Good News/Bad News

The GOOD NEWS is that in fleshing out the relationship between my heroine (Georgianna) and her BFF (Amelia)– which is a GOOD thing – my brain took off again on a tangent outlining a second book starring Amelia. Now, I had tossed this idea around a couple months ago so she’d stop horning in on the action in the WIP, with the possible execution of said idea at some future time when I had actually finished the first book. But nope. Amelia has elbowed her way in and short of breaking her fingers to force her to let go, she has a death grip on my imagination.

But that’s another GOOD thing, isn’t it? If I compose Amelia’s major plot points in her book, I can start laying the foundation for them in Georgianna’s book. I know I’ve read series books where, in book two, the MC seems to have suddenly crawled out of the woodwork. “I’m sorry – who are you again?” I ask, frantically paging through book one. “Oh, yeah! You’re the heroine’s best friend from boarding school who shows up at her wedding for two paragraphs and then falls off a cliff into the ocean and everyone assumes you’ve died, but I guess you didn’t, ‘cause HERE YOU ARE! With your own book, no less!” I don’t want that to happen on this gig.

I should be happy I’ve caught this in time. The Amelia/Sinclair relationship will be explained by and expanded upon the roles they play in the Georgianna/Jack drama. Hopefully, everything will be neat and seamless.

But the BAD NEWS is, I’m feeling overwhelmed and frustrated that once again, my disorderly mind has wandered away from my current WIP. Worse yet, it seems to have an excellent excuse I’m finding difficult to dispute.

Eeeshh. I have a headache you wouldn’t believe. I’m nursing the ugly worry that maybe I’m only good at writing elaborate synopses and will never get down to the nitty-gritty of completing a real novel.

What am I afraid of? What am I avoiding? Maybe…discovering I’m not good enough? And my poor little brain is trying to distract me from this discovery? Hmmmm…!

Deb, thank you for your practical help and encouragement! You certainly have the street cred - a series of three books. That takes hard core focus, which I lack and respect in others. Those other enticing ideas are like mosquitoes flying around your head while you're trying to take a nap! Grrrr!

And I read a sample of Seasons in the Mist. The opening was great - you got a lot of information and characterization in without "telling" and the story moved from one point to another seamlessly, like stepping stones. This is what I'm worried that I can't do. I need to take a closer look. I've been reading too much escapist junk lately, and need to read something that's been written with a sure hand to get a sense of rhythm and pacing. I think you do that so well!

I do really want to get this story out there, whether it "makes it" or not. It's something I feel I need to accomplish and I don't want a lack of discipline or niggling fears keep me from it.

StoryofWoe, thanks for the encouragement! I tried to take the weekend off from both books to give my brain a chance to cool down, but it kept clattering at me! Luckily, I can store a cache of ideas and actual writing in my head to a certain length and for a week or two before I have to "download" it onto paper or lose it forever. So it's still rattling around up there and I'll set it down today.

I think your advice to take it and run with it is sound. It's likely I won't have any peace to work on the first draft of book 1 until I get the bones of book 2 assembled. It also makes sense as yes, it's set in the same universe and its roots are put down in book 1, I've managed to keep my mind off the other unconnected story ideas I have stashed away for a few weeks while I've been attempting book 1 first draft, so I'm making a little progress!

The music tip is a good idea. Maybe some good old 18th century harpsichord stuff will help me just get this all down in whatever messy form it takes.

Funny, I was cleaning out a stack of old papers and came across a piece I wrote for a creative writing class. I hadn't seen it for years! I was pleasantly surprised as it was...not too bad! It reminded me that I wasn't just an idea machine, but could actually put the idea down on paper, in a coherent and polished way. Maybe there's hope for me yet.

Have a seat, Marissa! We'll all shove over to make room!

Book 2 has run out of steam for the moment, so it's no longer pulling at my pant's leg like one of my pet rabbits looking for a treat. Sounds kind of harmless and cute, doesn't it? Picture a furry barracuda determined to have your leg for dinner and you'll get the drift. Relentless doesn't even begin to cover it.

Anyway, I had moved back to book 1 and was nicely filling in holes when suddenly, I can no longer save anything to my flash drive at work (shhh! don't tell anyone, but I get inspiration at work when there's nothing else going on, so I work on my book!). Some new clamp down on people taking work stuff home. Which is now totally thwarting me as I'm terrified to send my writing to myself via email. I have to find some way to work around this. Aggghhhhhh!

Dang. It's always something.

Oh, Jan! You're having those old back to reality blues! I'm hoping things will smooth out for you soon as you readjust to your daily life. I know that my dream has been 6 weeks in a cabin on a Lake Champlain or a beach house on the Cape with some books and a laptop and all the freedom and peace I need to work. I envy you that you had 1/3 of my dream.

You'll get back in the groove. Welcome home!