WOW! What an AWESOME weekend! My Austin RWA retreat just rocked! I talked a lot, wrote a lot, had a few drinks, and serenaded the group after a friend "demanded" I prove I could sing. A hush came over the crowd and all heads turned my way. I think some of them were quite surprised! Stage fright didn't affect me like it normally does thanks to the beers I'd consumed before I sang one note.
I managed to write 25 pages on TCAFS. I hadn't planned to work on that one, but a scene I'd been stumped with suddenly came clearly to me. Of course I had to run with it. And what a HUGE difference to the manuscript!
I also brainstormed with Heather Foeh, which was awesome too. She helped me piece together my next manuscript and we talked out some of the points I needed. I tried to return the favor. I hope I helped her out. I never really thought of myself as much of a brainstormer (for others), but chatting with Heather about our books was surprisingly easy and pain-free!
Oh, and I came up with a killer first line for the next book, HHC.
Then today, Heather helped me again! I was having issues with a different set of scenes for TCAFS, so I gave her the basic story and she helped me figure out where to take it from there.
I didn't even think about the suspense at all. In my heart, I believe I'm meant to focus on the short contemporaries for now. They are flowing. (Yep, I even "met" yet ANOTHER potential hero in my Scottish Highland village!) The contemps are doing well and I really have faith in these stories. So, I'll continue to be a suspense reader and perhaps at a later date I'll jump back into writing suspense.
How was your weekend?
6 comments:
That's so neat that you can sing, too! That sounds so fun! That sounds great about figuring out where you want to focus on your writing, too!
Yeah, Suzanne, but I'll probably go back and forth for a while when a scene pops into my head for the suspense.
Lexi, you bet you can sing! Wow! And I love, love, love the first line of your next novel! Keep it goin', girl!
Kit
Thanks, Kit!
Awww Chris - thanks so much for the kind words. I hate a great time brainstorming with you and you sent me in a good direction. I'm so excited about this next story!
Your opening line rocks. And your singing voice is astounding. Especially when you use a beer bottle as your "microphone". :-)
Hey, now, Heather! Don't knock the beer bottle. I kept my fingers wrapped tightly around that sucker to keep my stage fright in check. Well, what little stage fright I still had by that time.
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