Last night I finished writing the first draft of my second, well, third, novel I'm a little abashed to say they are romances. Not the Harlequin heaving bosoms kind (I hope-it's been awhile since I looked at one) but hopefully something with a little meat in it, looking at modern relationships, maybe comparing them to older models. And rebuilding devastated lives, which seems to be a common theme in women's fiction. There's a topic for some pondering and a post some day.
I didn't set out to write romance, but I started typing in November of 2008 for NaNoWriMo and that's what came out. But I like a good escape tale. Life can be so mundane, day-in-day out samething. Too much work, too little money, too many bills, etc. Guys read and watch action/adventure blow things up/shoot guys dead for their escape. I don't mind that once in a while, and most of them do have some kind of romantic subplot.
I'm reading Steven King's On Writing right now. He says don't be ashamed of the kind of stories you write. Someone chided him on his horror/suspense genre early in his career-he was smarter than that. Well, they sell and he's a kabillionaire. If you do something well and there's a market for it and you love it...
Of course, the jury's still out on if I do romance well. Heck, the jury hasn't even been given the case yet.
I'm going to ask a few friends if they'll read it for me. I need to take a few weeks of from it and get some distance. I can watch movies, read books and screenplays and work on my second screenplay. Or begin book 2 of the trilogy.
I'm fairly intelligent, above average, but not necessarily deep. I know a little about a lot of things. So, I guess my writing will reflect that. I don't expect some dense, brooding tome exploring the meaning of life, etc. At least not yet. My writing will mature as I continue work on it, but in the meantime, if romance comes out when my fingers hit the keys, so be it. I pray I do it well, entertain, maybe get women to look at their relationships and think about God's part in their lives.
Here are my writing projects since November, 2008
NOVELS
A Box of Rain--abandoned (for n0w)
The C Word Can Make You Cry (NaN0 2009. Well , this isn't technically finished. I left the last few pages go to the last day of Nov., thinking, "What can possibly keep me from it. An unexpected serious illness that required hospitalization. That's what I get for having a little hubris)
Another Place on the Planet (began as an alternate ending for Box and took on a life of it's own. I have enough material for 2 more books to make a series of it, I believe.)
SCREENPLAYS
Another Place on the Planet (based on the 3rd book of the series)
Life in the Face Of... (working title based on The C Word...)
Yeah, it's hard to let go of shame. I let it hold me back when I write sometimes. "Who would want to read that?" or I figure I'd never find a market. It's worst when the writing gets too personal (though that's when it feels the best to me; and I don't mean excerpts from my life -- ha, no, not gonna write that -- just how it comes out. A writer reveals herself whether she means to or not).
ReplyDeleteWhich makes NaNo useful, with the encouragement to write whatever the heck comes out your fingertips.
Not so by the way, I really like your titles. I suck at titles!!