Monday, September 23, 2013

Writing fear

I've been trying to work on The Otherside, and as all fellow writers know, trying doesn't always work. I have a feeling this next novel is going to take a long time to finish. Even if it took half as long as The Wild Hunt to write, that's still two years. I hope my readers will understand. I don't think it will take two years, but, we are approaching the one year anniversary for The Wild Hunt. So that means I've been working (or not) on The Otherside for at least eight months.

I took a much needed break after publishing The Wild Hunt. My grandma had just passed away, and I was emotionally and intellectually drained. After that first three months I jumped into finishing Lilith, a month later it was done, and a few weeks later it was published.

After I finished Lilith I played with The Otherside. I say play instead of write because I didn't get very much down, maybe a few thousand words, not even enough for a chapter. I just couldn't seem to get into the groove. The Otherside was this towering intimidating book. It scared the hell out of me.

I was terrified I'd destroy the world I'd worked so hard to build. I didn't want to screw it up. So I turned to Scent Hound. Scent Hound was a nice short novella that could bridge out the world I'd started developing in The Wild Hunt. I wanted to write about a Cwn Annwn female. It was fun. More fun then I ever thought possible. I finished it in a matter of months and it was published in July.

This is where the waters get murky. With no other projects to distract me, it was time to really sit down and figure out what to do about The Otherside. It wasn't that I didn't know what I wanted the story to be about. I had dozens of idea's and scenarios to move the story along. It was just that the careful balance of emotions in The Otherside were so much harder to portray.

The Otherside is about what happens after a revelation. After the world opens up and you realize that anything is possible. That huge massive world is intimidating. How do you describe it accurately? How do you show how small and frightened a character feels? How do you alienate them from everyone around them because of that fear?

The Otherside is all about transformations. Becoming who you are meant to be as opposed to who you want to be. Embracing your flaws, and finding that niche where you are your best self. The Otherside is full of the painful process of growing up, and finding that the people around you drift further away as you move closer towards yourself.

Currently, I am only about 25,000 words into the book. That's a fifth of the way done. Not bad, but not great either. I still think the hardest part is expressing that feeling of unknown. The Wild Hunt was all about self-loathing and loss. It was practically marinated in sorrow. The Otherside while hopeful is scattered and uneasy, like a new baby foal. I hope to God I get the feelings right, set the right tone. That's probably one of the hardest parts about writing.

How do you make people feel that scattered sense of confusion?

I'll keep working on it.

And hopefully in a year or less I'll have 125,000 words to share with you.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Wedding.....swedding.

I wish that I could find a more profane word (ugly cuss word) to rhyme with wedding, but I've got nothing. Right now as the date draws near, I find myself, more and more annoyed with the details. It's a life sucking black hole. It is taking my time, and creativity, and all I want to do is write.

I want to write so badly its killing me, but until the swedding is over I'm stuck, waiting, counting down the days until its over. Don't get me wrong I love my honey, but, holy crap does wedding planning suck. It's like my crazy past Halloween parties on crack. It's way more complicated.

So I'll just feel sorry for myself, and work my poor little fingers to death, on annoying subjects like favor making, and bows, and pray this is all over soon.

Note to readers: Eloping, is a very nice idea, I highly suggest it.