Writing scenes ahead of time…Seeing the future!

Have you ever worked on a story, then all of a sudden you have an idea for something that will happen several chapters ahead? As I’ve said before, I always know the ending of my stories. Although sometimes it changes slightly, but it stays in the same ballpark.

I’ve written several scenes ahead on my current WIP Safe. And it’s helping with the current writing because I know where I’m headed. And it follows along nicely with my outline because it’s more or less just a more detailed version. Since this is a mystery suspense type book, I’ve written who the bad guys are and what their part will be in the mystery. That way I can continue to make the suspicions grow and also keep the mystery in check. I don’t want to give away everything all at once.

I keep a notebook of notes beside me as I write. And a trusty red pen to mark out the scenes that have been written. This keeps me on track and the suspense building. I can’t have my bad guy getting off on a technicality from my writing too far ahead.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Writing scenes ahead…

Good morning from icy Georgia! It’s below freezing and the precipitation falling isn’t rain… Time for the bulky sweaters that collect dust, but I keep them for just this sort of day…

Now, on to the post. Have you ever wrote a scene ahead of time? I keep a notebook beside my laptop for just this thing. And I label them as what they are. About 90% of the time I know in my head how the book ends and if I’m working on the first half and hit a snag, I’ll write the ending. It inspires me to push through the fog that clouds my thoughts sometimes.

But, will those scenes change and evolve as the writing prior to them does. Certainly, but it keeps you focused on the upcoming events. I’ve written several pages of scenes, then totally deleted some of them as the characters went in another direction. But it’s exciting to step ahead and see the future.

Did I say I could see the future? Yes, in my writing I can. So don’t ask me to read tea leaves or anything like that. I can’t see that kind of future. So, start looking ahead in your WIP and see what can be. It will help with the current part of the process.

As always, good writing and <ay God Bless You…

Sometimes I wonder…

Have you ever wondered what would have been if… Sometimes I sit and wonder what things would have been like if I’d have followed my original life plan. I would be playing in an orchestra and probably in another country. Funny how things change, for the better.

As I was sitting last night working on my historical romance I got to thinking back to two years ago. My manuscripts were in a drawer in my desk. They were hidden from the world for only my eyes. Then my neice which is also my assistant and now my editor and business partner, she found them and read them. Oh my! It felt odd having my work read. I felt suddenly vulnerable.

It’s the same way I felt when she persuaded me to published the books. Of course we had to polish them up and make them ready. I felt open to let down. But amazingly enough I gained some faithful fans and many new friends.I’m so glad she gave me that gentle nudge, well it wasn’t real gentle, it was more of a push. Now I’ve embraced the experience instead of wanting to run and hide my head. I still don’t tell a lot of people I write.

But sometimes I wonder what would have happened if she’d never found them. Would I have eventually followed my dreams and published them? Would they have collected dust until I passed away and my son found them. Would he have published them or thrown them away? Hard to tell, but sometimes I wonder what if…

What do you wonder about? Is it something from the past or someone? Do you have a manuscript hid in a desk desperately wanting recognition? What do you wonder about…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Memories…What do you do with them?

It’s Friday and the weekend is almost upon us. Are you planning a big writing weekend? Me, I’m planning a working weekend which hopefully includes some writing as it’s supposed to be a rainy weekend here.

Now to the post at hand. We all have memories, but what do we do with them. Some dwell on them and let them take over their lives. Not healthy. Some give them wings and let them fly away. Sometimes that’s a good thing when they’re memories that need to be forgotten. But most keep the good memories held in a special place to visit from time to time.

I use memories in my writing a lot. Sometimes life is the best inspiration for a writer. It can give your story depth and realism. The best way to keep a good memory alive is to immortalize it in fiction. Sometimes a bad memory can be rationalized in fiction too. If that bad memory haunts you at night, put it in fiction and leave it there for the rest of the world to see.

As for me I’ve incorporated many memories, good and bad, into my writing. Some of the most emotional parts of my books are pulled from memories. Putting them into my writing has helped in lots of ways to cope with those memories and to learn to put them into perspective.

We all have times of haunted dreams and secret smiles, but we also have the chance to put them where they need to be, in the past. Move forward and make new memories. Living in the past is normally not a healthy thing. Living in the past hinders moving forward and reaching goals. Put them in fiction and move ahead…

As always, good writing, and May God Bless You…

Taking time for ourselves…

Some might say, what does it mean to take time for myself. It’s funny when my accounting clients come into the office and see my books on the table beside my desk. At first they glance at them and then they do a double take. The look that comes over their face is priceless. What’s unsettling is they look at me seriously and say when do you have time for this? Will this affect what you do for me?

I actually laugh when they say that. I look at them and say ‘I don’t live in this office 24/7. I do have a family, a home and need time for myself. I shake my head and think don’t you take time for yourself. Why is it that people expect you to live for them? Just because I take care of your accounting does not mean that I live to do only that.

I realized last year during tax season that I was spending too much time catering to everyone but myself. I would spend 12 to 15 hours in my office working. What hit home was when one night I was pulling a late night and my hubby and son came to the office to visit me. That’s what they called it. I felt horrible. Then my doctor (A good friend) told me I needed to start taking more time for myself. He reminded me I was middle aged. I do not consider 44 middle aged, but evidently he does.

So I started right then and there staying in the office less, taking on less responsibilities and living life. God gave me this wonderful life and He didn’t promise me tomorrow. So why was I spending my life behind a desk. The next night I was in the house and cooking dinner when my family got home from work and school. My husband walked back out the door and came back in. He said he thought he went to the wrong house. My son was excited to have me home for a change. It took five years off my life.

Then I started publishing my books. That made me start looking at my future. I know I can’t do taxes and accounting forever. I love my job don’t get me wrong, but tax preparation can be down right frustrating with the changing laws and constant issue drama. So I decided to start making little changes like turning over more stuff to my assistant. Some work days we spend the whole day just searching ideas for new book covers or research of the next book. That’s something I would never have done this time last year. It has helped my health, my home life, my work life, and especially my sanity. Well, maybe not my sanity, I’m not a sane person, but who is if you really get down to it 🙂

So start today, this minute thinking of yourself. Give yourself some time. Start spending some time each week just for yourself. Take a bubble bath, read a good book, take a leisurely walk, play a game with your family, watch a sappy movie or just sit and watch the clouds go by. But live like today is it. Live like you have no tomorrow. Love more intensely, take romance to another level and hug your child more than just when they are leaving for school. (Hint, if you have a teenager it might be met with a ‘really mom’ but do it anyway.)

As always, good writing and May God Bless You!!!