Update on the book

Saturday, October 18, 2008

I am having a blast writing my book. I have three chapters written out in rough draft form and summaries for the 16 or 17 others complete. I've sent off my first chapter to a few friends to review and am anxiously awaiting their comments. If they want to keep reviewing for me, as soon as their done with chapter 1, I can send them chapters 3 and 4. No, that isn't a typo... I skipped chapter 2. Something fairly important happens in chapter 2 and I don't know if I'm ready to write it yet. That is, I don't know if I'm capable of writing it well enough right now. I'll probably save it for last and go back to it at the end.

For a while I've known that 'Instinct' isn't the end of Casey Parker's story, on the contrary - it's only the beginning. Well the other day my friendly, neighborhood writing gremlin decided to keep me up way too late yet again. Over the course of an hour, he bombarded me with images and story lines. In about an hour I learned Casey's whole story. All three books of it! I sat down and started typing as soon as the inspiration hit and felt like I was taking dictation more than I was creating. I had known the basic story line for the 2nd book for a while as it was originally part of 'Instinct'. A part that had grown far too long to include in one book. But the way it all turns out really amazed me. I wonder if all writers write this way, or maybe I'm just slowly going crazy... either way, I'm having fun!

In one night I witnessed pretty much her entire life story. I wish there was a way I could show people the exact images that appear in my mind when I think about my characters. I know how she grows and changes over the course of a few years and where I'm meant to stop the series. I have a tentative title for book 2 and a title I really like for book 3. The graphic designer in me has even taken to creating book covers during my occasional bouts of writer's block. I make this okay in my mind by saying that I need something to use as a cover when I send chapters to friends to review...

But anyway, the book is going really well in my opinion... we'll just have to wait and see what my reviewers think. Erich thinks it's started off really well and that the chapter he read flows well. If all goes well I should have chapter 5 done within the next week, it would be sooner but we're going to go visit some friends for a couple days. Their mother recently passed away and we really want to be there for them.

~Willow