Before I head into the ring again to wrestle my WIP in revision into shape, I had to have a meeting with myself to determine just how nuts I'd go with my wrestling technique. I've been banging this WIP's plot hard, punching holes into the plot, taping wounds in the words and sending out 911 distress calls for medical intervention via contests, workshops, brainstorming, and CP/beta reader feedback.
The WIP lies on the desk, a pile of 250 printed out pages in a crooked, yet ordered 1-250, jumble. On top of it I've stacked the current short story sketch, two newspapers with articles about tornadoes, contest feedback with useful and constructive criticism and the original GMC charts I planned a year ago.
In front of me, on the wall above my laptop and desk, are about a dozen Post-it notes with little jottings about the book. They include tidbits about ongoing word counts, reminders about what I want to read and do for my writing, a workshop class list that I am moderating (in HOT pink), the Twelve Stages of Intimacy, a few agencies I plan to query (in BLUE -- no reason why) and my RWA membership number. I also have another workshop's lessons about achieving believable romantic resolution taped to the wall.
Surrounding my desk, on the walls and door of my closet and in my bookshelves are my 3rd Revision's story poster board with notes on it in ball point to show the new changes I plan to implement, other craft books, mounds of paper ready for the printer and my collage that I created while brainstorming the first draft of this book (over a year ago!).
In my computer, under the book's title, I have a bunch of files containing all the drafts, in WORD and SCRIVENER. I have my contest results (the ones that are helpful), my CP's comments, and my character interviews.
Sigh. The visual clutter is making my mind rebel.
Here are the results of the meeting with myself:
1) I'm not ready to straighten out this mess within my mind. Oh, I've got dozens of ideas and my story is semi plotted again. But I'm not ready to plow into the pile of papers on my desk and make it all work.
2) I will be ready to straighten out this mess by the end of the week. My butt is in the fire. I entered the MAGGIE with this story. I have to find a way to carve out 30 decent pages of writing and a new synopsis reflecting my story's evolving plot. I've got to do it by June 1.
3) I've determined that this is my final lob of the revision ball. After I enter the MAGGIE with what I put together, I will focus and keep on revising till the end of June.
4) During the first part of July, I'm pulling together my pitch for Nationals and the M&M Conference.
5) But will I continue to revise this book after July 1? Yes, but only AFTER I GET A REQUEST. If I don't get a request, what is the point? I need to take what I've learned and apply it to the next book.
6) It's time to Keep It Simple Silly. It's time to focus on what I can fix, not worry about rewriting the entire plot again, and toss the book out there to see if there is any interest in it by people who will represent me or pay me to fix it.
If I stay mired in this book, I'll be writing four books and only have one to show for it. Not going to work. Not anymore. I got to finish it to the best of my ability, but I don't have to keep reinventing the wheel. This summer I need to move on so I can write the book that MIGHT be the one that gets my foot in the door.
I'm keeping it simple so I can free myself for the next idea and the next book.
Showing posts with label goal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goal. Show all posts
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The Write Stuff: Process and Perseverance
As I've had to revise my goals for the year to reflect the new direction of my WIP--transforming a category length romance into a single title length romance with suspense elements--I've battled back a lot of doubt in order to focus on fixing the story. Again.
I've whined. I've had angst. I've been frustrated. I've moaned.
Part of my angst is born out of knowing how much time I will lose when my DH goes into the hospital for his hip replacement. Instead of hours to wrestle my manuscript into shape, I am faced with snatching moments here and there where I can work on a paragraph, a scene, a line, a thought or an idea.
And at first I thought this loss would suck. Yes. It would suck big time. Why? Because I am a Time Queen. I see time as domino blocks. One block neatly lined up with another block until a long line is formed. And I am setting the blocks down. But one false move and the blocks tumble into each other and crash down. Oh, I've been seeing my blocks of time crashing into each other and falling away with each new interruption and distraction I see hovering in my future horizon.
Sigh. Not good.
That's why I was desperate to FINISH the revision by the 31st. Now I realize that was a monumental boulder to place on my shoulders and I have removed the burden by giving myself permission to take my time and let the story evolve.
I admit I've whined about it to my CPs. My CP in VA was firm with me when I said this didn't happen with the third MS. It was so much easier. She gave me a talking to and said I moaned just as much with the third book and wanted to move on as well.
She's right.
But her words also reminded me about how that book was revised. Where and when, too. I revised (for the third/fourth times) my third MS during a HUGE move. I literally snatched time to write and revise for almost six months. I was forced by circumstances to write in short amounts of time and be away from my MS for large amounts of time.
That book went on to become a MAGGE FINALIST. Hmmmm. Brain Jolt.
Hmmm indeed. Once again, due to circumstances, during my 3rd/4th revision, I am forced to write in short amounts of time and be away from my MS for long amounts. Hmmmm. And the truth is, whenever I do sit down to work, I can see the problems more clearly. I am more amenable to *gasp* cutting them out and shifting them to other spots. I see the big picture more clearly.
Hmmm. LIGHT BULB MOMENT. Apparently, when I am in this part of my revision, my right brain needs a lot of time out so my left brain can take a scalpel to the material in short, straight and deliberate cuts. Meanwhile, during time out, my creative right side of the brain sends me inspiration and ideas and gives me scenes to work on.
Wow. I am beginning to surrender to the process. I know I will solve the issues I'm facing in this WIP.
This is where my personal religious views come into play. Whenever I beat my wings in my cage, I get NOWHERE. But when I pause, surrender to my surroundings, I see the door is open and I am free to fly.
*Please remind me of this illumination when I start to whine during my next book's revision*
*Oh, I hope I don't need to endure a major life hijacking to get to this point*
Thursday, January 21, 2010
To Write Well is to Revise a Lot!
Writing is not easy. It is not for sissies. It is not for the weak of heart. A lot of would-be writers never finish their first drafts. They start many novels, but get mired in the middle never to escape the bog of doubt and fear that they've lost sight of their vision. A few struggle past and pull themselves out of the soul sucking middle ground and race happily to THE END.
Yay! First draft! The writer is officially DONE.
But not so. No. Unfortunately, after a breath of air and a break from reaching the story's resolution. One learns if one is a writer with the guts to go the distance again. Not just once. Not just twice. But often times three, four, five and six times. Maybe more. Each time issues with the story, the characters and the plot are ironed.
Someone once asked, when is it finished? I say not until it's sitting on a shelf in a bookstore or on-line with an e-publisher ready for someone to buy, read and yearn for more of the author's writing.
However, as a writer, I must say that for me the end comes when I've polished it to the point where the only way I'd rip into a plot again is if an editor and/or agent said, "Love your voice, but we want you to do X to make it better." In other words, I want to be under contract before I revisit the book for a billionth time.
And at a certain point, it's time for me, the writer, to take what I've learned and move onto the next project. Hopefully, all will happen faster. There will be less revisions to the overall plot and characters as I grow as a writer honing her craft.
For now I slog on. I have beaten back this story a lot. I've rescued my characters three times. I've reinvented the plot three times. I'm back in for more work. Deep work. Hard work. Unrewarding work (no pay here). One pat on the back I will receive will come from other writers who know all to well the pain of revising (cutting our beautiful words, letting go of the original ideas and moving on--HARD).
The other pat will come from me. To myself for having endured again. And for trying.
That's all I can do. That's all any of us can do.
How do we do this?
At times, for me, it's the mere fact that I refuse to give up on my characters. This is their story. Other times, I refuse to give up on myself. I started this journey. I want to finish it.
And you know what? The craziest part about being an unpublished writer wrestling with words is the greatest reward after multiple revisions is that I get to start a brand new book.
I get to do it all over again.
Yay! First draft! The writer is officially DONE.
But not so. No. Unfortunately, after a breath of air and a break from reaching the story's resolution. One learns if one is a writer with the guts to go the distance again. Not just once. Not just twice. But often times three, four, five and six times. Maybe more. Each time issues with the story, the characters and the plot are ironed.
Someone once asked, when is it finished? I say not until it's sitting on a shelf in a bookstore or on-line with an e-publisher ready for someone to buy, read and yearn for more of the author's writing.
However, as a writer, I must say that for me the end comes when I've polished it to the point where the only way I'd rip into a plot again is if an editor and/or agent said, "Love your voice, but we want you to do X to make it better." In other words, I want to be under contract before I revisit the book for a billionth time.
And at a certain point, it's time for me, the writer, to take what I've learned and move onto the next project. Hopefully, all will happen faster. There will be less revisions to the overall plot and characters as I grow as a writer honing her craft.
For now I slog on. I have beaten back this story a lot. I've rescued my characters three times. I've reinvented the plot three times. I'm back in for more work. Deep work. Hard work. Unrewarding work (no pay here). One pat on the back I will receive will come from other writers who know all to well the pain of revising (cutting our beautiful words, letting go of the original ideas and moving on--HARD).
The other pat will come from me. To myself for having endured again. And for trying.
That's all I can do. That's all any of us can do.
How do we do this?
At times, for me, it's the mere fact that I refuse to give up on my characters. This is their story. Other times, I refuse to give up on myself. I started this journey. I want to finish it.
And you know what? The craziest part about being an unpublished writer wrestling with words is the greatest reward after multiple revisions is that I get to start a brand new book.
I get to do it all over again.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Tip Toe into the New Writing Structure
I am scrapping a quest to crank out 3 category books a year to focus on redefining the current WIP as I learn how to create a Single Title length book. Wow. I'm looking at the entire MS in a new light, and if it weren't for my CPs giving me their support, I think my head would pop off with all the changes I must implement as I *grow my book* and learn.
After meeting with one of my CPs in Birmingham, we agreed to give ourselves until the end of February to send each other our drafts for critique. She's working on a super cool book and I can't wait to read it. The few paragraphs I read already hooked me. Ooh, she's got more than one RS *romantic suspense* in her writing brain. I know it.
As for me? I'm not sure. I think I've more than one RS in me, but I'm leaning toward lighter, ST contemporary romances with suspenseful elements. I'll know more about where I'm heading after I finish this book. What will I miss writing? What will I love writing? What will I reveal about my own writing voice to myself? Oh, it's exciting!
Meanwhile, the task awaits. I'm committed to making the change. I'm committed to working hard. But this is new, and I'm tip toeing shyly into this writing sea. First, I started a new draft in WORD and renamed it TFC SINGLE TITLE 1 (third time through the plot--and I'm sure not the last time I'll rework it). Then I created a file in my trusty Scrivener program.
Back to basics. Import the doc. Thanks to my Southern CP, I learned short cut to making new scenes in the binder (whew). Then I made color coded the scene cards with MC's initials on them. I accidentally discovered a way to add notes to the doc and retrieve them in the scenes (this is how I learn a lot of new things when it comes to technology). I think this tool will be very helpful as I revise the MS.
I know this doesn't seem like a lot of writing, but it was good to see it all laid out. I know where there are gaps already. Now my Northern CP's critique will come into play as I forge ahead. I have a lot of decisions to make as I rewrite. Some of them will lead to major cutting. I loathe the idea, but I know I have to do it in order to make space for the new words.
I'll be honest. Reading this draft in bits and pieces, the part that's still more rough than polished, I wonder what the heck? But I refuse to wallow in the "I suck as a writer" mud. I refuse. I am learning. I am growing and I am taking on a challenge.
I am excited!
After meeting with one of my CPs in Birmingham, we agreed to give ourselves until the end of February to send each other our drafts for critique. She's working on a super cool book and I can't wait to read it. The few paragraphs I read already hooked me. Ooh, she's got more than one RS *romantic suspense* in her writing brain. I know it.
As for me? I'm not sure. I think I've more than one RS in me, but I'm leaning toward lighter, ST contemporary romances with suspenseful elements. I'll know more about where I'm heading after I finish this book. What will I miss writing? What will I love writing? What will I reveal about my own writing voice to myself? Oh, it's exciting!
Meanwhile, the task awaits. I'm committed to making the change. I'm committed to working hard. But this is new, and I'm tip toeing shyly into this writing sea. First, I started a new draft in WORD and renamed it TFC SINGLE TITLE 1 (third time through the plot--and I'm sure not the last time I'll rework it). Then I created a file in my trusty Scrivener program.
Back to basics. Import the doc. Thanks to my Southern CP, I learned short cut to making new scenes in the binder (whew). Then I made color coded the scene cards with MC's initials on them. I accidentally discovered a way to add notes to the doc and retrieve them in the scenes (this is how I learn a lot of new things when it comes to technology). I think this tool will be very helpful as I revise the MS.
I know this doesn't seem like a lot of writing, but it was good to see it all laid out. I know where there are gaps already. Now my Northern CP's critique will come into play as I forge ahead. I have a lot of decisions to make as I rewrite. Some of them will lead to major cutting. I loathe the idea, but I know I have to do it in order to make space for the new words.
I'll be honest. Reading this draft in bits and pieces, the part that's still more rough than polished, I wonder what the heck? But I refuse to wallow in the "I suck as a writer" mud. I refuse. I am learning. I am growing and I am taking on a challenge.
I am excited!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Ah Ha! The Goals Must Reflect the Task
Well, I have had a major breakthrough today. At first, I slogged through negative emotions about outside world pressing in on my inner world of writing. Then I cleaned bathrooms. The dirty work didn't jar any new thoughts. Neither did banishing the outside forces.
I cleaned up myself, planned to go to B&N and then the phone rang: hmmm my DH's surgery center with more estimates for his surgery costs... great conversation with the lady in charge. A bit of laughter... needed it. Then I got a call from a friend in DC... and I needed friend time so I took it. We talked for an hour. By the time I hung up, I had an hour till DD came home from school.... see the distractions? Mounting up? Oh, what a big shovel I'd need ...
But there is a reason for everything. My CP in DC called me regarding my first 30 pages. And she solved the problem for me: I am trying to stretch a category length book from page 50 when I need to stretch it from page 1. I need to relearn how to write according to ST length.
AACK! I need to not worry about word counts. I need to worry about the structure. Redo on the goal list. Good thing I factored in the whole FLEXIBILITY goal LOL.
So here is the plan: slog away through first three chapters... first 9 scenes, light revision. Then move forward again. Oh. And painful cutting and repositioning of exposition, emotion. Oh. And layer in action etc. Oh. And. Oh.
Redo my thinking. No more worries about word count. Now I worry about true revision. Numbers don't count.
The good news is she loves my writing. And my characters. And my voice. Whew.
Sometimes it really is like one step forward and two steps back. But she reiterated a MAASS illumination: unpublished writers have time to learn.
Hmmmm... still learning and growing.
I cleaned up myself, planned to go to B&N and then the phone rang: hmmm my DH's surgery center with more estimates for his surgery costs... great conversation with the lady in charge. A bit of laughter... needed it. Then I got a call from a friend in DC... and I needed friend time so I took it. We talked for an hour. By the time I hung up, I had an hour till DD came home from school.... see the distractions? Mounting up? Oh, what a big shovel I'd need ...
But there is a reason for everything. My CP in DC called me regarding my first 30 pages. And she solved the problem for me: I am trying to stretch a category length book from page 50 when I need to stretch it from page 1. I need to relearn how to write according to ST length.
AACK! I need to not worry about word counts. I need to worry about the structure. Redo on the goal list. Good thing I factored in the whole FLEXIBILITY goal LOL.
So here is the plan: slog away through first three chapters... first 9 scenes, light revision. Then move forward again. Oh. And painful cutting and repositioning of exposition, emotion. Oh. And layer in action etc. Oh. And. Oh.
Redo my thinking. No more worries about word count. Now I worry about true revision. Numbers don't count.
The good news is she loves my writing. And my characters. And my voice. Whew.
Sometimes it really is like one step forward and two steps back. But she reiterated a MAASS illumination: unpublished writers have time to learn.
Hmmmm... still learning and growing.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Stuck in the Middle
Every writer reaches a point in their manuscript where they are stuck, wondering why they can't move forward faster and seriously questioning their writing ambitions. Most will agree this usually occurs around the mid-point of the WIP.
Ah. The dreaded sagging middle. No. Not my belly (tho it is in need of a workout). I'm edging closer to the midpoint of my novel and the pace is slowing to near snail like movement. Oh, I'm progressing forward. But there are so many plot issues to iron out: POV, pacing and why the heck are they in this setting? And who was I to even attempt RS? I have NO IDEA what I am doing.
Yes, today was the "my book sucks" day. I've been trying to avoid it by taking down Christmas decorations, doing laundry, setting up Valentine's decor, contemplating lint... seriously... I solved a problem yesterday, dashed down the idea, edged forward a bit, but I KNOW I must really examine the sexual tension, the location, the dance scene (being a puppeteer with fictional characters and not marionettes is tough). How do I get them from point A to point B, keep the tension high (plot and relationship and sexually) and layer in the scenery, sights, sounds, smells and touches?
Uh, and do it seamlessly?
Haha.
So in honor of my dilemma: I post this homage to an old song:
Stuck in the Middle
Ah. The dreaded sagging middle. No. Not my belly (tho it is in need of a workout). I'm edging closer to the midpoint of my novel and the pace is slowing to near snail like movement. Oh, I'm progressing forward. But there are so many plot issues to iron out: POV, pacing and why the heck are they in this setting? And who was I to even attempt RS? I have NO IDEA what I am doing.
Yes, today was the "my book sucks" day. I've been trying to avoid it by taking down Christmas decorations, doing laundry, setting up Valentine's decor, contemplating lint... seriously... I solved a problem yesterday, dashed down the idea, edged forward a bit, but I KNOW I must really examine the sexual tension, the location, the dance scene (being a puppeteer with fictional characters and not marionettes is tough). How do I get them from point A to point B, keep the tension high (plot and relationship and sexually) and layer in the scenery, sights, sounds, smells and touches?
Uh, and do it seamlessly?
Haha.
So in honor of my dilemma: I post this homage to an old song:
Stuck in the Middle
Friday, January 8, 2010
A Little Less Written, but a Little More Cut
Sometimes the idea of writing toward the word count goal must move aside for bigger issues facing the story.
Today was that day. Despite family underfoot and tearing down Christmas crud, I managed to squeak out almost a thousand words. But I also cut over 900 and shifted them to another file. I put in a lot of time writing, but I didn't make my lofty goal of 2000 words.
Technically, if I want to be kind to myself, I did work with almost 2000 words, but not in the way I wanted to: moving forward and adding words. Nope. Not today. But the truth is, I can't move forward in a clean manner unless I rip out useless roadblocks to my creativity.
This is where the flexibility of my overall writing goals comes into play. If I had beat my head up against the goal and forced the words, chances are I'd be cutting them at some point in the future. Rather than waste valuable time writing crud, I chose to fine tune a scene, layer in elements regarding scene and settings and build my Villain's persona in a vignette. He's emerging for me and I must pay heed to him.
Now I've never written a true villain before with his own viewpoint. It's interesting to crawl inside his head and try to give him a three dimensional, conflicted personality. He isn't all bad. He's very flawed and needs help, but he's motivated by a need to be seen as good and valuable. Who isn't? I have no idea if I'm getting it right, but I'm trying.
That's all this writer can do...
No time to read today. Brain is dead. Stay tuned... I believe Maass's book is giving me a lot to chomp on and it's nourishing my writing efforts.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Setting and Details
Today I made my word count again. I struggled as I had to cut a few words, but I added a scene and I am pleased with it as it is from the Villain's POV. I also spent some time filling in my GMC chart for the villain before I started writing this morning. I think that extra time clarified my Villain's direction and did build a little sympathy for him as well. We'll see.
My issue right now is getting the story down, cutting out goop and making sure I am not too repetitive. That's hard not to do when I am desperate to add words. So I know some of the words will be revised/chopped/tightened later and then I'll have more room to explore Donald Maass's illumination regarding setting.
The breakout novelist does not merely set a scene; she unveils a unique place, one resonant with a sense of time, woven through social threads and full of the destinies the universe has in store for us all. She does not merely describe a setting, she builds a world. She then sets her characters free in that world to experience all it has to offer.
Confession time: I want to do this, but I am weak in this area because of one reason. I am lazy. I hate researching and try to make it as easy on myself as possible. If I loved researching, I'd write historical novels. If I was not lazy, I'd build fantasy worlds and write Fantasy Paranormals teaming with wonderful vampires and interesting sexual alpha beasts.
I love reading the historical novels, paranormal novels, great women's fiction, crazy literary fiction written by classic authors like Wilkie Collins and Graham Greene, thrillers and spy stories, mysteries and Young Adult books of the same ilk. I'm swept away by the attention many of these authors pay to the details of the worlds they are writing about. I admire their patience and tenacity. I wish I could be like them, but I am not.
I'm plot and character driven as a writer. I love people. I can mimic just about everyone I know: how they sound, move and act. I can read a story or meet a person who talks about his/her life and create an entire story for them that's fictional or plan to weave them, their interesting quirks, into my writing. That ability comes easy to me. It's my strength as a writer. And I believe my writing voice is strong because I have an ear for people.
I write a lot of dialogue in first draft. Then I layer in the details. And I do admit, I slack in this area of my writing. I used to think I didn't have to build worlds if I wrote contemporary novels, but after reading Maass's book, especially his chapter about setting, I realize that I must build my novel's contemporary world, too. I don't think it has to happen first for me. I have to pay homage to my strengths first and then build around them, but I have to do it.
I have to, but I cringe at the work involved. The time away from my lovely writing. And I know part of the reason I cringe is because I've never been totally steeped in a place with history and connection to people over a long period of time. My background is like a gypsy who moves constantly. Born in the Netherlands, immigrated to Canada when I was four, grew up in a horrible northern mining town, lived in three provinces, many homes, moved to the states when I got married, lived in Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and now Alabama. And I'm already planning my next move.
How can I really reflect an area's time and place when I treat each area I personally live in or visit much like a hummingbird treats flowers? I sip, I fly away, I sip again. I never stay long enough to steep myself in the traditions. I glean surface details quickly, pick up accents (my DH knows exactly who I've talked to long distance by the change in my accent--I even have a DUTCH accent overlaying my slight southern accent on occasion), live fully where I am, but I don't know all the idiosyncratic unique details of any one area I live.
I try to set my stories where I am currently residing. That's helped a bit. And I know of authors who write contemporary romances set all over the world, yet they have never been to those places and they do it well. I hope I can weave a stronger setting as I refocus my direction in my writing to incorporate more details, lacing them through what is a largely a commercial novel, and create a depth to my CR that makes people miss my places when they set down the book.
I know my characters are most important to the development of my story lines, but it's time to up the ante. As I move forward, I will try to glean more than a few sips, but I am hoping that my sips can be sifted throughout the novel in bits and pieces and flashes through dialogue, internalizations and reactions to events. I don't think I'm literary enough to weave a long, descriptive passage as well as many of the wonderful authors Maass quoted in his book, WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL.
My issue right now is getting the story down, cutting out goop and making sure I am not too repetitive. That's hard not to do when I am desperate to add words. So I know some of the words will be revised/chopped/tightened later and then I'll have more room to explore Donald Maass's illumination regarding setting.
The breakout novelist does not merely set a scene; she unveils a unique place, one resonant with a sense of time, woven through social threads and full of the destinies the universe has in store for us all. She does not merely describe a setting, she builds a world. She then sets her characters free in that world to experience all it has to offer.
Confession time: I want to do this, but I am weak in this area because of one reason. I am lazy. I hate researching and try to make it as easy on myself as possible. If I loved researching, I'd write historical novels. If I was not lazy, I'd build fantasy worlds and write Fantasy Paranormals teaming with wonderful vampires and interesting sexual alpha beasts.
I love reading the historical novels, paranormal novels, great women's fiction, crazy literary fiction written by classic authors like Wilkie Collins and Graham Greene, thrillers and spy stories, mysteries and Young Adult books of the same ilk. I'm swept away by the attention many of these authors pay to the details of the worlds they are writing about. I admire their patience and tenacity. I wish I could be like them, but I am not.
I'm plot and character driven as a writer. I love people. I can mimic just about everyone I know: how they sound, move and act. I can read a story or meet a person who talks about his/her life and create an entire story for them that's fictional or plan to weave them, their interesting quirks, into my writing. That ability comes easy to me. It's my strength as a writer. And I believe my writing voice is strong because I have an ear for people.
I write a lot of dialogue in first draft. Then I layer in the details. And I do admit, I slack in this area of my writing. I used to think I didn't have to build worlds if I wrote contemporary novels, but after reading Maass's book, especially his chapter about setting, I realize that I must build my novel's contemporary world, too. I don't think it has to happen first for me. I have to pay homage to my strengths first and then build around them, but I have to do it.
I have to, but I cringe at the work involved. The time away from my lovely writing. And I know part of the reason I cringe is because I've never been totally steeped in a place with history and connection to people over a long period of time. My background is like a gypsy who moves constantly. Born in the Netherlands, immigrated to Canada when I was four, grew up in a horrible northern mining town, lived in three provinces, many homes, moved to the states when I got married, lived in Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and now Alabama. And I'm already planning my next move.
How can I really reflect an area's time and place when I treat each area I personally live in or visit much like a hummingbird treats flowers? I sip, I fly away, I sip again. I never stay long enough to steep myself in the traditions. I glean surface details quickly, pick up accents (my DH knows exactly who I've talked to long distance by the change in my accent--I even have a DUTCH accent overlaying my slight southern accent on occasion), live fully where I am, but I don't know all the idiosyncratic unique details of any one area I live.
I try to set my stories where I am currently residing. That's helped a bit. And I know of authors who write contemporary romances set all over the world, yet they have never been to those places and they do it well. I hope I can weave a stronger setting as I refocus my direction in my writing to incorporate more details, lacing them through what is a largely a commercial novel, and create a depth to my CR that makes people miss my places when they set down the book.
I know my characters are most important to the development of my story lines, but it's time to up the ante. As I move forward, I will try to glean more than a few sips, but I am hoping that my sips can be sifted throughout the novel in bits and pieces and flashes through dialogue, internalizations and reactions to events. I don't think I'm literary enough to weave a long, descriptive passage as well as many of the wonderful authors Maass quoted in his book, WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL.
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