So it’s the end of another week. And it’s cold! I mean, what’s going on, Perth? Normally winter is either wet and warm or cold and dry. This year we’ve had both! And the trees are still shedding leaves which means we’re climate-wise still in autumn. Oh, well. We have had a few great weeks of weather, however, our newly planted herb and vegie patch is not getting rain. Apparently it’s supposed to rain tomorrow. I think?

In the writing world, I believe it pays to keep an open mind about things. Especially new creations. I had a dream last week that – actually I think I’ve mentioned it before … it would lend itself to a group of stories that anyone could write. They just have to be about a haunted prison and a dying town in the middle of a desert. Anyone can write it. Just kidding. hehe.

But we keep working through and eventually something comes out the other end. And that was not meant the way Simon would mean it. No, get your head out of the gutter young man.

While everyone who’s writing probably should write through their hard times where the writing itself is hard, sometimes it pays to write other stuff until the characters themselves say ‘hey, what about us?’ (Wow, since when did they like Moving Pictures?)

So I always wonder with this – what if I don’t have anything to write? Anything to say?

Someone said to me, just write about anything. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m just going to write about anything.

Something I can say is that the brain still works. I’ve been writing a little background for a story that hit me last Sunday night. It’s a spooky one so it might get it’s own little world. Not sure yet as I have a heap of writing already on the go and a heap of characters who are knocking on my doorstep ’cause I promised them I’d write their stories. <sigh> I wonder if all writers feel like they’re at the beck and call of their characters …

And of course, I put my foot down last weekend and said I wanted vegies and herbs while the rain is here and what hasn’t happened since we put them in? It hasn’t rained! Oh, I think we had a drizzle on Wednesday but that was about it. Hmm. How to make it rain? I’ll have to work on that.

One of the most interesting and frustrating parts of writing a story is when your characters get into a conversation and that discussion goes down a path you hadn’t intended.

Now, I am what I think most people refer to as a plantser. I plan as well as write from the seat of my pants. This means that when I start a new story I have a beginning and an end. It’s what is in between that isn’t often planned. This is where conversations between characters can take a twist or even find a new plot in a story. It can also be used to bring to fore a problem a writer hadn’t seen before – basically, I call it my subconscious writing on its own.

Some scenes do this. even. A lot of the scenes in Dark Dimensions weren’t planned. There were some that were planned, but a great many weren’t. I’d like to think they enhanced the overall story and enriched the characters. Same with Consequences. A great deal of that came from just sitting and writing. Although I do remember having a conversation with the main character from the second Consequences book and he turned and said to me “shut up, you’ve just shot me”. I said “what?” but nothing more was forecoming. I did eventually shoot him, too. But I was nice about it. I promise.

Okay, editing of Consequences 1 is complete and I have sent it to my editor. Now comes the waiting game! I’m going to immerse myself in Dark Reign while waiting – that’s my best choice.

For those who don’t like waiting for anything, get doing something, as long as it’s useful and keeps you busy, the time will fly and you’ll be totally surprised when the time is over. At least, that’s the theory. Still waiting for it.

On a completely different subject, I signed a copy of Dark Dimensions for my dentist today. The first question he asked? “Are you working on the sequel?” I was happy to confirm that for him. I also told him that Consequences was close to going to the editor and his response? “Let me know when it comes out.”

I think I have a fan!

Well, now that the dreaded lurgy has almost past, I’ve started writing all those pesky connecting scenes and rewriting scenes that fit but just need tweaking or rewriting. After all, five restarts means that some of the scenes are not going to suit straight away.

This is part of the hard part of writing. When I’m writing what I want to write, it’s usually because it’s all there in my head and I have to get it down as quickly as possible. Which means I skip connectors and things like that. I’d love to have a ghost writer to write all those parts for me but that wouldn’t be growing me as a writer, nor would it be improving my writing skills. So there’s really nothing for it but to go back in and write all of those connecting scenes and explanation scenes.

Which can be boring. Yet in a way it helps with the pace of the book because it gives people a moment or two to recover from emotional issues that the book produces and bolsters them for the next emotional output from the next catastrophe to hit Troy and his people.

Hmm, better stop writing here before I give too much away!

We’re finally getting over the dreaded lurgy that’s laid the house low for the last week and a half. I haven’t felt that sick for a long, long time. In the words of an old doctor of mine? I felt like a truck had hit me, which meant being in Western Australia, it had to be a road train, of course!

But after a week at home ill, I had 2 days at work and am getting better every day. Of course, being a caring person, I shared with my flatmates so the whole house is not the best. The cats think it’s great ’cause we’ve had the fire roaring every day and I slept on the couch for the entire time I was off work. Furbabies kept me warm – along with the fire!

Now comes the fun part of all those linking scenes and making sure everything reads smoothly.

I will say, I was surprised with how long it took to actually set up the final battle. And I was humming and harring over saving the protagonist but decided against it. I’d already saved one protagonist. I needed one to remain a “baddie” for want of a better word.

The funny thing is – this protagonist has set up a storyline all of his own. I now know if I’m stuck for something in November this year, I can always explore his story. It’s a murky and dark one and works well as “… there, but for the grace of god, ….” If you believe in that sort of thing.

And this protagonist was a little hard to write, but I’m not going to give any spoilers away. I’ve already shocked one person with my first book (old friend, old story), I can’t wait to see how he reacts to this little twist!

I will say, I haven’t done this for a few years and this year I find it daunting. Maybe ’cause 90% of the book hasn’t any actual battles in it?

Whatever the reason, I’m going to get through this today and this battle will take place. It may be a deadly battle or it may not. It’s entirely up to the 2 main combatants. We’ll see what they want to do.

Even reading the lead in scenes last night didn’t help! I woke up in the small hours of the morning dreaming about something entirely different and never went back to the battle!

So the election is over for another – what, 4 years, maybe? And it’s time to take a reality check. Well, that’s what most people do.

I’m not going to discuss politics here. Nope. This is for writing and penmanship etc.

So, today I’ve introduced my villain in my sequel but I’m toying with the idea of following him through this part of the story or returning to my hero. Okay, so just after writing that sentence, I realised it’s no longer a thought. I’m going back to my hero because – well, I don’t want to give too much away about the new villain’s character just yet, so this scene is just a taste. At the final battle, I’ll revisit his view point.

Just a teaser for what’s coming.

Over the past few months, I’ve seen writer friends post about giving up, about disappointment in sales figures, about having second thoughts of writing another book, let alone a sequel.

I thought about what they wrote for a long time and sympathised with them. After all, it is hard getting the sales you want – especially for your first book.

Then, this morning, I was looking at a similar post again and I thought: “What’s different about us? Why don’t I feel as depressed as they do?”

And then I realised my reason for writing.

Yes, I want to sell a lot of books. Yes, I’d love to have my books on the best seller charts. But more importantly? More important to me is to get the stories out there. If I sell one, I dance with joy – because it means there’s someone out there who may know me but likes my work enough to buy it. It means that I have either entertained or lightened someone’s day.

After 3 days in the work I’m doing – that’s a big achievement. If I can make someone feel better after reading my books – or give them lots of entertainment whilst reading it, then I’ve done my job. Even if it’s just one person. That’s someone who wouldn’t have read my story if I hadn’t written and published it.

Remember, though, this is only my outlook and not everyone thinks along the same lines as I do. Not everyone thinks or feels like me. So don’t judge a writer who posts that their sales are down and it hurts. That’s how they feel. It’s just as valid as how I feel. Remember, these people write for free until you buy a book of theirs. That’s when the joy comes to the writer.