The good news is I’ve been writing. The bad news is it’s not RTD. I know; I’m disappointing my handful of fans everywhere, but when I sit down to write, my new, no-name story is the document I pull up first. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been writing RTD for well over a year and I need a break, but I feel guilty for cheating on it with this sexy side piece. And it is sexy. It’s a contemporary romance, and now that I’m on my second draft, and I added a backstory and goal to my protagonist, because she had neither on the first go-round. Which means this story is gaining some serious substance.
I think it was all the battle scenes from RTD. I *hate* writing battle scenes. If you’ve read this blog for any amount of time, you’ll know this about me. I hate them. I hate them, I hate them, I HATE THEM, but they’re littered in my Arizal Wars series because it’s a sci-fi adventure, and the last book is literally an ongoing invasion. They’re kind of unavoidable. I’m told I write battle scenes well, but unlike dialogue—which is my favorite thing to write in case you’re keeping score—I have to go over every paragraph like a *thousand* times because there is so much movement that needs to happen simultaneously. That’s the issue. You’re not just painting one picture. You’re painting multiple pictures at the same time, and keeping them separate but interwoven so the reader has a clear image while you’re losing your ever-loving mind trying to remember what the hell your characters are doing. This is why writers drink. Or partake in whatever mind-numbing substance helps them get through this. Sometimes it’s chocolate. Most times it’s wine. All the time, it’s something.
So, I’ve taken a small break from RTD to write some witty, flirtatious banter because honestly, I’ve missed it. I did the same thing between books 4 and 5 when I wrote my Better Than This series. I just need a friggin break from guns and whips and darts and death so I can write a little romance, which is pretty much done in the Arizal Wars series (spoiler alert!). Also, I watched some stuff on Netflix and read a Jennifer Armentrout book, so God/the Universe was pointing me in this direction. I just feel a bit guilty.
BUT writing is writing. Work is still getting done, so I can’t beat myself up too much. There. Confession over.
Onto the IWSG Option Question:
Writers have secrets. What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work?
Hmm…I feel like this is a trick question. I can’t even think of any secrets I have, honestly, writing or otherwise. But, if it’s something that my handful of readers would never know about me based on my writing, I guess it’s that I’m not as brave as my characters? I like throwing them into situations I could never handle myself, or handle with any amount of dignity. But I think a lot of writers do that—put their characters face to face with their own inner demons as a way to work through them? I can’t really imagine what else my readers would never know about me having read my work. Maybe that I was super bad dresser growing up? Let’s go with that one, because all my heroines are dressed way cuter than I ever was. Even now.
Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) is a monthly blog hop for writers at all levels to share their fears and insecurities in a safe and encouraging place. Please drop by and say hi to Alex Cavanaugh who started this nifty concept in bringing us all together.
P.S. And on a personal side note, my heart goes out to everyone right now – everyone suffering, but fighting to make this world a better place. We need you. We love you. We stand with you.
Hey, writing is writing and sexy is fun! Yeah, I think I avoid what I don’t like to write… like rewriting the entire first half of a book I’ve already finished.
I didn’t even think to look at the question of the month for my post. Secrets huh? I think one secret I have is that I tell my son that Mother’s Day happens every week because he says I’m only allowed to kiss him on Mother’s Day. Good thing he doesn’t have a good grasp on days yet!
I so agree that writing battle scenes and fight scenes can get ridiculously complicated because so many things are going on at once with multiple people doing multiple things and moving in different directions. It all has to flow and make sense so the reader can follow it without getting confused. It’s definitely not easy. It’s okay to work on a different story. Sometimes the brain needs a break, and you need to work on whichever story is loudest in your head and what makes you feel good. As you said, writing is writing. It’s all progress. And your story sounds like a lot of fun. Heaven knows, we could use more of that now.
I love your honesty here. You’re making me feel like I need to do more fiction writing. I’ve been so distracted by so many things that I haven’t seriously worked on fiction in a while. Congrats on getting so much done.
Your post for IWSG this month made me smile and made me think. Yes, revision is demanding and we all need a break from that! Yes, our characters drive us nuts when we can’t think what they’ll do next. My current new wip has me kind of drafting plot points before I really understand their goals or motivation — so I especially appreciated your discussion. But I do believe you will take fashion hints from your characters. Well, maybe not during the pandemic, but once that’s over, we can go out again and shop! Stay safe. Thank you for your kind thoughts.
While I am waiting for the book, I understand because I, too, HATE battle scenes!! I have the same trouble; I have to go over and over it in layers and make sure that this person can be here, and be there, and if they throw that brick, who is it going to hit and blah, blah, blah. And then people I had plans for get killed (ugh) and ruin the entire end of the book I had planned, and hey, what happened to that vampire I decapitated? Crap! Forgot them… They should let us write whole books that are nothing but conversations! 😀
Right?!?! What do we call those – dialogue books? Please let this be a thing. We should make this a thing. (Let’s make this a thing).
And not that I’m happy you hate them too…but I’m so glad you understand about those frigging scenes.TERRIBLE!! It is so confusing and takes so much to write!! How the frig did Tolkien do it? We should get an award for slugging through to the end.
Oh! There’s a short story I remember reading (believe it was by Richard Bausch?) and it was only dialogue and it was AWESOME. (He calls a sex phone line or something and it’s just the conversation. It’s good!).
Tolkien took years to do it. I think that’s how he managed, lol! And yes! It’s nice to know we’re not alone. I once mentioned at an author panel that I hated action scenes and got politely barbecued because how could I possibly write in my genre and not love writing out the “exciting scenes”? Because they’re a freaking pain, lol!!
I’m thinking all dialogue needs to be a new genre. People love those text message style stories, so maybe the day will come! 😀