Close to the Finish Line!

I don't know what it is, but I can really start out well on a project (especially is the ideas are flowing) and can spend weeks devoted completely to what I'm writing.  And then comes the hiccup.  Something will happen to distract me, and I lose focus.  Then it's really difficult to get back on the computer and finish.  

Right now, I'm 34 chapters into W.t.W.W.Y.N.  That's not an insignificant achievement...but it's not perfect either.  It was about there that I realized I didn't like some of the direction I was going and (to steal a phrase from "Lost") I had to course correct. Now, I seem muddled in not only getting everything in line up to 34 but in finishing it.  I see the end in my mind; I have a pretty good idea of where the story is going.  It just takes a lot of work to get it there.  *Sigh*

Character Profile: Elizabeth Abbot Kinkaid

Elizabeth, or Lizzie as she is called, is the heroine of W.t.W.W.Y.N.   I wanted to make Lizzie as normal as possible, meaning I didn't want her to be some heroic FBI agent out to stop the bad guy.  I pictured her as someone who was the victim in a plot bigger than her, so that she would be forced to confront major obstacles to get her life back.  

Here's some basic information: 

Lizzie is early-30's (around 32 or 33).  She has wild, curly red hair.  I pictured her hair as reflecting her own emotions.  When it's calm and controlled, she has her life in order, and when it takes over, she's lost control of who she is.  She's pretty average in height but way too skinny (a result of stress from the last 2 years of her life).  

Her History:

Lizzie grew up in Rose Lee, Colorado with her father and grandparents.  Her mother left the family when Lizzie was only 3 or 4, and Lizzie has rarely seen her since.  Her grandmother died when she was  a teen, and her father died of a heart attack when Lizzie was in college.  So, she really leans on her grandfather as the support system in her life.

She grew up with five close friends.  Nick Kinkaid (who she would grow up to marry), Tess (who would marry Dan), Dan Monroe (Nick's cousin), Russ, and Emerson "Em" Kinkaid (Nick's younger sister).  Her deepest friend was Em until she passed away from cancer when the girls were teens. 

All the loss in Lizzie's past, especially the loss of Em, pushed her into the field of counseling.  At the time of her disappearance she was counseling teen girls who'd undergone extreme trauma in their lives.

What's her deal?

That's the mystery.  What is the deal?  Two years ago, Lizzie apparently left her husband and the life they'd built together.  Leaving only a disjointed note to explain her decision, Lizzie vanished.  Nick could never believe that Lizzie would take off the way she did, but many people remember how wild Lizzie had been as a teenager and figure it fit her character perfectly.  

Now, 2 years later, Lizzie returns by what seems to be coincidence to her hometown.  However, she has no memory of her past or who she was before she'd left.  Now, with the help of her friends, Lizzie has to figure out who she is and what happened to her before the man behind it strikes again. 

Answered Prayer

God is amazing.  I know that, but I also know that God does things on his timetable and not on mine.  That's sometimes really difficult to deal with.  I want what I want when I want it.  Unfortunately, I recognize that I'm kind of impatient, a lot stubborn, and majorly independent.  These are not qualities that lead to patient waiting.  God has really been forcing me to wait in several areas of my life.  Sometimes I take "wait" as a "no".  What I need is to remember that God's okay is far better than my best, and I know that God wants more than okay for me.  He wants his best.  So, sometimes, I just need to pray without expectations placed on him.  He's God after all, and if I can't trust him, who can I trust?  God will answer in his time, and I need to believe that.  

Praise God!

A 3 in 1

I used to never read those books that had three novels in one.  The stories always felt too short, and I wanted more time with the characters.  However, recently, I've discovered the joy of reading those shorter novels.  I mean, instead of one great book I suddenly had 3 shorter stories!  It's like Christmas!  

However, the downside is that sometimes the quality is pretty poor.  The stories can feel rushed, and we're not given much time to get to know the characters.  There's been a few of these books that I haven't finished because the quality was so terrible.  I'm not kidding when I say this--I read one where the 2 leads spent FIVE pages arguing about whether dogs or cats made better pets. Really?  This is a short book, there must be something of interest to write about your characters. If they warranted a book, then they better have a story to tell.  

One of my many ideas including writing one of these books.  I even have the basis for it.  The overarching story would take place at a homeless shelter.  The first story would be about Grace Morgan, an ex-actress and former drug addict, who works at the shelter as director of fundraising.  Sam Mills is a tabloid journalist who comes searching for her and re-discovers himself.  The second story is about Olivia O'Dell, a divorcee with a young son, who is the manager of the mission.  While she is still dealing with the mess that was her marriage, she meets Travis Hart.  Travis is a former military man looking for his bipolar sister who vanished onto the streets.  The third story is about Corinne "Cory" Tall Oak.  Cory is the co-ordinator of children's services at the shelter as well as owner of a small motel.  She is dealing with the ramifications of an unwed pregnancy when she meets James Sheridan.   James is a widower with 3 children who is bringing his children to visit their grandparents while dealing with the loss of his wife.  

I haven't gotten much farther than the ideas for each story but I'll get there.  

What if you don't want to write about what you know?

"They" always say to write what you know.  I've always wondered, what if you had a really boring life?  What if you don't want to write about the everyday happenings of your neighbors and how you're sure your boss hates you because he gave you the worst assignment ever?  

Personally, I've always been more interested in reading suspense stories and that's what I enjoy writing.  Have I ever met someone in the FBI?  No.  But I sure do like reading stories about them.  For me, writing is about the art of pretend, and if you write well enough, the audience shouldn't ever know that I'm not a part of the FBI myself.  I don't know if I'm THAT good, but I'm certainly trying.

This whole writing what you know would cut a lot of stuff out of my book, and that's not even counting jobs that I don't participate in myself.  

I think writing is more about writing on the human condition and emotions that everyone experiences.  Those are the things we should know about when we write.  Our characters should feel like real people even if they are in outrageous, highly suspect situations.  How many people really suffer from amnesia?  My guess is not nearly as many as authors write about and actors portray...but if we can grab ahold of the emotions that person might be going through, that's the key to a good, dynamic story.  

on editing and editing and editing and editing, etc...

I'll be honest.  Editing is exhausting.  This is one of the main reasons that writer's block sets in for me...see when I edit, I have a hard time just picking up from where I left off.  I have to go back to the beginning.  Let me tell you that once the chapters add up, it takes a REALLY long time to get through the thing because I always find things that need to be fixed.  It gets to the point that I want to scream.  I'm sure I even have once or twice.  

But, as annoying as it is, it must be done.  Especially when I change major plot points and add characters.  Which I do.  A lot.  

I'm currently in the process of editing W.t.W.W.Y.N. for only the 3rd time (which isn't really that much considering), and I changed 2 major points.  So, now it's about extracting the roots of the old idea (which was okay but probably too far-fetched) and planting a new (hopefully better) idea.  But even the new idea creates a new set of problems.  (Wait...does she know this happened or not?  Would he really be motivated by this?  Should I just chop this character out of the story?)  

And, of course there's changing the name of a character.  I changed Kat's name Kate and Beau's name from Annie on my 4th or 5th draft of W.B.S.F., and that was obnoxious.  Even on my 7th edit, I'd find the stray Annie or Kate littering the story.  

I've discovered that one of the best ways to edit is to let someone else read the story and tell me everything that's wrong with it.  I must publicly thank Wendy Watson for doing that for me for the W.B.S.F.  Now I just need to find that person for W.t.W.W.Y.N.  

What exactly is the line that no one wants to cross?

I write Christian fiction.  That's really all I can write...I've tried other stuff, usually unsuccessfully.  I just need to include what I believe in what I write.  That's why I enjoy reading Christian fiction--I know that I won't feel all yucky when I'm done.  

But, after years of reading various authors, I've found there's a big difference in how they approach faith in their works.  I admit, I've read a few books where I've been completely annoyed because it feels as though the writers are trying to convert me.  My personal thought on this (and, admittedly, I could be wrong) is that most people reading Christian fiction are already Christians. I get a little tired of reading pages of sermons planted in the story or Christian-ese filling the dialogue.  A little faith goes a long way. 

On the other hand, I've read a few authors where I had no idea that they were writing from a Christian perspective because some of the writing has been a little racy or the doctrine spouted by characters has been a little shaky.  

So, where is that line?  How do I write what I believe without either boring or offending the reader?  This is something I still struggle to find a balance with...I want to show my characters praying without going overboard.  And what about salvation?  How much detail should one go into if you have a character who accepts Christ?  All I can do is keep practicing and editing and praying myself for wisdom in what I write.