Got my first piece of fan-mail.
It was an email from one of Batman’s previous students who read all my books and was asking when the fourth would be coming out. I’m pretty sure I squealed a bit and maybe did a happy dance around the computer. Maybe. The email was only a sentence long and void of any punctuation (which absolutely annoyed me) but it didn’t matter. Someone I had never met said they loved my series and wanted to read the next installment. That, my friends, is called awesomeness.
Which I needed since I just scrapped 30,000 words of my current WIP.
THIS STORY IS GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF ME.
Nothing is ever wasted. I still have my sixty page document in a folder of ‘scraps’ but that took about three weeks to write. And then I realized it was wrong. All wrong. Where the story started, how I was telling it. No. It needed to be tossed. And started over. Again. Which I did. For the third time.
THE THIRD TIME.
And now it’s a completely different story because of all the epiphanies I keep having about “oh it would be cool if…” and “it would really make more sense to…” and now I’m back to having no idea what I’m writing. Again. I still do it, everyday, pretty much all day except for routine bathroom breaks and when I stop to eat and watch Daredevil. (Have you seen this? It must be something about dating Batman that gets me into shows about super heroes). And since I’ve been so busy writing the first draft of this whatever story, I’m just now returning to this post which was started a week ago, my friends. A week. Either I’m losing my mind and forgetting to finish things, or I’m too focused on others. Like writing a story for the third time and going panster all the way. ALL THE WAY, PEOPLE. Someone’s rolling the dice, closing her eyes and hoping for the best. I’ve never been to Vegas, but I’m pretty sure this is how it’d go.
Anyway, Batman reminded me the other day that I haven’t posted since April 8th. And then I thought well what about that fanmail piece? But then was like, oh wait, you actually have to post something for people to read it. And also to finish it. That normally helps.
So here you are, ladies and gentleman–the five of you that read this blog. Another post, about a week late, writing about writing (big surprise) which is still the best thing ever, except maybe Daredevil, which might be my new favorite show since Walking dead is between seasons. I don’t know. You check it out and tell me.
Things still to come: moving to Jacksonville post. And the one about visiting St. Augustine. And the one to Harry Potter World.
Shit, I am behind.
well, catch up, darn it! I love reading your blogs. . . and other stuff!
You are too sweet. What is this ‘other stuff’ you speak of?
That’s awesome that you’re getting fan mail. ^_^ And I hear you on the whole rewriting stuff over and over thing. I recently made some major changes to a plot that I thought was done – a plot I thought I finished back in January. Granted, they’re good changes, and I would have cried if I’d only realized the problem after I started writing the book, but still.
It’s worth it when you get a better story, but daaaaaamn, rewriting/reworking is annoying sometimes.
Yes it is, because you’re like, what the hell have I been doing this whole time? But writing is rewriting and rewriting again. Sometimes you get close to it on the first try. Sometimes you have to go a few rounds. As long as you’re making it better each time, right?
Whoo-hoo on fan mail and being so focused on writing/story!
I actually sent some Fountain of Youth water from St. Augustine to my grandmother way back when. She got a kick out of it. 🙂
Oh, and HP World! Love love love the new Hogwarts Express.
We didn’t do the FOY – yet. But there are some wrinkles I’d like to be rid of, so I’m sure we’ll be taking a trip back.
And YES that Hogwarts Express was *simply* amazing. If only there’d been an actual trolley cart selling chocolate frogs. Life would be complete.
Woot for fan mail! That is awesome, and well deserving. 🙂
I know how you feel about scrapping words. I’ve been doing that with my outline and ideas. Okay, so maybe not the same thing. It went from girl marrying husband but running off with lover to girl having children with husband and choosing to stay with husband rather than running off with lover, but then what is the point in even having the girl in the story if she’s not going to be involved with lover, to girl debating whether or not to marry husband and instead pursues lover, and oh, now I can send girl off on this mission and actually have a lead in to the bad guys and hey, now girl is actually pivotal to the plot and not just a character I wanted to have around. (Woot for the 106 word sentence.) All of this because some people might look the same after 5 years, but it’s less likely they’ll look exactly the same after 10.
Anyways, I hope pantsing goes well for you! Best of luck writing!
Whoa. You sure of considering a lot of options. But that’s critical. Like you said, you don’t want to have a character just because. There needs to be a purpose. Trust your characters and yourself and I think your story will turn out great. Which project are you working on now?
And thanks, Loni!
Unfortunately, I got sidetracked on book 3.5… so not anything I had slated to work on this year. >_< Ah well. Gotta go where the creative juices flow, right?