Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Welcome again! Winter is trying hard to hang on. It has been a long one. But I have hope that spring will appear. I can finally see the top of my five foot hedge along the front drive. But, my poor witch hazel is struggling to have its winter blooms after being shattered from ice falling off the roof.

But, a new book is in the plotting stage. I love the plotting process, the writing process and the editing process. I guess that adds up to the whole picture.

Each stage seems to take on a life of its own. Plotting takes me time. I worry about who the characters are. Why are they involved in this story? What are their motivations? How will I create situations that will force them to change? Sometimes I come around a corner of my house and run smack into one of my "people." They live here with me.

Then, I write. They seem to speak at times for themselves. My fingers and brain are almost separated. The fingers take over.

Then, I edit. We all do. I actually very much enjoy the editing. It seems to come in stages. First, does the story make sense? Where are the holes I missed? Then the next level--what are all the clutch words that seem to jump right in there on their own (just, push, pulled, ran, hand, and more). Could the sentences be shorter- tighter? Are the page breaks and scene breaks in the right places? Do I need an extra chapter? Again and again. I seem to do many iterations.

Letting go is hard for me. Relinquishing my "baby" to the world. Stephen King said it well when he described his first draft as one that stays behind closed doors- it was for him. The second draft had to be for the reader- public. I'm still working on that.

But, then there is always the next story waiting to be told.

Chime in. I would love to hear from you.