From August 6, 2011
I stated in my last post that I've archived my project "The Last Day" and am now devoted to working on what will become the third novel in the Eyes in Atlantis series (still need a name for it). After much brainstorming and even a little writing, I feel that I've made the right choice. So, three things have happened since this switch in focus. 1) I've written the first chapter, which turned out great! 2) I decided to scrap said first chapter due to my redevelopment of the outline, which rendered it irrelevant (it was the right decision). 3) I wrote the first chapter again, and it's better than the false start I had before. The original storyline just would not have worked with the integrity of what I have planned for our characters. I obviously can't go into any detail, especially since you've only read Eyes in Atlantis, andThe Deluge is still in editing. Just know that I plan to work diligently on this so that in a couple of years, I can share this third installment with you. I finished writing The Deluge in June '10, so it's been about fourteen months since I've seen my characters and in writing the first chapter (twice) I find myself excited to be with them again. Have you ever read a book, or better yet a series of books, and after you're finished reading you miss the characters, as if they are real people? Well, the same thing happens with authors and their characters, but I believe that the author-character connection is way worse. As a reader, you get whatever the author gives. As an author, I have ideas and pages of back story about my characters that never even made it into the novels. I know them better than anyone else and thus feel a stronger connection. Though I'm not saying I didn't cry like a baby when Dumbledore died (in the book it's way worse than the movie). Speaking of the Harry Potter series, I believe I remember J.K. Rowling saying at one point that writing the scene in the 7th book where Harry enters the forest again was one of the most emotion writing experiences of the series. Well, it better have been, seeing as I cried, lol. More ideas flood into my consciousness every moment for this book, a phenomenon that I've somewhat missed. I say 'somewhat' because those ideas come at some pretty inopportune times. (Read my post from last summer on Inspiration at Inconvenient times here). Like when I'm trying to fall asleep...or when I'm driving...or any other time I'm not near a pencil and pad. But when I'm ready and in full writer mode, it's the best feeling in the world. I'll keep you up to date on further developments of this Untitled Project. GMG, writer