A small update for you
So for those of you who have read my first Jack Diamond book and are anxiously awaiting the second book, I have a wee update for you.
I have known, for quite some time, what the next book's plot is going to be. I know who's going to die, and who did it, and why. I know where the body is. I don't know the main character's first name yet, but I have a couple of okay, dull, and somewhat acceptable possibilities. I have a *FABULOUS* new recurring side character to introduce you to. She's awesome, and you're going to LOVE her. But something has been holding me back from actually sitting down and writing the darn thing.
I'm not sure exactly what's holding me back. It's not a typical writer's block, so to speak. But, as I'm not a typical writer, perhaps it IS a typical writer's block, and I just don't want to admit it. There's something off about the book, and until I can place my finger on it and FIX it, I just don't want to get started. Maybe it's the *fear* of writer's block? Hmmm... I actually had a similar problem before I started Diamonds for Diamond. Something was wrong. But in that case, it was a bigger issue -- and my sweet hubby sat me down, listened to me warble on for about an hour, and then simply (seriously, simply) untangled the mess, and I was merrily on my way.
So yesterday while sitting in a doctor's office waiting room, I sat down and plotted out the next book, start to finish on the back of folded up piece of paper I had stashed in my purse, affectionately nicknamed the great big bag of everything. For some unGodly known reason I had removed my small yellow pad of paper that I keep stashed in there for just such emergencies. Anywhoo...., after plotting and planning and outlining the book, I found out exactly where my hiccup is. I have chapters one through 14 planned out. And I have chapters 26 - 42 planned out. But there's a giant plot hole in chapters 15-25. I have NO idea what's supposed to go there. Seriously. No idea. Blank space. Tabula Rasa. That, to me, is more than a writer's block. That's a black hole. Yipes.
So now I know what the problem is with my book, and I know where the problem is, I'm hoping I can sit down with sweet hubby, and after warbling at him for a while, he'll twitch his magic wand once again and quite simply untangle my mess. Er, I mean, black hole. Seriously hoping this can happen. Because if he can't figure out what's supposed to go in there, I'm in a big pickle over here.
Anywhoo, that's where I am. Stuck with a black hole in the middle of my story. I have exactly four months to get my sweet fanny out of the briar patch and back into the thick of writing. Four sweet months to untangle my mess, get out of my black hole, ship my kiddo off to college, and then this book is getting written, whether it likes it or not. And yes, that's a threat. To myself.
So during my four months of untangling, de-black-hole-i-fying, unblocking my writer's block, and getting myself out of this pickle, my goal is (or rather, goals are) to finish working on my massive genealogy project that I've been working on (and off and on and off and on again) for five years (which is turning out to be *three* incredible books that will be of no interest to anyone but myself, and probably some long lost relative who will be born in about 100 years), take a long-awaited family vacation to Alaska, send my kiddo off to college, and bake about seventeen thousand cookies, cupcakes, cakeballs, and pies to help comfort me during these trying times.
So there you have it. A wee update of my trials and tribulations regarding book number 2. I wish it was more exciting. I guess I could have left a few spoilers for you. Perhaps I should do that with my next update. Or have a contest, so all y'all could help me come up with the next book's main character's name. That would be fun!! Hmmmm... something to think about.
I have known, for quite some time, what the next book's plot is going to be. I know who's going to die, and who did it, and why. I know where the body is. I don't know the main character's first name yet, but I have a couple of okay, dull, and somewhat acceptable possibilities. I have a *FABULOUS* new recurring side character to introduce you to. She's awesome, and you're going to LOVE her. But something has been holding me back from actually sitting down and writing the darn thing.
I'm not sure exactly what's holding me back. It's not a typical writer's block, so to speak. But, as I'm not a typical writer, perhaps it IS a typical writer's block, and I just don't want to admit it. There's something off about the book, and until I can place my finger on it and FIX it, I just don't want to get started. Maybe it's the *fear* of writer's block? Hmmm... I actually had a similar problem before I started Diamonds for Diamond. Something was wrong. But in that case, it was a bigger issue -- and my sweet hubby sat me down, listened to me warble on for about an hour, and then simply (seriously, simply) untangled the mess, and I was merrily on my way.
So yesterday while sitting in a doctor's office waiting room, I sat down and plotted out the next book, start to finish on the back of folded up piece of paper I had stashed in my purse, affectionately nicknamed the great big bag of everything. For some unGodly known reason I had removed my small yellow pad of paper that I keep stashed in there for just such emergencies. Anywhoo...., after plotting and planning and outlining the book, I found out exactly where my hiccup is. I have chapters one through 14 planned out. And I have chapters 26 - 42 planned out. But there's a giant plot hole in chapters 15-25. I have NO idea what's supposed to go there. Seriously. No idea. Blank space. Tabula Rasa. That, to me, is more than a writer's block. That's a black hole. Yipes.
So now I know what the problem is with my book, and I know where the problem is, I'm hoping I can sit down with sweet hubby, and after warbling at him for a while, he'll twitch his magic wand once again and quite simply untangle my mess. Er, I mean, black hole. Seriously hoping this can happen. Because if he can't figure out what's supposed to go in there, I'm in a big pickle over here.
Anywhoo, that's where I am. Stuck with a black hole in the middle of my story. I have exactly four months to get my sweet fanny out of the briar patch and back into the thick of writing. Four sweet months to untangle my mess, get out of my black hole, ship my kiddo off to college, and then this book is getting written, whether it likes it or not. And yes, that's a threat. To myself.
So during my four months of untangling, de-black-hole-i-fying, unblocking my writer's block, and getting myself out of this pickle, my goal is (or rather, goals are) to finish working on my massive genealogy project that I've been working on (and off and on and off and on again) for five years (which is turning out to be *three* incredible books that will be of no interest to anyone but myself, and probably some long lost relative who will be born in about 100 years), take a long-awaited family vacation to Alaska, send my kiddo off to college, and bake about seventeen thousand cookies, cupcakes, cakeballs, and pies to help comfort me during these trying times.
So there you have it. A wee update of my trials and tribulations regarding book number 2. I wish it was more exciting. I guess I could have left a few spoilers for you. Perhaps I should do that with my next update. Or have a contest, so all y'all could help me come up with the next book's main character's name. That would be fun!! Hmmmm... something to think about.
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I wrote a murder mystery! Here are the links so you can buy it:
You can buy the paperback version of my book here:
Or, you can buy either my e-book or the paperback version on Amazon here:
