Category: The Writing

It may not have been obvious, but I’ve been struggling for the last few months.  Struggling to finish Vicki.  Struggling to get some new ideas started and in the queue.

It’s getting pretty thin here.  Everything on my contracted to-do list is done and out the door, waiting on other people.  Sure, I have a few newish things going (like Lady Wyre and Vicki), but the NEW queue was getting rather low.  One of these is contracted and releasing in a few months – one is ready to submit.  What NEW files did I have?

I’ve never lacked for ideas – but I have been struggling to get new words written on new series, even though I love the concepts.  So what gives?

I finally realized today that I’d forgotten what I know.

See, with Vicki and even Golden, I wrote in that glorious place called the Zone.  For Vicki, I dreamed her book, scene by scene.  I didn’t do any character prep in advance.  She, Jesse, and Elias came on stage completely their own people and began chattering away in my ear.  Not to say that book wasn’t difficult – because it was.  Very difficult, very emotional.  It took me months to get that book done, in part because of the emotional aspects, but also because I was dependent on THEM to help me along.  If they weren’t speaking, it didn’t help that intellectually I knew what happened.  I couldn’t get the VOICE.

Golden was a bit of a fluke.  BAM.  The story was in my head, start to finish, a moment of lightning that illuminated beginning to end.  I don’t typically write in first person, I don’t typically write that genre, etc. but when the story speaks that loudly and clearly, I’d be a fool not to listen.

Now months later with both projects finished and nearly submitted (or already out the door), I sit here trying to get Phantom rumbling along with the same energy, and it’s just not happening.  It’s not the concept – I love the idea.  It’s not that I’m burned out – I’m chomping at the bit to go.  So what was the problem?

Process.  Every book seems to unfold in a different way.  I’d forgotten how rare it is for the flash of illumination story to hit me.  I’d forgotten that I haven’t dreamed a book since the very beginning (Shannari, Gregar, and Rhaekhar have always lived in my dreams).  I mean, how could I have forgotten the hero’s journey after I’ve blogged about it so many times?  Or the Emotional Toolbox, my number one favorite character development tool?  I’m ashamed to admit it, but I had forgotten.

Character leads to plot, and I’d sadly neglected to develop both. 

So this week, I’ve been working on back to basics.  I created a couple of worksheets to help remind me of what I need to know, both for plot and character.  I’m busily filling them out for a new idea that has a hard due date (that I may not be able to reach – I’ll decide after I get the story plotted and ready if I’ll try it or not).  I’m also going to fill these worksheets out for Phantom in detail.  I know they’ll help tremendously.

I’m just kicking myself that I forgot so much and waited so long.

P.S. I’ll share the worksheets later this week after I work through them a bit and tweak them.  Hopefully you won’t think I’m a freak when I say I’m pretty excited about these spreadsheets!!

This last week of the year is a time for me to clear my desk, organize my files, and decide what I want to do next year.  It’s also a time to look back over the year and try to make adjustments. 

I’d hoped to have Return to Shanhasson out by year end, but that isn’t likely.  I’ll keep you posted on the progress, but things have been delayed due to my publisher’s health.  Hugs to Deena and healing prayers and thoughts!  We’re also working on the print release of The Road to Shanhasson, but again, I’m not sure of the timing.

Vicki’s book is done, finally, and I have one more Connagher book in mind.  Some fans have asked for more about Mama Connagher, so that’s a maybe.  I have a few more revisions to make to Vicki pending beta reads, but I plan to submit her in Jan. after writing the dreaded synopsis.

Lady Doctor Wyre kicks off a new series, so early in 2011 will be preparation and planning the order of upcoming projects.  Some involve Lady Wyre (e.g. Lord Regret’s Price) but others will be completely standalone (set in the same world).  Some are novella length – others full.  Plus I have a free read prequel I’ll be writing early 2011 to share in March.  I expect lots of work in this series next year.

I’m not sure that I’ll be doing a Bloodgate book for awhile.  I’m working on getting some other work submitted to Carina instead.  The downside to writing in this series is the suffocating amount of research and planning that goes into one of these books  (easily months).  I’ve got one plotted but I’m not sure that it’s the best followup book.  I have a better (?) idea that I really like, but haven’t plotted it.  So this series is temporarily on the backburner until I come up with a plan of attack.

Oh, and of course, the new ideas never stop.  I had a new one take over my brain today.  I have at least two other new ideas not connected to anything else currently contracted in progress, both with a tentative due date in 2011.  They may filter up or down depending on contracts and progress in other series.

I’m not going to write up a huge list of resolutions, because I end up changing my plans at least every month, depending on how projects are going, what my editors would like to see, what’s selling the best for me right now, etc.  However, there is something I want to work on in 2011, and that’s defining my process to a point where I can turn an “idea” into a “novella/novel” much quicker.  I love to brainstorm, research, worldbuild, etc. but it can take me months — or in Vicki’s case, the entire year! — to finish the book.  That’s just not acceptable.  I want to turn an idea to book much quicker.

One thing I’m working on this week is a new worksheet designed specifically for shorter works.  I’m targeting several novella-length projects next year, and the method of writing a shorter book is much different.  Sometimes I can’t get my mind wrapped around how long something will actually end up, especially when I hold so much of the plot in my head.  I need a quicker way to get the plot down, out of the abyss of my mind, freeing me up to making words.  If this worksheet helps, I’ll share it.  It’s similar to the ones I shared several years ago when I was working on the first Bloodgate book but much simplier — intended for smaller scope and fewer characters.  I’m tentatively trying it out on the new project (working title Faced) and Phantom, the one I had hoped to be drafting this month.  (But ended up revising Vicki early instead)

Probably the best technique I’ve started using lately:  I’ve always used calendars to help me plan, but jotting a timeline of due dates doesn’t always work.  e.g. I swap Vicki up to work on early in Dec and now my 3-month plan is basically in the trash can.  However, I used sticky notes this time, so I can easily yank that note off the Jan. calendar and move it to Dec. with a nice big check mark, instead of reprinting my calendar.

What about you – any end of the year preparations you’re working on?

Santa came early and brought me a Kindle!  Lookie what I’m reading on it….

Yes, that’s Vicki I’m reading on my new Kindle. I absolutely love that I can e-mail my own Word file and read it on the device. I’ve always liked to read outside of Word – often using view as html on Gmail. It helps me get a new perspective on the book and I see different errors. Plus it feels so much more like a finished project!

I’ve already made two revision passes through Vicki. The hard one, and then the easier one on the Kindle. She’s off to visit a few friends over Christmas. If you’re absolutely dying to have Miss Vicki stop over by your place, please e-mail me.

The hardest part of having a Kindle?  Keeping it away from the monsters!  All of them have already read a book on it, from Junie B. Jones to Black Beauty.  They LOVE it!

Not just any death — but a spectacular one.  One that will be the talk of Town for years.

I did an insane amount of brainstorming tonight in Lady Wyre’s universe.  (I swear, there’s something magical about purple ink.)

All along, I’ve had several different story ideas in various stages with only a vague notion of how they connected.  Amazingly, all these pieces are starting to come together.  I know that after Lady Doctor Wyre, she instigates events on a Chinese-like planet that ties to Seven Crows (title will be changed). 

Even more frightening–because I didn’t deliberately plan any of this–the free prequel I’m working on is tied to Deathright.

One event sets up or explains another.  Awesome, right?  Except…

I have one major event that sets up her prequel, Lady Wyre’s Regret.  I know how she meets Lord Regret.  I can hear their dialogue in my head.  But her spectacular demise…leaves me scratching my head.  I know the whys and wherefores, but not the details.  It needs to be signficant and meaningful.  Preferably tied to her House or the history I’m warping so irrevererently.

I guess I need to do a little more research.

I’m trying to get more organized NOW instead of waiting until Jan.  I always start out the year well, but then get busy and lazy.  I work best when I make myself state weekly goals, and then reassess each week to see how all that panned out.  I’ve got so much to do that if I don’t keep a list and read it regularly, I simply forget.  I really hate spinning my wheels, too, so I’m going to work harder on keeping up on my calendar and to-do this month.  I’d like to get a lot of baking done with the girls this month, which I never seem to have time to do because I’m running around last minute Xmas shopping, finishing the NaNo novel, etc. 

I printed out 4 months worth of a calendar and used sticky notes to move projects around.  I’m sure it’ll change another time or ten before Jan (which is why I used sticky notes!) but at least I have a plan for now.

So far, Dec has been pretty productive.  I made one submission and returned Lady Wyre revisions to my editor today.  I also made a trip to the post office (you know how much fun that can be, especially in Dec!), but I didn’t get all mailings out yet.  I ran out of padded envelopes, but a trip to Sam’s Club resolved that!  I’ve got just a few more to drop in the mail.

This week, I need to access where I am with the new novella (Phantom) and brainstorm a bunch of new stuff for Lady Wyre (one of my favorite things to do).  While running through her edits this weekend, I took notes of all place names, character elements, and “backstory” mentions that I might need to remember for the prequel.  I’ve got one major event to figure out — namely, a faked death! — and then I can move on to plotting a new Lady Wyre novella, which will set up events for Seven Crows quite nicely.

Ah, I love it when a plan comes together, and I didn’t even know there was a plan.

After that….Vicki revisions!

Lady Wyre wants to make sure she thanks everyone who helped make her sparkle before she went to visit my editor.  If you were kind enough to read an early version of Lady Doctor Wyre, please comment here or e-mail me with how you’d like your name to show in the final book.

I have Sherri, Shannon, and Sharon listed already, but it was long enough ago I can’t remember if anyone else beta read and I do NOT want to forget anyone.  You guys make it possible for me to submit with confidence!

I’ve got a lot of work to do in the next four months.  I’ve loosely mapped out my schedule through the end of March, and it’s going to be a crazy fun time!

First up, my number one priority was to finish expanding the short story I mentioned back in Sept. into a short novella.  I was aiming for 20K and hit it right on the nose!  This is one of the projects I worked on for NaNoWriMo.  I spent this week on revisions, and tonight I wrote a very short synopsis.  (Hey, the whole story is only 20K so it doesn’t need more than a page or two of synopsis.)  I really like this story, but we shall see.  It’s risky.

Now on my list for Dec, I need to decide what to do about the other novella I’m working on.  It’s not coming together like I want, so either I need to do more plotting or I don’t have a solid enough character.  Something.  I’ll read what I have for the next few days and make a decision about what to do.

This next week, I’ll also be working on editor revisions to Lady Doctor Wyre, and since I’ll be working in that world, I’ll make notes and plot out what I want to do for the freebie prequel I’ll be giving away in March.  Can’t get started too early on that.  I’ll also be making some notes about another possible Lady Wyre novella, which oddly enough, has some research material in common with the short novella I just finished.

I love happy coincidences.

I won’t share the rest of my to-do list right now.  It’s pretty scary.  🙂  Just know that Vicki revisions are on the horizon too.  I’m itching to get it out to a few readers to see what you think!  Dec/Jan will include lots of revisions and submissions!  Yay!  (Which is exactly why I needed to finish those projects for NaNoWriMo instead of starting a brand new one.)

So what are you hoping to work on this month?  Don’t wait until the New Year to make some goals!