Rejoining the World

After finishing a project, and leaving the fictional world I'd been living in for awhile, I always spend at least a week in a confused daze as I grow reacquainted with the real world. My emotions are on edge and I can go from giddy laughter to verging on tears in seconds. I am simultaneously mournful that my time with those characters has ended and excited to get to know new ones. On top of all, I am bracing myself to confront rewrites on previous projects.

Oh, and speaking of the real world, usually by this point, my friends and family are wanting my company, and I also must reunite with this wonderful online community. There are blog posts to write, catching up with my buds on twitter, and maintaining my usual Facebook shenanigans.

The problem? At this stage in my writing I have no desire to talk to anyone. I feel like I just got off the longest and craziest amusement park ride on the face of the planet. I am shell-shocked and all I want is time alone to find equilibrium. Needless to say, I managed a blog post Monday and a few conversations, but Tuesday I basically told the world to go to hell while I reread Jane Eyre. I traumatized my drinking buddies at the Powder River Saloon when I came in, sipped a hard cider in silence, and left. They probably think their resident chatterbox was abducted and assimilated into the Borg....or whatever it's called.

Today, I'm a little better. I feel more connected during this blog post than Monday's. As I gear up to tackle my BRIDES OF PROPHECY series, I think of you all and how grateful I am to you for sticking with me through this arduous writer's journey. It is because of you that I've become a better writer and because of you that I improve daily at my craft. Thank you!

How do you feel when finishing a project? How do you rejoin the world?

Between Drafts

If you'll kindly take a look at my progress bar, you'll see that I completed the rough draft of my contemporary romance: Solo Project For Two. W00000T!!!!


I follow Stephen King's advice to put a rough draft away for 4-6 weeks and work on something else. That something else shall be another round of revisions on the first two books in my paranormal series. I CAN'T WAIT to get back to my paranormals! This last was a contemporary but it wouldn't get out of my head so I had to write it.


I'll start with book 2 in AN IRONIC SACRIFICE since that progress bar has been sitting idle for months and I have pages of notes and tons of helpful beta crits to work with.


And speaking of crits, since I'll be in "editor mode" I'll be doing a few crits for some friends. I will also be catching up my social networking and hunting for paranormal guest posters. :) 


But this period won't be all work and no fun. I'm finally going to get to attack my giant TBR pile...and be lazy on the couch watching movies...and getting rowdy late at night on twitter. Oh, twitter, I've neglected you so. :( 


Then I'll get on rewriting the "Official" first draft and while that's off to the betas I'll work on rewriting book one. Then I get to do my research for book 3.


Hopefully by the time I finish the third draft of SOLO PROJECT FOR TWO, I'll get to begin the third book in my Brides of Prophecy series, already loosely titled: QUEEN OF PROPHECY.


What do you do between drafts?

Why it's good to push yourself

Two weeks ago, a miracle happened. I had the house to myself for the weekend. That's almost three full days without the TV squawking, the constant inquiry of "Mommy, can I...." and the interruptions of my husband's friends. What did I do with this glorious time? Well, yes I did reserve a few moments for bubble baths, celebratory drinks, junk food, and trashy movies. But most of the time I dedicated to my writing. I knew that I would not get another opportunity for uninterrupted solitude, and I needed to use it. I set myself the seemingly impossible goal of 10,000 words for the weekend.

Well, just five minutes before midnight on that Sunday night, I accomplished my goal. Getting started was the hardest part, but there were many moments when the blinking cursor seemed to ask, "What now?" and I did not have an answer. Still, I blundered through, writing some lifeless crud that I know will be cut in the next draft. But as I plugged along, often an amazing thing happened. The story would jolt to life like Frankenstein's monster (couldn't resist the Halloween-esque analogy) and it seemed the words poured out from my fingertips on their own. It was magical and I was living the story along with the characters.

It happened again today. I had hoped to have this draft finished by Friday, but I have little hope, because I was sick for the last three days. Still, I'm going to try. This morning, hacking and sneezing away, I forced myself in front of the word processor, I had a staring contest with the blinking cursor and won. The story has come back and I'm excited about it once more.

Does this happen to you? Please, tell me of your ups and downs in story creation.