Archive for February, 2017

You can’t plan your life or your novel to the letter

Well, I suppose you could do so with the novel, but good grief, how boring would that be? I am currently writing my sixth (good or bad, it is an accomplishment) novel, and though I originally had a rough idea of major plot points, even now, two years into it, details are revealing themselves in unexpected ways, things that would have not occurred to me, had this installment of Bernice Hordstrom’s life been penned any sooner.

It reflects recent changes to my own life. After nine years of disappointment, I have a beautiful, drooling, ever evolving full time job. The things in my life that I thought were pretty much set just a few ago are completely different. There is now a new trajectory in my life concerning everything, goals, values, hopes, priorities. And there is no doubt in my mind, that something else big and life altering will come down the pike and require changes in direction and expectations.

I also believe that novels need to have some fluidity to them. It’s the only way I’ve been able to write. Spontaneity cannot be planned, and I love when quirky, out-of-the blue notions just suddenly present themselves to my brain as I am typing or writing in a notebook. Even as I think to myself, “okay…where did that come from?”, there is a deep understanding that the weird, out of nowhere notion is fitting, is memorable and adds enough panache to what would perhaps be a rather predictable action to keep it fresh and consequently keep the reader’s attention.

Plus, these impulsive revelations make it fun for me as a writer. Otherwise, what would be the point, really? I don’t have an editor breathing down my neck, expecting me to make good on my ginormous advance from the giant publisher. I write to please me, and you, I hope. If it was no longer fun, I’d be better off spending more time making forts out of blankets and coming up with goofy voices to read that long ago memorized book for the umpteenth time. At least for now, I still have the fortitude to do that and write. Please stay tuned. More sex, murder, and mayhem is on its way with some off the wall details. You won’t be disappointed.