Writing Process: Change is Good

No, I haven't forgotten this blog. I just got sidetracked by things like a new book (when am I not?) and studying for the GRE (ironically my weakness is verbal!).

In a rare moment of peace, it's clear I need to update you, dear gentle readers.

My mind is a whirlwind. I am, as some artists say, In the zone. In fact it is difficult to do anything except work on this crazy idea of mine. Once again I let myself be pulled into a completely different project (surprised?).

I approached it differently than I normally would. Rather than wait for revelation, I developed the main characters in their entirety. Then I determined the scope and scale of the story. The intention, for many reasons, was a three part series. I even have the titles for each book and a rough sketch of the outlines for each. It is, quite a departure from my writing process in the past.

Why this departure?

I need to avoid blocks. I don't have time for blocks. I tried a few different things to address this problem and so far this seems to work the best. I've been writing this project for about a week and have already reached 17000 words in the limited time allotted every day. In short, this has been the most successful process I have tried.

It probably helps that the idea is something that's been stewing for almost 3 years. It came to me during a bout of insomnia. I've written and rewritten several iterations of the story in my head and it never felt right. Then I finally decided to try this different process and it connected.

I am so pleased with this process I may even try to go back and revise book 4 of Khloe with this in mind. I really want to finish that book and currently it feels forced to me (pun intended) as opposed to natural. It just feels like I'm cramming too much too fast. So I will finish this project (or at least part 1) and then I will revise book 4 and complete it.

After that? Maybe the Rollins pack? It seems series are where I need to focus. My foray into nonfiction was not as successful as I would have liked. I'm not giving up on that venture, but I'm also not committed to it the way I am to my novels. Fiction is my first love and I need to honor that.

It is my fate.