Where Leslie Left Off …
Beginning Madness - the beginning of writing a book, that is.
Leslie’s post yesterday resonated and so I thought I’d tell you where I am now … Beginning Madness. Same place I’m in every book when I start, tread water and feel like I’m getting nowhere. Like Les, I can see where I am going in my head. I am beginning to know my characters and they’re beginning to know each other. They want to know each other MUCH better, if you get my drift. I just need to hold them back for a bit longer. Let the story develop. Get them to what I call the “crucial” point which for me means that I’ve passed the point in the story where all the major elements (character, conflict – internal and external – for both characters individually and as a couple – come together. My AHA point. When I’ve introduced everything the reader needs to know in order to MOVE forward – to the middle which I must make certain doesn’t sag.
But discussing the dreaded sagging middle is getting ahead of myself. As I said, I’m at the beginning struggle. For me, there is a pattern here just like Leslie’s end (and like Leslie, I can zip through the end (usually, hopefully) in mere days. Not so for the beginning. I write. And rewrite. I add and send to Janelle to read. She critiques and I rewrite some more. During this process, I am adding page count, so it’s not completely treading water. It’s just a slower add than when I’m writing the rest of the story. I make the fixes Janelle asked for and I find some new ones that need to be accounted for. For example, my Christmas party beginning must become a New Year’s Eve party beginning. Not a big deal, you think? SAYS YOU!
Next comes the blanks I left in the story. How old are my characters? Those XXX’s must be filled in some time and now is as good a time as any. It helps me feel as if I’m “wrapping up” the beginning with no loose ends. What are the names of my characters siblings and parents? (Also big XXX’s so far). Piddly things like that really are important.
Now on to the embarrassing parts. This is book four in a series. My readers have called me into account for HUGE errors from book to book (and I THANK them for alerting me). So now I have to reconcile inconsistencies and make sure I’m more careful going forward. Does Micki from the Hot Zone have a baby now as I said at the end of HOT NUMBER that she was pregnant? Or does she not have a baby because I never mentioned it in HOT ITEM? Slap me, someone for doing that! Does Annabelle have a baby girl or a baby boy? Yes, I’ve attributed both to my beautiful heroine. Sigh. We authors are only human, darn it.
So by now I have accounted for my errors and faced them bravely. I’ve filled in the XXX blanks I left. I can go forward, right? WRONG. (Stop yelling at me, Janelle!
AND THEN IT’S ONWARD AND UPWARD. I HOPE.
Due date: March 1, 2007.
Just wanted to drop a note that unfortunately I’ll be out of commission all day and unable to reply, but I will read when I get home and talk to you guys then. I really do appreciate knowing that you’re all here and come back for us! If it didn’t sound that way yesterday, well we all have grouchy days.
So bear with me and see you later!
Comment by Carly — November 28, 2006 @ 7:23 am
MARCH??? I have to wait until March for a new Hot Zone?? WAAAAAAHHHHHHH. :cry: OK, I feel better now. A little. Maybe.
Comment by ev — November 28, 2006 @ 8:47 am
Comment by Yolanda — November 28, 2006 @ 9:25 am
Huh, I could comment on my own troubles, but then I’d have no blog for tomorrow.
Seriously, I don’t want to write about writing tomorrow. We all struggle, that’s for sure. Every once in a while, the great goddess of inspiration gives us a “buy,” a book that flows from the fingertips like water. I can’t remember my last one, but I know there was one…oh, yes! The Taxi novella. That one flowed like water. Or at least, that’s how I remember it. Oh, those were the days…
Comment by Julie Leto — November 28, 2006 @ 9:27 am
Comment by Theresa N. — November 28, 2006 @ 9:40 am
The last two days has given me such insight on how stressful/troubling writing can be. I guess readers (or some at least) just thought things came so easily to our creative geniuses. It sure looks that way when we read your books anyway.
I have read books from all of the Plotmonkeys and can’t recall any that I didn’t like. So you all do a wonderful job getting through your trouble spots.
Carly, everyone is entitled to have “grouchy days” lord knows I have my share of them. We are all human, but I am sure no one thinks you were grouchy yesterday.
Comment by Kelly — November 28, 2006 @ 9:55 am
Julie put it well, there are definitely some that flow like water. Funny, the ones that most stick in my memory as being like that are also the books that turned out to be my best (imo!) Killing Time being a prime example. I loved every minute of that book and it took me almost no time to write it.
Unlike more recent projects. Ugh.
Carly, I know you’ll make it–I keep singing that little Dorie song from Finding Nemo…”Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, that’s what do we do, we swim…” :P
Comment by Leslie — November 28, 2006 @ 10:06 am
Carly, you can do it. I hope that all of your realize how much we enjoy the end product (it’s funny, I did notice an inconsistency in HOT ITEM, but I can’t remember what it was….it was about pregnancy or something, not important, obviously, I didn’t care
).
Comment by katie — November 28, 2006 @ 10:29 am
Carly,
I love your books! and inconsistencies….pooh. It’s okay there are days like that. Next time do not hire anyone to make notes, what are we plot monkey fans good for? To help you out of a jam. I know i would love to help out such great authors. I bet any number of us would love to have an excuse to re-read a friend and to have a purpose for it would make us feel like a string on a musical instrument. You never notice the function of the string until it is broken………
Also, I didn’t really feel like you were grumpy, just frustrated and a little down. I think you are just reaching out for the support you need and it is ALWAYS here for you.
Have a GREATER Day!!! You are much loved, so are the literary figures.:love2::love2:
Comment by Debbie — November 28, 2006 @ 11:42 am
Carly,
I thought Debbie’s post was well worth repeating.
I love your books! and inconsistencies….pooh. It’s okay there are days like that. Next time do not hire anyone to make notes, what are we plot monkey fans good for? To help you out of a jam. I know i would love to help out such great authors. I bet any number of us would love to have an excuse to re-read a friend and to have a purpose for it would make us feel like a string on a musical instrument. You never notice the function of the string until it is broken………
Also, I didn’t really feel like you were grumpy, just frustrated and a little down. I think you are just reaching out for the support you need and it is ALWAYS here for you.
Have a GREATER Day!!! You are much loved, so are the literary figures.
Comment by jeannie — November 28, 2006 @ 1:29 pm
I love the inconsistencies, too. I am just anal. I have been tortured with that. You would think I would be an editor or something…LOL. Gotta go fight the snow to get groceries….you would think I live in a tundra or something!
Comment by katie — November 28, 2006 @ 2:35 pm
Great insight into the hazards of writing, and I appreciate the look into all the things that go into getting a wonderful read into the hands of the readers…………. :thumbsup2: Ummmm, but March before another Hot Zone………… OMG………
Comment by Cryna — November 28, 2006 @ 6:04 pm
I love these insightful blogs!
Comment by Estella — November 28, 2006 @ 6:34 pm
Thanks so much for all the hard work y’all do!!! I myself have never tried to write anything, but I have writers in my family and know what a struggle they each have at times. Thanks for the great works y’all keep putting out for all of us!!!
Comment by Liza — November 28, 2006 @ 6:43 pm
Every post goes into your inbox!?!?
How do you have time to do anything. I bet you guys despise Fridays, yet you do it anyway. Thanks for all the hard work and suffering through it for our enjoyment.
Leslie, I just finished reading, “Don’t Open ‘Till Christmas” and LOVED it. I stumbled across it at the library, and of course, had to get it. I had read Lottie’s story and Lucas’ but didn’t realize Lucas and Lottie were related until it all came together in this book. And I had know idea this was about Lottie’s brother until I started it.
Anyway, I fell in love with Janelle’s Scott Wilde and have never found another hero I loved as much (sorry, Janelle, not even Ian although he was awesome). But I don’t know….Mark might just give Scott a run for his money. They have similar personalities and lady trouble so maybe that’s why. Now I can’t wait for Nick’s story!!
Thanks so much for doing what you ladies do.
Comment by Jodie — November 28, 2006 @ 8:17 pm
I have noticed inconsistancies in quite a few authors. But knowing how hard it can be to write so many stories and try to remember different things, I forgive!
Comment by Jessica M. — November 28, 2006 @ 9:13 pm
Jodie, thank you SO much! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the positive reinforcement!! The climb over the hump continues and hearing nice things about past books helps make every step a little bit easier!!
PS: If you want to read the only other Santori story, keep your eyes out for Behind The Red Doors, which was an anthology released in 2/03. Joe Santori’s story was in that one, called Sheer Delights, and was the first of the Santori stories.
Thanks again!!!!
Comment by Leslie — November 28, 2006 @ 10:07 pm
Jodie — maybe we’ll have to have Scott and Mark arm wrestle for the honor!
And we do love your posts — even on Fridays!
Comment by Janelle — November 28, 2006 @ 10:11 pm
Carly, I forgot to tell you..I just started “SANTA BABY” last night. The first story reminds me of my search to get a TMX Elmo this morning…LOL..I know it wasn’t yours, but I loved it!
Comment by katie — November 28, 2006 @ 10:12 pm
Carly,
Hang in there! I know you can begin swimming again. Just let the story marinate for a day or two. It will meld together in your mind and will flow once more. I can understand how frustrated you get when things don’t want to go smoothly. I have written many stories, reports, articles for college classes and they always bit me at first but after treading around the main points for a while and getting everything all plotted out in all comes together again. It just has to marinate!
Jodie and Leslie,
I was lucky and found the book, “Behind the Red Doors” at my favorite used bookstore where I live. I enjoyed the book very much! It is one of my favorites! It is written by Leslie Kelly, Vicki Lewis Thompson and Stephanie Bond. The stories all tie together beautifully! It is about three shops/boutiques that are all located next to one another that are all managed by women who are friends with one another. Lot’s of fun and excitement galore in all three stories along with some scary moments too. I wish you good luck finding this wonderful book.
Comment by Michele L. — November 28, 2006 @ 11:17 pm
Carly, Carly, Carly…. relax!
I am the kind of reader that reads everything by a particular author and then I wait… and wait… and wait… for the next book to come out. In the mean time, I’m eating up all of the books by another author. I know… it sounds like a pitiful life, but it’s really not! I DO have a busy life with hubby, kids, etc.!
What I’m getting at is that when I finished the second HOT book, it took a couple of months before the third one came out. By the time I read it, I had already read other books from another author (b/c I’ve already read all your stuff, which gets better with each book by the way!). I didn’t recall the detail of each story previous to the third well enough to recall that the details were inconsistent.
Keep doing what you’re doing! It’s great!
Lara
Comment by Lara — November 29, 2006 @ 5:09 pm
One more thing….
I heard through my RWA chapter that you are speaking at the RWA Convention in Dallas in July! Woo Hoo!!!!! I’m thrilled to hear it! Not trying to add pressure here, but I can’t wait to hear what great things you have to say!
Lara
Comment by Lara — November 29, 2006 @ 5:12 pm
Carly,
I found my way to your writing through the Chandler Brothers series (which I absolutely ADORED) and then to the plotmonkey site from your very own site. But the reason I’m commenting is I love the fact that you four are writing about writing and the pitfalls. It makes me laugh as I have a group of friends that do the very same thing that y’all do for one another. We bump each other up, kick each other in the tail, praise profusely, and critique constructively. It’s a joy. I’m going to try and read some back entries when I get home tonite after my small brood is fed and bathed and sent to bed.
And FYI, beginnings are great for me…it’s the endings that I can’t get through to save my hiney.
Take Care,
Heather
Comment by Heather — November 30, 2006 @ 5:21 pm
THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Comment by Carly — December 3, 2006 @ 4:39 pm