Author Q&A with Rianne Burnett

Tells us about your writing/ published book(s)

I’ve been self-publishing speculative erotica with Black women since January 2020. While the fantastical male love interest can include vampires, mermen, demons, and werewolves, I’m always writing about the adventurous Black women who want to get frisky with them.

Where’s your favourite place to write?

I’m not sure I have a favourite place. As long as I’m comfortable, everything will flow.

How do you approach starting a new book?

I have to know the characters and understand what they’re like before starting a story. It helps me to build the story around their motivations and include their quirks.

What’s your favourite genre to read?

Whew. I don’t really have a favourite genre. Depending on my mood, I enjoy mysteries, thrillers, horror, erotica, and romance.

Have you always wanted to write?

Absolutely! I remember telling my teachers that I wanted to be a writer and a scientist.

What do you do when you have writer’s block?

I normally find something relaxing to do. Since I’m a pantser, writer’s block usually means I’ve written something that’s stopping the story from flowing so I tend to re-read the last scene to see what the problem might be.

Tell us about a scene that you loved but had to edit out of your book

I wrote a scene once where the main character was discussing her progress in dealing with trauma with her therapist. It was a good one that showed the character’s growth but ultimately it had to go because it bogged down the overall story and her progress could be shown more effectively.

Do you like reading the same books you write?

I definitely do. It’s not the only thing I read though. It’s nice to enjoy other genres.

Do write under a pen name? If so, tell us about how you chose it

Yes! This is one of my pen names. I just wanted something that could be an author’s name and one that hadn’t been used by anyone else.

How do you choose your book’s title(s)?

I try to go for some kind of play on words but sometimes, I’m inspired by a line in the story.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to write their first book?

It’s a good idea to do an outline of what you want to write then compare it to what readers of that genre expect. Even if you’re writing the book you’ve always wanted to write, it will be helpful to know what your readers are looking for.

Do you do research for your books? If so, what kind of research?

Oh, speculative stories can require so much research! The last thing I had to look up was some details of space travel.

How do you fit writing into your everyday life?

I try to get some writing done every day and ensure that it’s happening at the point when I’m most creative. Though I’d love to write at least 1,000 words per day, I’ve given myself a small goal of 100 words. That can make even the worst days feel a little better when I accomplish my goal.

How do you approach ‘world building’?

I start with the small aspects and build out from there. Questions such as what your characters eat and what they do for work can make it easy to determine the kind of structure the world needs to take.

How do you handle criticism?

Handling criticism continues to be a work in progress but I have gotten a lot better at separating my work from myself. In that way, it’s easier to deal with the issues that have been presented without feeling as if it’s a personal attack.

Describe your perfect character to me

Oddly, my perfect character would be a flawed person who’s trying their best to be kind.

Tell me about your current work

The next story in the pipeline is about a witch and a werewolf. Both of them are outcasts who find love and acceptance in each other.

Tell me about your main character

There’s so much I haven’t fleshed out about her character yet!

Would you want your book made into a film?

That would be…interesting.

How many books do you own?

Physical books? Probably a hundred. Ebooks? Thousands.

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Author Q&A with Rianne Burnett