New Year, New Manuscript

Although I’ve been typing away at this new project off and on for a couple of months, I’m just now hitting my stride. The characters are in place, the setting is enticing, and I’ve got the general vibe of the book underway.

The plot however, is still elusive.

I have given myself till the end of January to type with abandon. No worrying or fussing allowed. I’m hoping to make the most of my creative process by just getting out of my own way. So far, I’m liking the result.

When the calendar flips over again, I’ll sit down and mine through what I’ve got on paper. Hopefully, I’ll like it enough to do thorough character sketches and a tentative plot outline. I plan to write the second half of draft #1 with more direction than I’ve got right now, but we’ll see how that goes. Writing the unknown everyday is more productive than I ever expected. I might just stick with it.

Tags: character sketches, plot outline, vibe

Putting My Feet Up

The mood here at the Backstory Cafe feels like a cozy blanket this month. People are relaxed, smiling, jovial. The clink of steaming mugs to my right, hearty laughter from the couple on my left.

Yep. It’s a magical time.

Book Number One is in that “no touchy” stage, being sent out to agents, awaiting their feedback before any further edits. Book Number Two is in that halcyon phase of first draft, where the story is either going along really well or completely failing, depending on my mood, but either way, it’s too darn early in the process to worry much about it.

The lack of stress and re-write angst is refreshing. I’ve used the time to devour two novels, a handful of short stories, the last three issues of Writer’s Digest, and catch up on one heck-of-a long Twitter feed. Also, a few writer friends and I started a Reader’s Workshop, dissecting famous short stories from the last century, so I’m study the elements of fiction again.

All of this feels like pure fun to me, but the reading and studying do have fantastic benefits to us writers. It fills us up, feeds our creativity, and instills good writing habits. I have a tingly feeling that this mood might not last long. I’m trying not to remind myself of that old saying that ties calm to a storm. For now, I plan to enjoy every second of it.

Tags: agent search, creative writing, first draft, novel writing, novels, Windy Lynn Harris

Keep Writing

I’m working hard at my table here at The Backstory Cafe this morning. My iced mocha rests near the giant stack of papers and books in front of me. I’ve already decided that I’ll reward myself with the giant chocolate cupcake I see in the bakery display, if I stop goofing off and get my pages done for the day, that is. My motto for the week:  KEEP WRITING!

The editing continues on my current manuscript, now that I have had a few comments back from agents. Chapter one doesn’t resonate with the same amount of suspense as the rest of the book, it turns out, so I’m rewriting. Again. I’m also giving the whole manuscript a complete “voice read.” I’ll find more places that need improvement, I’m sure, and then I’ll once again hit the streets with this project.

In the meantime, I’m also working on something new. Lolly Collins is a character that has been ready for a full-length project for a while now, and she’s bugging me for her shot. Lolly is an 83-year-old card-sharking, sass-talking, sneaky as hell detective genius. She is a frequent Confidential Informant for the police force of the rural Arizona town she grew up in. Lolly loves gin, both the card game and the booze, equally, and her ability to sniff out trouble is only slightly larger than her ability to create it. Lolly is on a new case, and I’m collecting her story as fast as I can. It’s hard keeping up with that woman!

I take a long sip of my iced mocha and look at the jumbles of papers on this table. It’s hard to tell if I’ve made any progress yet today, but as long as I keep writing I’ll be fine. Eventually, I’ll earn that cupcake.

Tags: editing, fictional characters, novel writing, rewriting, The Backstory Cafe, Windy Lynn Harris, writing; creative writing; novels