Going With the Flow

 As I said yesterday, "Right now, I have to go where the inspiration takes me.  And right now, the inspiration is following reader input."  

I'm not sure why this is so, but it's reality.  Last month, a reader was commenting on one of my book posts, wishing for another SCIU book, so I worked on that.  Last week, a reader sent me an email about Song of Storm and Shroud, told me I'd done a good job writing it, and said he couldn't wait for the sequel.  And like that, my gears shifted.

Actually, that's not entirely fair.  I was getting to a point in SCIU4 where I wasn't feeling it.  I was pushing out the words instead of them pulling me.  Last week's reader was a nudge I needed to make the words pull me again.  Unfortunately for the SCIU book, they're pulling me toward a different story.  

I'm not usually that flighty.  I start writing a book and I work on it until its either finished or I'm stumped on how to proceed.  Since I'm not finished with SCIU4 and definitely not stumped, I'm guessing I'm just not feeling it right now and the reader input gave me the excuse I needed to move onto something else.  

Having said that, I am rolling along right now with Shroudlands2.  I have stuff happening.  I have a good idea where I'm going next.  I know what the main thrust of the story is going to be.  It feels right.  Right now, at least.

I can't guarantee this'll keep going on like it's been going.  I'm trying not to question it too much.  I'm just going with the flow.  If the flow dries up, I'll switch back and see if I can make that work.  The point is, I guess, I'm writing again.  And I've always said we have to write however we can to get the words out.  What works for us one day may not work the next, so we have to go with the flow.  Probably not the answer readers are looking for, but it is what it is.  I'm going with the flow.

Inspiration and Motivation

Inspiration:  This morning, Silver James did something special on her blog - she posted a music video and associated it with my new release: Song of Storm and Shroud.  It really hits the right spot for the story, and her doing that meant a lot to me.  Go check it out.  The gal in the video (the artist, really, playing a part) reminds me of one of the characters in the book, Fenwyn.  Totally awesome.

Motivation:  In other news, I got back to writing the sequel for SSS.  I'm about 2200 words in now.  Then last night as I was trying to sleep, I had a flood of ideas.  Three scenes worth.  I got up and wrote them down, so I'm definitely on a roll there.  Now I just need more people to buy the first book and give me the impetus to keep writing the second.  Book sales are incredibly motivating, doncha know.

Short post today.  Go read something.  ;o)

Opening the Tap

I sat myself down this weekend and had a long conversation about what I'm doing and what I'm going to do.  As a result, I did not get my edit notes done yesterday.  On the other hand, I did get 2259 words laid down on a new book.  Okay, not a new new book, but I wasn't that far along on the manuscript, so those words about doubled its length.  

Part of the impetus for picking this particular book was reader input.  As in someone I don't know contacted me filled with excitement about my books and she had asked for more of three different series.  Since I can't write four different books at once (those three plus the sequel to SSS), although lord knows I wish I could, I picked the first one she mentioned.

I also decided I need to be more business-like as a writer.  As in, I need to stop with the 'only writing when the mood strikes me' crap.  Like some precious flower who can only grow when the circumstances are right.  I need to be a dandelion and grow wherever and whenever.  

The world is going to hell and I can't control any of it.  But I can control this.  

So, to that end, I will be working more.  Edit and do business stuff during the day, write at night.  So basically, back to the way I used to work.  

As for the book I went back to working on, it's SCIU #4, tentatively called Justice Served.  If you're not familiar with the format of SCIU, these books don't hide who the villain is.  The story is in the actions of the villain and the heroes.  Who's going to die, how are they going to be stopped, who's going to stop them.  The tug and pull between the characters.  And the justice at the end.  There's always justice at the end.

Anyway, I will finish SSS and get it published by the end of the month.  I will also write subsequent books, but later.  Right now, if my gumption holds up and I keep whipping myself to work, the plan is to complete this book and get it out, then another Dennis Haggarty and another Duke Noble.  Can I do all that this year?  :shrug:  If I fail, I hope it's not due to lack of trying.  Although, I'd rather it was due to that then the world collapsing.  All I know is I'm gonna go out fighting one way or the other.

And now, I'll leave you with this quote: "If you’re going to be a writer, the first essential is just to write. Do not wait for an idea. Start writing something and the ideas will come. You have to turn the faucet on before the water starts to flow." - Louis L'Amour  

I'm going to keep the water flowing.  Open the tap and let it gush on out.

My First Book

Last night, Hubs and I watched Armageddon again.  I love that movie so much.  And not just because it's action-packed and funny with characters I can root for who save the world.  It's part of the reason I wrote my first book.

January 2004.  I was sitting in my little apartment watching movies.  I don't remember exactly how it came about, but I'd watched both Armageddon and Deep Impact within a day or two of each other, and something hit me.  After whichever one I watched second was over, I sat down at my computer and wrote.  And wrote.  And wrote.  Into the night.  

That book took me nine months to complete, but it was the first book I ever finished.  (Lord knows, I'd started quite a few over the years.)  Eventually it would become Fear Itself.  And it's more about the fear of something than the actuality of it.  

Of course, not long after I started the book, I met and fell in love with Hubs.  2004 was a busy and eventful year for me.  After we got married, he encouraged me to finish the book and gave me the opportunity to do so. 

I still love that book.  I'd still like to see it polished and published.  Whether that ever actually happens?  :shrug:  It's a behemoth.  And I've learned so much since I first wrote it that turning it into something publishable may be a pipe dream.  But hey, pipe dreams can still come true.  Right?

If you're a writer, what spurred you to write your first book?  If you're a reader, what pipe dreams do you have? 

A Little Inspiration

(In case the embed doesn't work, watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPXIgEAGe4U)

I love this song.  Hadn't seen the video until this morning, but it's pretty cool.  (I wouldn't share it if it wasn't.)

Just a snip of the lyrics:

Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes

Some days, it feels like all we have are high hopes for a livin', but we'll get there.  And we'll climb over whatever gets in our way to do it.  ;o)

It's All on Me and Me Alone

Over the weekend, I was watching an old episode of Extreme Weight Loss.  There was this guy who was really struggling with his food addiction.  So much so that he is the only contestant in the history of the show to not make it to the final weigh-in.  At 9 months, he'd gained back 60 pounds and the trainer dude gave up.  Unable to provide any further support in this guy's weight loss journey, the trainer recommended the guy check himself into rehab. Which he did.  After the show was over, I went online to see if there were any updates on this guy, but no. 

One of the things that struck me was the idea that no one could help this guy but himself.  And he wasn't in a place where he understood that basic fact.  He wanted everyone else to help him.  And then while they were trying to help him, he did everything he could to undercut what they were doing.  It was a mess. 

And I started thinking.  In fact, the above idea kept echoing in my head - no one can help you but yourself.  You can have all sorts of support around you, but none of it will work if you aren't willing to help yourself.  You can have no support whatsoever, though, and still accomplish your goals if you are willing to help yourself.

So, last night, I set about helping myself.  I sat my ass down and started working again.  Got through a page and half of edits. 

Then, I went for a hard-target walk.

Tonight will be more of the same.  Well, edits anyway.  I might take today off walking and do something else active - like cleaning or yardwork.

Because writing and getting more active are on me and me alone.

Sure, it's easier to sit and read or watch TV.  When I'm sitting around, I have no urge to tear my hair out over a phrase I can't seem to get right.  There's no burning muscles.  There's just peace and comfort.  Well, that's ain't getting the job done.  Life wasn't meant to be easy.  Easy is for when the job is done. 

Is this newfound gumption going to stick around?  Time will tell.  But I can tell you one thing, I'm going to try and keep at this every day for as long as it takes. 

Inspiration and Epiphanies

Jack London once said "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." 

I totally get it. Sitting around waiting for inspiration to strike isn't productive.  And we all need to be productive to make this writing thing work.  (Hell, to make any venture work.)

My problem most of the time isn't a lack of inspiration - although there is that, too, from time to time.  It's a lack of gumption.  I expend energy writing or editing or marketing, and I need a freakin' nap.  Like a two week long nap.  And when I'm tired, it's harder for me to find the words. 

But like inspiration, I realize I need to go after gumption with a club.  I make myself sit down here and write.  Mostly, those times produce really crappy lame words.  But it's producing words.  Crappy words are still better than no words.  Crappy words can be fixed.

Sometimes, though, something clicks in my head and things fall into place.  An epiphany!  Who needs inspiration or gumption when you have an epiphany.  I had two of those last night.  The first one I had when I was sitting in the living room trying to work up the gumption to work.  It filled my gumption tank and I scurried in here to write about 2K words.  The second one struck after I'd already shut down the 'puter for the night and I forgot to write it down.  Lucky for me, just thinking about having the epiphany made it pop into my head and I wrote it down a couple minutes ago.  Things are falling into place.

Thinking about it now, I guess I got the first epiphany because I was strolling through the jungle of my mind with a club looking for gumption, and I flushed it out.  WHACK.  Brought that sucker down.  The other epiphany was sneakier, but I nailed it, too. 

So, I'm back to writing.  I had hoped to get this first edition done by the end of September.  I don't see that happening, but it's possible.  And if I miss that deadline, I'll be finished soon after.  It's all good.