The joys and travails of e-authors Sherry (Shara) Jones and Laura Hamby as they jump computer monitors first into the pool. Holding hands and plugging their noses, of course.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Trials and Travails of the Journey...

Laura:

I’ve wrestled with the WIP I’d hoped was destined for the Big Girls. Tried out Jennie’s suggestions (excellent for figuring out character arcs), tried other suggestions, and finally last night, decided, “Yanno, I’m struggling. I’ll set it aside for the moment. Work on something else.” So, I pulled out a couple of old WIPs and found myself re-enthralled with one of them, and re-intrigued by another, and laughing at myself because one is clearly a romantic comedy and the other is a paranormal.

This morning, while I was climbing into the shower, still half-asleep (the ol’ bod knows what to do in the mornings, even if my braincell isn’t engaged yet), it occurred to me what was wrong with the “Original WIP.” Still more asleep than awake, I IM’d Sherry first thing this morning with, “I figured out what was wrong with it!” Of course, Sherry knew exactly what I was talking about as we’d spent a couple nights chatting on IM, with me whinging about having lost that lovin’ feeling for the story.

Now the conundrum: which WIP to work upon?

Heh. Well, I do know now what I need to do in order to “fix” the original WIP, but the lovin’ feeling is gone, gone, gone... ooooh-ooooh-ooooh. So, I’ll just sideline it until the lovin’ feeling comes back.


Sherry:

I absolutely know how it feels when you lose your thrill (On Blueberry Hill?) for your WIP. *stares pointedly at the large number currently cluttering up the ole hard drive* Sometimes, though, after a few months (years?) that thrill returns, along with the plan to breath new life into a former love (in this case, a WIP gone bad). A case of absence and the heart growing fonder.

I’m in love with my current WIP. The subject matter has haunted me for a long time. I have no idea why it took me so long to think to build a romance novel around it. So far, by using writing tips (which we have dubbed The Method) gleaned from Julie Cohen (Waldenbooks bestseller for Harlequin Special Presents and Mills and Boon), I’m finding my thrill again with nary a blueberry hill in sight.

And the journey continues.

2 comments:

Melissa Blue said...

I know that lost, that pain to open up a word document and want to cry, because you have to write on this book. I usually don't feel that way until I've written THE END and am revising the darn thing. At that point I tell myself to step away slowly from the manuscript.

Long and Short Reviews said...

If you don't love your story, why will a reader? That comes across, I think.