Woman On Fire
- Maggie Shayne
- May 9, 2022
- 2 min read
Something has happened to me that hasn't happened in a long time. A story has taken hold of me and dragged me into its depths. You know, over the past several years, I kind of evolved my method of novel-writing. I developed a story structure grid. I fill white boards with scene ideas, and spend time developing each character, finding images of the actor who would play them, doing extensive background information on them, etc.
But that's not how I used to write. I used to just go with whatever spark of an idea had caught fire in my mind. A man on a table with a sheet over him takes a strangled breath, while the woman in the white lab coat with her back to stiffens in shock, and turns slowly. That's all I had when I started Miranda's Viking.
I might be rambling. I just finished today's scenes, which took me somewhere I didn't know I was going. When I finished, I wanted to spike a football and do a little end zone dance. I'm still kind of tingly with the energy of today's writing session. Let me just say that I have started this book, Something Bloody, Something Blue, at least three times. Each time I had the wrong story, the wrong plot, the wrong crime to solve, despite all my tables and charts and plotting exercises.
But this time, I don't even know what the plot is. It's dragging me along and I'm dying to know what happens next. I did not see what just happened coming. I was as stunned as you will be.
Life is calling me away from the computer. It's spring, after all! I'm going to keep this one short, but I just wanted to let you know how great it's going. When I get a first draft, I'll book the edit and set the release date, but not yet. Not in these precious, early stages. It's too soon to put deadline pressure on it.
I'm so happy to be back in Rachel's world. It's one of my very favorites.
Later!
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