In some of my posts, I have mentioned books that I am currently working on. I have decided to write about these books in a little more detail rather than generally. I have heard that some people enjoy this, and I personally think it might help people to see how the process works or doesn’t via a real case study.
I am working on two books at the moment depending on my mood. I will tell you a little about each.
One: I got the idea for years ago and wrote a few chapters. It is a Steampunk novel. Right now, I seem to be stuck. I know where I want the story to end, book one, that is. I was hoping for a sequel or even a trilogy.
I have a basic plot idea, so why am I having difficulty getting my characters to do what I ask them to do? Why are they dragging their feet or rooted to the spot? Why am I having such difficulty getting my story from the first downward slope to the first down-in-the dirt-low?
What if my main trouble right now is building the supporting characters in order to give more motivation to my main character and add flavor to the story as it builds? What if I am trying to get ready to jump into the action before I have even allowed my characters to explore who they are and the world around them? What if the circumstances are too vague in a “Life is bad for this group and so the main character decides to do something about it” or “The main character can’t obtain her goals as she is anyway, and she decides to try doing something different, so she can feel more fulfilled” sort of thing?
If that is the case, I have to figure out how to say those short sentences in the space of several pages by showing the conflict in the lives of the characters. Sometimes my brain tends to elaborate well and other times it’s just blunt, usually in the reverse of what I need. I plan to look into writer’s groups in hopes that I can find others to with whom to soundboard.
I am also working on a children’s book. This one is really less about plot than it is about rhyming sentences and general flow of words, since it is simple verses that convey ideas about how life could be if we all just thought and acted a little differently. I am no poet. So, why did I choose rhyming sentences with individual concepts? Because when I tried to write books around these themes, I had a tendency to sound preachy, or the stories got too long, or I couldn’t get the plot to work. I might go back and try again sometime, but I wanted to make an effort at this method first.
Am I going to do the art myself or get someone else to do it? I would like to manage a children’s book with my own artwork. This is another reason I opted for a book without the need for characters, per se, or a plot; easier artwork My art is not what I would like it to be. Am I being too hard on myself? Some have said so. Am I falling into the trap of being my own worst critic to the extent that I am paralyzed? Not quite yet, but I know it is not outside the realm of possibilities, and I am attempting to lay down the groundwork for avoiding the snare.
These are some of the roadblocks and thought processes I am going through for two of my current books. I have two more that I am ready to count as “properly in the works.” These I will have to write about in another post … da da da… (Cue echo)… to be continued.
In the meantime, enjoy the wonder.
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