For two days now I’ve meant to post an entry in this writing journal. Instead I’ve been busy revising “Rosalie.” It’s a GOOD sign when I’m so engaged in the writing work, I forget the blogging. Oh, and I did get the Mailer Lite all authenticated and verified after a bit of back and forth with GoDaddy’s help chat. I’m pretty sure I’m all set to create my first newsletter with the new program.
On Wednesday, I spent most of the day working on a first sentence that gave the vibes I wanted to infuse into the entire book while not sounding too trite or blah or unremarkable.
Lucky for me, I have some social media friends who acted as a fantastic sounding board and gave me nearly immediate feedback. Love my peeps! While one particular sentence prompted the strongest reactions, I ended up going with a more concise, but still evocative first sentence. It goes:
“The banquet room of the Sunset Bay Country Club stank of sweat, shrimp toast appetizers, and politics.”
What’s the banquet for? Where is the Sunset Bay Country Club? Sounds like some coastal city? Can politics stink? What’s wrong with the air-conditioning? Who is telling us this?
These are the questions I hope the sentence evokes.
Today, with that sentence nailed down finally, I polished the first three chapters. The first chapter still feels a little too . . . something. Maybe it’s been revised too much. Eek. The next two chapters really did grab me. It’s been awhile since I’ve read this book, and I like it! The story is pulling at me again. I’m beginning to understand my main character even more now that there’s been some distance.
All in all this week has been productive. I’ve been to the gym twice. I’ve walked outside once. I’ve checked some items off in my planner. I’ve called friends and family to catch up. I’ve done a little marketing research for NIGHT MOVES: An Olivia Lively Mystery, Book 2 coming out in August.
I’ve been sleeping well at night. Woohoo!
I’m also feeling more zen about my writing career in general. The more I’ve learned about the publishing industry, the more I understand that “success” comes in many flavors. We writers can do everything humanly possible to give our books a chance to reach an audience, sell well, maybe even “break out” if we are very, very lucky, but there are no guarantees. If we don’t end up the next Stephen King, Danielle Steel, Toni Morrison, or Ann Patchett, that’s okay. I mean, it’s really okay. The world won’t come to an end. We can still have remarkable creative lives.
For most of us, this writing life IS the reward. I intend to remember to enjoy the day-to-day of creating stories, putting the words together in a way that draws in readers to the world I’ve conjured, and being part of the writing community.