The time in between….

I just wrote THE END to the second book in the Camerons of Tide’s Way series. There is still a lot of revision and polishing work to be done, but I’m letting it rest. For a number of reasons. First, of course, is that writers get very close to their work, it’s a case of not seeing the forest for the trees. So, it’s better to step back and give it a little time and space. Then when you return to start the revising and polishing, you have a fresher eye to look at it with. Another is distance from the characters. One becomes to totally immersed in the lives of your characters, their feelings, hopes, fears and loves, that stepping away for a bit makes returning like an almost new adventure. Sometimes you read a passage and think, WOW! I wrote that? That’s awesome. Other times you go Whoa! That’s awful! Definitely need to fix that. And then there’s the What? Scratching your head wondering what you were trying to say here. So, giving your work time and emotional distance helps to return to it far fresher and ready to do the story and your characters justice.

So, what should I do with this moment? These several moments?

There’s book three in the series. Jake and Ben had two more brothers and a sister, all who want their story told. I am torn currently between Philip who is the eldest and who has a major personal struggle ahead of him that he doesn’t see coming, and Will, Ben’s twin brother. He’s on a fast track in his career when he meets the woman he knows is “the one.” Only problem is that she won’t even agree to a dinner date because of the line of work he’s in. Both stories and both heroes intrigue me. Both heroines are ladies I can so relate to, whose lives are busy, satisfying and yet have a hole they don’t realize is there.

Both books require some research and believe it or not, I love the research part. Learning new things and visiting new places are great adventures. My library unfortunately appears to have very little on either subject so I’ve purchased books online that are on their way to me right now. I am eager to get started. And then there’s the internet which is a wonderful treasure trove of links and information. I sometimes wonder how writers ever managed to find out all the stuff they needed to know back before Google. One book I was writing, was set in 1970 and my heroine was a Boston Red Sox fan, specifically a Carl Yazstremski fan. And I needed to know if he was playing regularly at that particular moment in time. In just minutes, I had the entire lineup for all the games played that fall. I knew what games the Yaz played in, who they were playing against, and even if he got a hit. Amazing!

Then there’s all the chores I’d have assigned my husband had he still been alive. Chores I kept putting off while I was rushing to finish the book. And if none of this appeals to me, spring has finally decided to happen, the weather is gorgeous and my rambles on the beach can be a whole lot longer. Then when I get back and Duff has had his shower, I can take one of those books on my To-Be-Read pile and go stretch out in the hammock and read. In fact . . . the heck with the chores – they can wait. I have a great book calling to me and that hammock sure looks comfy.