This book is on fire (#04)
Things are heating up
December is almost done, and with that, the slow roasting of all life in Australia. Summer is upon us, and while we have a million gorgeous beaches to languish on, the promise of sweat is almost too much to bear.
What's been going on writing-wise? Scenes 10 and 11 of my fantasy romance book, Project Hollow, are done (if you want to read a blurb on what it's about, click here). Woo! But only a short woo, because there are 30 more scenes to go.
The first 10 or so scenes/chapters of the book have really set the stage, and now we are finally getting into the part where our two main protagonists will clash and figure out whether they want to work together. That means lots of screen time together, fighting (of all kinds), and the potential to build delicious tension between them. They really despise each other at the moment, so getting them to the attraction stage is going to be fun. I hope I can pull this off 💪🏽
Something I'm really focusing on is making the characters their distinct selves. Sounds like the most obvious thing in the world. Duh, make your characters individuals, Irada. But easier said than done. I don't want to fall into the same voice or tone I had used in my previous book. This is a new pair of characters, and I want to convey something different and fresh through their dynamic. I want to say something new with this work and stretch myself. However, there is such a lovely comfort in writing in a voice or way I have already used; it's like a nice warm hug—a safe place.
I have been consuming a lot of fashion content recently, and this idea has come up in analyses of designers I have listened to. Some designers, like Miuccia Prada, resist the pull of what they have done before; only when they are working with things that make them uncomfortable and in the realm of the unknown does the art come. Particularly in Prada's case, the designs will often be "ugly" and cause a kind of visual discomfort for the viewer, and that is the point, because there is something to say there or something for the viewer to understand about themselves there. Does that make sense?
Prada SS25
Coming back to Project Hollow, in scene 12, I've got Ward stalking Cin (not in a creepy way, but a practical, utility kind of way) in his phantom form. His view on witches, the most hated creatures in the known worlds, will be challenged, just a bit or maybe a lot. Welcome to the stage, Miss Inner Conflict! The next Cin and Ward will confront each other and decide whether they want to work together to find Bambi, and we will see the actual back-and-forth, claws, daggers, and hexes out, as they argue. That's where I expect to use up a lot of my brain juice. Eeeeep! I'm excited! But first scene 12 has to be a banger.
As I'm writing these days, I've been thinking about what kind of writer I am. I don't follow any prescriptive view, and I don't think you should either. Every writer is different in their process and I'm more sure of that the more I write. I have recently thrown out the old advice against editing as I go. The advice is to never edit as you write your first draft; just get it out, rough and patchy as it is. But for me, that was really taxing. I really wrestled with the incompleteness and couldn't move on. All my brainpower was going into trying to be okay with the fact that my previous scene was a mess. The advice was slowing down my progress. I need to go back and edit a scene before I can move on. It has to be polished and readable.
Another tool I've been finding helpful is people watching. I'm not into listening to music while writing. I don't know how people do it, weirdos. I do like watching city walks on YouTube, and I watch along as a silent cameraman walks through a bustling city for an hour or so. There is something about watching people out, and about, maybe, talking in a language I don't understand, in their own worlds, that is lubricating to my mind. Words just come easier.
I haven't found a good cafe near me where I can people-watch yet, but the library close to me has a great window seat overlooking a busy city street. It's fab.
I also wanted to shout out three writing/author YouTube channels that I love to watch in my downtime. Writing is such a solitary art, and it's nice to know you are not alone out there.
Alyssa and the books - she is funny, smart, and has written four or five books already. I want to be like her when I grow up.
Lindsey Puckett - a traditionally published middle-grade writer who writes spookyish mysteries/thrillers.
Sara Cannon's Heart Breathings - an independent author with over 30 books published. She really homes in on the craft and process of writing and breaks things down in a very analytical way that makes you believe you can do it too.
Until the next time,
