I’ve got some notes for an RWA post somewhere, under the piles of paper threatening to bury me. So for now, you’ll get a sweating challange post.
Larissa has a post up here that talks about the Sydney novella we’re currently writing. (check out the comments where HelenKay threatens violence…) And yes, this novella’s been tough – we’ve got the plot (oh, maybe that’s the problem, Larissa?) but for some reason the hero wasn’t working for me. He needs a thing, I kept telling Larissa.
He’s not going to be military, she kept repeating.
Maybe he’s former military – a SEAL, a Delta…something where he can throw a few grenades around?
Picture Larissa just staring at me. Yes, I can tell when she’s giving me that look through email.
But last night, after working on the scene for a while, something just happened, the thing I needed to tie my hero more strongly to the heroine. The thing that pulled stuff together for me. So sometimes it takes writing pages and pages and pages that you’re never going to use in order to get to that one line where you’re like, oh, okay, that’s what you want to do.
It’s an awesome feeling, finding that thing. And then I sent the thing to Larissa who liked it too and came up with a quick, what if, list. We chose the option we thought would work best and began checking to see how we could layer that into the existing chapters. So I think we’re just past the halfway point with less than two weeks to go until it needs to be in but we’re in good shape.
So my numbers for the next two weeks will be…strange. I’ll be working on the novella, probably getting in more or less the new 6 pages per day, but I’ve got a few other things due as well.
For July 19th (which is like, almost right now) I’ve got to finish what’s known as the Art Fact Sheet for my March 2008 Blaze (which will probably not keep the title Linger, even though I love it) – basically, this is what the cover artists look at when they’e creating a cover. So I’ve got to list hero / heroine description (this is where Larissa would probably mention that I often forget those details by the middle of the book, so it’s a good thing she’s not here.) I’ve also got to do a synopsis, list a few scenes that could potentially work for a cover as well. I’ve made good use of the words, SEAL, desert cammy BDUs and dogtags.
😆
I’m also going to work on the Hard To Hold revisions tonight, before the novella wings its way back to me. This book is due back into my editor by August 1st, and I’ve already got about 7 pages of new scene stuff I’d like to incorporate, with more to come. So figure, all in all, 5K worth of new stuff. I’m hoping to finish that by this coming Monday.
So, yesterday’s word count was 6 pages of novella plus 4 handwritten pages. Today, I’ve got nothing yet. Probably won’t have much of a count since it will be revision stuff, as I mentioned above. I’ll get to work on that within the next couple of hours.
And toward the end of the week, I’m going to go lurking to see who I can throw a pop prize at…how is everyone doing? From what I saw over at Alison’s blog, the numbers look awesome!
Steph T.
P.S. An entire bottle of Dr. Pepper exploded like a fountain all over me and the kitchen a few minutes ago and all I could do was step back and laugh. FWIW, I’m not sure you’d want me around in a situation that requires quick thinking…
New York Times Bestselling author Stephanie Tyler writes what she loves to read — romantic suspense novels starring military heroes and paranormal romance novels novels starring warrior heroes, all complete with happy endings. Her alter-ego is 
Oohhh. Dr. Pepper sticky.. :yuck:
Bummer. Was it one of those moments that you will laugh at some other day?
I know I shouldn’t be laughing about the Dr. Pepper. It just sounds so much like something I’d do.
Anyway, go revisions! I’ve got mine to do today, too, as soon as I finish this last (#$&( scene!
I love that feeling when all of a sudden the muse speaks and you’re like “ooooh, yeah, totally.”
It happens to me in every story, and right before that I am always tearing my hair out and whining about why I ever decided to write in the first place. Tricky muse.
Hi, Steph! I found your blog through Alison Kent’s site. I enjoy reading your collaboration notes — sounds like you two have got a great rhythm.
I had to laugh at the Dr. Pepper story in particular — that is SO me. At my blog earlier this week, I described how my computer attacked me :shocked: when I should have been writing for Sven.
http://www.dropsofblood.com/2007/07/17/a-nose-for-drama/
One question for you — do you have to work at resisting the temptation to reveal too much of your book on your blog? I know that I do. I’m an unpubbed novelist and I have to keep editing my posts so that I don’t reveal who the killer is in my murder mystery, just in case one of my blog readers ever gets the chance to see my story in print. 😀 But it’s hard, because I get so excited when I think of a cool new plot twist, subplot, or red herring.
Anyway — good luck to you with all your writing!
Lynn – well, considering I was kind of doubled over on the floor laughing with my sticky feet when my husband came down the stairs, I think I will. 😆
Jo – I’ve never seen anything like it! It was spraying straight out from the cap…
Aemlia – the muse definitely makes you wait for it sometimes…how’s the writing going?!?
Hi Carolyn!
It is really hard not to give away too much, especially because telling more of the plot would help my blog posts make more sense sometimes 🙂 But you bring up a really good reason for not brining it up – the spoiler factor. Personally, I live for spoilers, but I think I’m in the minority.
I hope your computer’s not attacking you anymore…I’m going to check out your blog! Oh, and I’m also going to tell you to say, when I get published, and not, in case. Trust me, it works 🙂
Hi, Steph,
Okay — “when” I get published! Yeah, I like the sound of that. If, er, WHEN that happens I’m going to have a long list of thank-yous to the people who’ve encouraged and inspired me. :bravo:
Best – Carolyn
Hi
Annie here from Alison’s blog. The one that feeling good and scared at the same time. Thank you so much for coming to my blog to give me your advice! I think I will go write the ending.
Thanks again
Annie