Wednesday, March 18

In Between

So I've carried this idea in my head for almost a year now.

It started as just a germ of something, inspired by a big news story. After that FLDS compound in Texas was raided last April, I decided I wanted to write something involving a fundamentalist religious cult of some kind. That was it. That was all I had. The idea of someone being stuck in one, with no way out, and being fundamentally (hehe) different from her fellow members and unable to reconcile her life with those of her peers really attracted me.

Keep in mind that I normally, at least in my long fiction, write about witches and reapers and kids discovering their magical powers and such. So you wouldn't think that "fundamentalist religious cult" would be right up my alley.

I let the idea just sit in my head for a month or so, and then one night, I brainstormed on it. Just opened my notebook and started writing down ideas. And everything just came out, came up, came together. That germ of an idea merged with all the germs in my brain, the ones that I'm normally interested in. I have no idea how or why this happens. It's like my brain requires ink and paper to make things concrete.

The idea has continued to simmer since then. I made some false starts on the beginning and did some reading and research to put everything together, but then I got a job and had to focus on one book. Grim Light was that book.

And now GL is almost done. After some discussions with beta readers (and I'm sure there are more to come), I figured out what needs to change, what I need to work on. And I'm determined to get that work done...because I want this book off my plate. I want it to be done and out there and ready to be seen. Mostly because I'm proud of it, and I want to send it out in the world to have its chance.

But also because there's a tasty plate full of scrumptious morsels over there, and this one in front of me got cold long ago. And some of those scrumptious morsels got rearranged into a really solid meal the other day, as I was driving, and now I feel really ready. I can do this. I itch to do this. I want to get sucked into a plot, a character's mind, a story in my mind that has to travel to the page. I want that nervous, all-consuming feeling that I have to be writing every second or it'll all float away.

But there's GL, sitting there, whimpering to be finished. For good. I've been such a good girl so far, staying dedicated to one project...

So what am I going to do today?

You totally think I'm going to just work on GL, because I'm a good girl, and because I'm so ethical with my writing, and because I'm practical like that, don't you?

Hehe. I'll show you.

I'm going to do...both.

12 comments:

  1. You're full of awesome ;)

    If you send out a call for volunteer readers, I'll happily answer.

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  2. I would LOVE a reader, hon! I assume you mean the most recently completed one, right?

    I can email it to you, if you'd like, or I can mail it, or I can meet you someplace the next time I go to 'toona--The Husband and I have an Olive Garden giftcard we want to use soon, anyhow. E-mail me (same addy I used for the TC article) and let me know which you prefer.

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  3. Sounds good! I'd be interested in reading some of your stuff, Grim Light, or otherwise. By the way, your profile pic is awfully cute. It would be great for the back cover of your book ;)

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  4. Woohoo. I love it when a story idea niggles at my brain like that. I'll send positive thoughts your way for getting both accomplished. =o)

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  5. Aw, thanks Steve! Yeah, I've gotten some compliments on that pic. I've been told I look "mischievous". I like that.

    Shoot me an email at krisbaxter AT gmail.com and I'll send GL your way!

    Thanks so much, B.E. This one's been niggling for almost a year, so I can't WAIT to get it out!

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  6. And I hope that you're proud of Battle of the Hexes too - many readers are really missing out - so is the movie industry.

    I'm honestly NOT trying to aimlessly flatter - I really did enjoy it.


    Favor, could you change my blog name in your list to: Life's Goulash - I changed my blog title :-) I thought it was more fitting name for how I jump all over topic matter.

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  7. Don't forget me as a beta reader! (It's a good sign when you have so many people volunteering to read your stuff.)

    I hope it worked out for you, but I say to give your muse a break when it needs one, and let it eat some candy.

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  8. Aw, thanks so much, Lisa! BotH will always be important to me--I still love Hazel and Zeke, and 'specially Rilla. And a new blog title in the list, coming right up!

    I know, Tia, I'm pretty flattered right now! And kind of amazed and really thankful that I get to be a part of this community. I'll be sending GL out to you guys tonight, most likely.

    Give my muse a break? I think we need to have a talk with her about giving ME a break. I want some candy, darn it! =)

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  9. This sounds like a great book. Very interesting. Good luck with it.
    Sarah

    http://legendoftheprotectors.wordpress.com/
    http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=7623

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  10. I'm still reading what I started on Sunday - nearly done, but I did manage to get GL to read on my phone and have sneak a few reads.

    I'm really excited to finish what I'm reading so I can jump into GL.

    One thing I noticed between what I'm reading now and one small line I saw in GL, is I think that Maeve would have expanded on big tree and insteaded given some depth or feeling to tree so provide more clarity.
    I hope I'm helpful rather than just raving about how much I like it. I gulped down a few pages going 'oooh this sounds so cool, forgetting that I should making some sort of notes.'

    (the 'big tree' came up since Maeve is rather wordy - I think authors are suppose to be wordy though, I think wordy is what they call 'showing':-) So we must be careful with me I guess, I have a great imagination and if someone tells me something, I can fill the blanks with what the words mean to me.

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  11. I think I get some of what you're saying, Lisa, except the tree thing really threw me off. Can you clarify that?

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If you don't feel that you are possibly on the edge of humiliating yourself, of losing control of the whole thing, then possibly what you are doing isn't very vital. If you don't feel like you are writing somewhat over your head, why do it? If you don't have some doubt of your authority to tell this story, then you are not trying to tell enough. --John Irving