Karina Fabian and Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator

Hey, there, Writers on the Move readers and visitors. I have the pleasure of being part of Karina Fabian’s book tour and featuring her newest book, Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator. But, along with this, Karina has also graciously offered to provide a great article, “Random thoughts on Seat-of-the-pants Writing.”

First though, let’s take a look at Neeta Lyffe Zombie Exterminator:

Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator takes place 30 years in the future when causes unknown make people to rise from the grave. Unlike the dystopic tales like Zombieland, Fabian's world has taken measures to curtail the spread of disease. The result: zombies are pests and nuisances--and who better to take care of such things than an exterminator?

Neeta Lyffe is a professional exterminator down on her luck when a zombie she sets on fire stumbles onto a lawyer's back porch. Desperate for money, she agrees to host a reality TV show where she'll train apprentice exterminators in a show that crosses the worst of The Apprentice with Survivor with Night of the Living Dead. Can she keep her bills paid, her ratings up, and her plebes alive and still retain her sanity?

Ah, horror with a sense of humor. Sounds intriguing! Check below for the details.

Now, let’s hear from Karina about her thoughts on writing techniques:

Random thoughts on Seat-of-the-pants writing
By Karina Fabian

Plotter or Pantster?

It's one of the most commonly asked questions among writers. Plotters like to have their plot defined--they know where the characters go, how they get there, what they'll feel and do, and what route they'll take to get to the next plot point. Pantsters just start writing and, as Tigger said, "Open the door and hope for the best."

Neither is right or wrong--it's a different way of thinking, and as we all know, writers are wired differently. I'm definitely a pantster. Even the few times I have plotted, they've been very loose and always with the unspoken assumption that they will change, maybe even drastically.

So how do pantsters even write? That can vary, too. Some get an idea; others, a world. Most I know, however, start with a character. Not just any character, either: one that has sprung from their mind like Athena from the mind of Zeus--smart, engaging and full enough that this character has a story to tell--and they want to tell us!

That's how it worked for me with Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator. Neeta came to my mind as a 20-something, slightly cynical, tough but caring exterminator who happens to specialize in zombies. She had a crush on a guy who didn't seem to know she existed, and a quirky way of looking at things. (Who else sees a zombie playing with fried rice and thinks, "Hm, pointillism. I'm a Picasso-type, myself" as she slices through it with her chainsaw?)

Sometimes, the character has the story, which comes straight from who they are. Vern is my dragon who lives in the Mundane world solving crimes, but many of the short stories I write come from learning who he is.

Other times, an idea presents itself, and the character says, "That's fun." So it happened with Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator. I was talking with friends about reality TV while mulling over writing a zombie novel for Neeta, and having her host a reality TV show was so tempting. All I had was "They ate Eidleberg. *dammit,* Neeta thought, *I hadn't finished training him.* I started with that and she showed me the rest.

One great thing about seat of the pants writing is that you always get surprised. I didn't plan for Neeta to have a boyfriend, Spud to fall in love, or Dave to be so oblivious as to offer his traumatized personal assistant a safari to the Outback to relax. Oh, and I'll never be able to listen to "Unchained Melody" the same way again. (You'll have to read the book to find out why!)

However, this kind of writing takes a lot of trust. Once, I had a story fleshed out in my mind which called for the main character's fiancé to be the spunky sidekick. Instead, she turned into the damsel in distress. She REFUSED to be spunky--until I let her get kidnapped and rescued. Live and Let Fly isn't out yet, but it's such a better story for having let her have things her way.

Pantsters, just like plotters, can make wonderfully complex and complete stories--and sometimes, the story will demand either plotting or pantsting. I do think, however, most people are wired one way or another. The key is to trust yourself and your story--and have fun!

~~~~~
I’ve used both techniques, and while I find the outline method a bit more secure, the seat-of-the-pants is fascinating. Thanks for sharing your insights on this topic, Karina.


And, thanks so much for visiting with us today!

Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator is categorized as horror, humor, science-fiction.

For more info visit: http://www.fabianspace.com