currently writing a series of stories about his adventures growing up in West Virginia and traveling the world from his residence in Florida
What inspires you to write?
Reading takes me into other worlds and fuels the imagination. I’m inspired by my father and grandfather who were also story tellers and by writers like J.K. Rowling, Mark Twain, Christopher Paolini, Lindsay Buroker, Juliette Harper, and so very many more.
When my writing, or more specifically, my stories, can bring a smile to someone's face or they tell me that they laughed out loud, that is the inspiration.
Tell us about your writing process.
Step one is a concept. Then a rough outline. I then go through each chapter and make notes. Once all that is complete, I pitch the idea to my family and a small group of friends. Once I have a 'final' draft outline, I start writing. I typically have to go back later and add more details, but when I believe that I have a completed work, I give to a small group of Alpha readers. They let me know if the stories worked. If the book flowed. Once I make additional edits based on those recommendations, my book goes into editing. While the book is being edited, I start the graphics for the cover. This process often takes three or four months. Once I have found the cover that checks all the boxes (family, friends, Alpha readers), I move forward.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I absolutely talk to my characters. They are part of me and I am part of their story. We have to discuss what happens and what we see in each scene.
Who are your favorite authors?
There are so many. But the recent ones that have cost me a LOT of sleep are:
1. Lindsay Buroker – her 2 series Emperor's Edge and Dragon Blood have cost me several hundred hours of sleep. 🙂
2. Juliette Harper – her series Jinx Hamilton was fantastic and again…lots of lost sleep finishing the books.
3. Roger Stelljes – his series McRyan Mysteries was so entertaining.
Of course there are many more, but let's leave it at those three.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I wanted to publish and be able to have my friends, family, and maybe a few people I did not yet know, read and enjoy some of my adventures. For that reason, I went with Amazon and self publishing. It has been a good relationship to this point and I respect the skill and quality that Amazon puts into their products.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Print-On-Demand seems to be the future of book publishing. No more do publisher or authors have to commit to runs of 5,000 or more books for a new title or new author.
What genres do you write?
Fiction, Humor, Adventure, Young Adult
What formats are your books in?
eBook, Print
Website(s)
Lee Arrowood Home Page Link
Author’s Social Media Links
Twitter
All information is provided by the author and is presented as it was submitted so you the reader get to hear the author’s own “voice” in their interview.
