Hurrah, my intense period of editing and proofing is over! Which means...I’m now looking at a blank page, and I’m somewhere between terrified and elated. Ha! This is the hardest part for me, starting a new project. It’s also an incredibly exciting place to be, because I know how much I'll enjoy making those characters come alive once I get that first transition from imagination to words-on-a-page over with. Often I have to just leap into it and remind myself I can always change things later. I think it’s this way for many authors. Once I get stuck in I know I'll forget all about my doubts.
So what am I working on right now? A couple of things. I’m beginning work on the serial short story that I’ve been commissioned to write for the Harlequin site. To recap: 10,000 words, to be delivered in 8 chapters of around 1,300 words. The contact at Harlequin has sent a great set of guidelines, in fact it covered every question I might have, which saved me making an idiot of myself. :}
One helpful hint they included is that many of the authors who have done these serials say they write the story and then edit it to work as chapters afterwards. The important thing is that the ending of each chapter has to engage the reader to come back, and the next one has to quickly remind them of the set up. The 8 chapters will be delivered on Tuesdays and Thursdays, across a month.
This is a fascinating challenge! At the moment I have several possible turning points in mind for my story, but I’m not sure how those will work out. I know what I want the story arc to be. The setting is in place as is the unfolding plot, and I know who is in it and what their GMC is. I’m about to dive in and try to tease the rest out as I go! Eeek!
I’ve put my word count bar up in the right margin. I think it'll move slowly -- especially at first while I’m still working out details, but I’m hoping it will move regularly. I’m also working on two partials, so I can always flip to one of them if I get stuck. The serial delivery date is January 8th. I’m hoping to get all 3 projects done by the end of December. Wish me luck!
