I am at the end of a new book, Murder and Mayhem. New series. New characters. New anxieties. No, wait… same anxieties.
It’s always difficult when trying to cobble together personalities and a world, even if it is set in a modern Los Angeles. Each book has its own voice and I might start off thinking “Oh, it’s going to be funny” and then it all goes sideways. This time, it was a hell of a lot less funny and more… grit? Raw-boned? It’s hard to really quantify at this point because later today, I’m going to go back into the full document and read what I’ve done.
When I write, I rarely go back and read or edit while I’m writing. Sometimes something sticks with me and it’s like an itch I can’t get rid of. That’s usually a sign that I’ve left something out. That’s a retrofit and those I do midstream. I’ll go back and structure it back up or it’ll bug the shit out of me and I can’t go forward.
Writers talk about doing it by the seat of their pants or plotting everything out. I kind of write by a loose plot but with my gut instincts. I’ve found it best not to fight the voice as it comes out. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it’s an odd construct but it really is what comes out. The whole It Is What It Is fits here.
I also know when I’ve done too much in one day. I get a visitor. Literally, she comes and sits on me. Very demanding cat. This was last night. I guess I was done. Or so she told me.
Our cats could be siblings! Seriously I have so seen that same expression on my Meggy Wafel☺️ Mainly when I complain I want my lap back*sighs*
A new series to look forward to…hmmm*does Happy Dance*
She is so loving… but beats up the dog 😀
Yup when she wants her loves she is not shy…when she was still a kitten she was a terror! Lol she used to ride one of our other cats like he was a pony!
Heh…she has mellowed some since😉
What a good helper-kitty! She’s taking care of you, so you don’t get eyestrain or carpal tunnel, or anything else that might interfere with your more important duties as feeder-person. Priorities. She haz ’em.
I’ve been gone a lot and she has been showing her displeasure with that *grins*
So excited about Murder and Mayhem!! Is it a m/m romance?
It is a M/M Mystery-Romance 😀
Thanks for sharing your writing process. Mine is very similar. Good to know I’m not alone. I just find a quiet place, sit down, and write. I do not allow myself to edit until after I write ‘The End.’ That first draft is the hardest thing in the world, but so worth it.
So much of the suck. I hate drafting 😀 *grins*
Looking forward to this and I am glad that you have a cat to keep you healthy and happy.
smooooches
I agree and I write very similarly. I write until I’m finished with the story or book, then I go back to the beginning and start the editing process. (To be absolutely honest, I enjoy the editing far more than the actual initial writing.) Once the words have hit the e-page for the first time the rest is a breeze (relatively speaking). Can’t wait to read the new series.
Yeah, now comes the edit!
Looking forward to a new series!