Beginnings

Well, I say that, but actually my beginning began months ago. Right now, I'm chronologically three chapters into my novel, or about a quarter of the way if you go by word count (25,000).

I tend not to write in order - I write more as the ideas pop into my head. In fact, I've got a good chunk of material for later books in the series, including the very last page or so of the last book. I'll probably end up rewriting it, though. I find it easiest to do the key events first and stitch them together later. As Charlaine Harris - one of my favourite authors - said once in an interview, the hardest bit about writing a book is the everyday stuff that links the major scenes together. I think that the ability to write those parts engagingly is the mark of a good author.

Truthfully, I don't know the whole story yet - I haven't made a list of bullet points or an overview. I tried to, but found that as soon as I put finger to keyboard, it just wouldn't flow as naturally as it should. It seemed kind of hollow - maybe I'd hindered my own passion by trying to adhere to my own prescribed rules. I think it's possible to avoid being formulaic while staying on track and relevant. I want the twists and turns to surprise me, because then they'll (hopefully) surprise my reader.

One of Charlotte's (my protagonist's) close friends was just knocked down by a car. He's in the ER right now and I still don't know whether he'll make it out alive or not. He's not relevant in the foreseeable future, but I think his death might be a little too bleak this early on in the book. Another of my characters shocked me by behaving violently - I had no idea he had such a short fuse.

I'm struggling to find a village in Antrim to base my fictional one on. I can't use a real one, simply because none of them fit my specifications. There must be a manor house nearby - if not, the real village's history would have to be completely rewritten. It's something that's dangerous to tamper with.

For now - less blogging, more writing.