July Theme: "I Scream"

By Marcia Thornton Jones

I open the file to the umpteenth draft of what began as a fun, light, *easy* book to write, and I begin to read.

“It’s a mess,” I scream by the second chapter.

“Why did I think it was good to begin with?” I scream as I approach the middle.

“Have I noodled with it so much that the delight of the original idea is lost forever?” I scream halfway through.

 

“What made me think I could write a book in the first place,” I screeeeeeeaaaaaaam, giving in to complete anguish.

Deep. Breath.

Deep. Cooling. Breath.

I scratch my head, wondering. I have traditionally published 130 books. Why does it never seem to get easier? One thing, though, is ice-crystal clear. Taking time to cool off not only soothes my insecurity, but it also brings clarity to the work in progress.

So this summer, I think I’ll serve up a triple scoop of an ice cream delight and take time to let this piece chill. In the meantime, I hope to put the cherry on top by deepening my understanding of character development and plotting while perusing the works of Martha Alderson’s PLOT WHISPERER series. Has anyone else read her work?