Thursday, January 19, 2006

Back and Forth

Since my stomach was giving me fits last night, I decided to lay in bed with my laptop and write. I opened up the file of my inspirational and started typing. Before long, though, I had an urge to open up my other file, my Regency historical.

I'd type on one for awhile, then switch to the other. It was interesting to see how I adapted to the different 'voices' for each one - one is set in 1945 in America, the other in 1811 in England.

While I feel more comfortable with my inspirational at this point, simply because I've been working on it for a few months now, I've felt a longing to return to the other manuscript because I know the characters so well. I really want to tell their story and I think it's a good one.

It was rather comical last night to switch back and forth between the two - I'd write a sentence on one, then click on the other file and write another sentence.

I'm still struggling with my focus on time periods. After I've been in the World War II period for awhile, I really start to miss the Regency. Still not sure what to do about it, but perhaps this new "method" is a start.

At least I was writing last night, even if it was just a sentence here and a sentence there. I'm finding my inspirational is incredibly difficult to write for two reasons: 1) the spiritual journey is a vital aspect of the plot and must be handled correctly (which is hard) and 2) because the main characters must get to know each other (for the first half of the book, anyway) behind barbed wire. My hero is a German POW and my heroine is an American woman who works as a secretary at the POW camp.

It creates definite challenges. But it's one I'm eager (most of the time!) to take on.

5 comments:

  1. I'm horrible at switching between stories. I find characters start to take on characteristics that don't belong to them. Then I get confused about who did what. It's just a big mess.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can switch between stories... but not at the same sitting. I love looking at the difference between my voice between a contemporary and a historical. I'm not sure there is really a change in voice but more of a change in style.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous4:36 AM

    Wow, you're a brave woman to switch time periods and styles. My head couldn't manage that. Hope it works for you!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous5:55 AM

    Challenges are good! Since the multiple contract offers, I have so many WIPs that I could have four or five files open and writing in them. I, however, am not the brave. One for me. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very cool, Mel! I've never managed switching between stories at the same sitting. Sorry to hear your tummy's still giving you trouble :-( But at least it gave you time to write again.

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear from you!

Staying Focused

Friends, sometimes it is exhausting to try and stay focused on goals. Eat healthier. Lose weight. Exercise.  Find a literary agent. Edit the...