The only thing better/worse than the heady excitement and relief of finishing a book is the heady, exciting fresh fear of starting a new one. I'd planned to give myself several weeks to relax, revive my worn to the nub creativity and generally enjoy summer evenings with my husband, on the hammock leisurely reading.Then the itch started. A mere four days after I finished writing my synopsis and sending off to agents, a little itch started deep in my brain. And it felt like the only way to scratch it would be to start writing again. Except this happened wayyy ahead of schedule. Where was my down time? What about my slow exploration of future story ideas? Suddenly I had to frantically sort through five ideas (and I love all of them) to find the one above all I'd live and breathe for the next six months. Not just the one that called to me, but the one that would make the most sense in terms of branding and marketing for my fledgling career. That's a lot of pressure to put on a two line idea!
So I've sorted out the story, chosen names, worked out the first few chapters...and still the itch grows. Why? Because I'm stuck on finding a location. The majority of the book will take place on a cruise ship, but I need a nice little town to start in...and I'm stymied! Its very hard to concentrate on research and plotting when the itch to write begins to take over the really important parts of my brain that like to watch movies and cook. I think I'm going to be forced to give in to the itch soon, ready or not.
Ahh, Christi, you know the muse never sleeps...I commend you on choosing one out of five ideas. I keep flirting with my five hoping one will choose to make a commitment.
ReplyDeletemsgimp says...
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday Christi! In your inaugural posting, you commented that you felt like you were getting older, as are we all, and you were concerned about losing a bit of your zest and zing for life. I am here to tell you that will never happen!
I saw a sign near my street last month that read, "Live your life and not your age." This could and should be your mantra and motto because as long as I have known you, this is exactly what you have always done. This new adventure as an author is living your own life, not what and how someone else tells you to live, and that is how all your other successful adventures have begun - with Christi being 'Christi!' You've given birth and voice and meaning to characters others can not even dream about - BRAVA! You've created twenty lives within the confines of the printed word found within your first book - BRAVA! And in the typical 'Christi' fashion, you have begun creating another entirely different world of characters, mysteries, and love - BRAVA! Every new chapter of your life that you began because of a feeling deep in your bones, that itch of which you write, has been very successful - BRAVA! Like millions of your fans-to-be, I can't wait to enter your worlds of imagination.
So, on this most auspicious day, keep on being that beautiful, courageous, creative, loving, and compassionate woman you have always been. Enjoy life by living it, without concern of an age posted on a calendar one whit! Like fine wine and cheese, you just get better and better with age.