It's been a while since my last post and I have a really really good reason. You see the purpose of this blog was to start writing. Not about any one topic but just to practice. The reason I have been lax in my posts is due to the GIANT step I've taken and a journey I had not expected.
I have actually managed to write a book, a real book. Well, two books actually, the second is still a work in progress. The first book is over 110,000 words and this apparently is a no no for a first time work. The problem is I was only half way through the story when I hit chapter 30, thus the need for the second book. I'm currently working on chapter 12 of this one.
What surprised me most was the ease of writing and story telling. The first book practically wrote itself and the second is flowing quite nicely as well. The story has evolved and unfolded as I completed each chapter. A direction I had originally planed would change and head off in a new direction, all in a relevant and pertinent way. What I wrote in the first book is relative to the continuing story in the second, and maybe even third. I can see this developing into a series.
My next step is publishing, well editing then publishing. I have done my research and have a pretty good idea of how to write a great query letter, a very important component to publishing fiction, which my books are. The perfect hook and all encompassing synopsis is a daunting task to say the least. However, if I can write some 140,000 words thus far a simple query letter should be a piece of cake right? No, not at all. Try condensing your entire work into first one or two sentences, the hook. Then a short paragraph, the synopsis. All the while trying to convey to the publisher or agent why they should take a chance on your book when they are inundated with such queries every hour. Good luck to me.
The nice thing about the process is, regardless of whether it's published or not at least I've done what I set out to do and that's write. I've enjoyed every moment of it. I've faced little to no writers block because the story line is based 'loosely' on my own experiences so I have a wealth of information to draw upon add to that a very active imagination. The nice thing about fiction is the ability to be outlandishly creative.
A friend of mine told me that if the main character is likable and the reader can relate and become emotionally attached to said character you've done a good job. Is my main character likable, I would say yes, I like her. More so my mom likes her and that's huge. My mom has been reading the chapters as they are completed, she's my first set of eyes other than my own to witness the evolution of my story. In fact, I am honoured to say that in the second book there is a chapter that actually brought her to tears. That's exactly what I was going for and I succeeded. YEAH!
So what's my book about, well, you'll just have to wait until it's published to find out. I can tell you this, it's fiction, and it's a chick book. Not to mention, trying to explain what it's about is like having someone describe the flavour of chocolate ice cream to someone who has never tasted it before. So you'll just have to read it to find out what it's all about.
If you want a sneak peak I am looking for editors to read through the first draft looking for grammar and consistency issues, if any one's interested you know where to find me.
With much love, light and great expectations,
Tammy.
