“Easy reading is damn hard writing.” Nathaniel Hawthorne
Elizabeth Boyle’s latest regency romance, Mad About The Duke is the perfect example of easy reading. It’s full of madcap mayhem and sassy characters but the world of Regency England has a lot of rules, fripperies, and scandals that are utterly alien to my experience because I read very few Regencies. Yet I flipped through 350 pages in less time than I’ve been able to write 3 pages. It was wonderful entertainment!
Creating Chapter Two of my current WIP is like hiking downhill through sludge. I know this is part of the discovery process with story.
Last Sunday I attended a workshop, hosted by three author friends, called “When the muse doesn’t show up.” The Muse is a trickster type and is more friendly with new writers. The Muse will happily instill ideas and passions at least halfway through the first story. The Muse may pop in and out of the office all the way through to The End of the story.
The author cheers and celebrates then slowly realizes this story is a long way from being a publishable novel. I know this because even though it was many stories ago, that Muse inspired passion still lingers and keeps me typing one word at a time.
I attended a great “Show Don’t Tell” craft workshop on Saturday and tested out my core story issues with friends. I got thumbs up. I can see my characters. I can feel their issues. Showing that from inside the character’s eye and heart is the work of storytelling. It’s hard work and I’m out of practice but plowing through as these characters become someone I didn’t envision.
Every word and paragraph drags itself through my uncertainty. I’d rather rearrange cupboards. I know there’s a bunch of retrograde planets sending plodding energy from the skies and I can use that as an excuse for procrastination. I’d rather vent on my blog. 🙂
My new desk has not arrived. There were issues with our phone number to set up a delivery appointment. Now that’s been solved BUT the carton on the delivery manifest is labeled, “Paper products/office supplies.” This does not make me feel warm and fuzzy. We’ll see what arrives tomorrow.
Fortunately, this type of leery and uncomfortable emotion is what I’m trying to create in words on the page in Chapter Two. This emotion must slither through sassy dialogue, sunny skies, and fun on horseback.
I know every word written today may be dumped next week, next month. But still, the words need to be written first.
“I can’t edit a blank page.” Nora Roberts
Terri Patrick 