Writing in the face of tragedy

This country has suffered not one but two tragic events in the past week. There was the horrific bombing in Boston. Three innocent lives were lost in this act of terrorism, but great kindness was shown with strangers helping strangers. The city will heal. Then just when we started to catch our breath a small town in TX called West suffered from what appears to be a tragic accident. A fertilizer plant had a fire that turned into an explosion. There was another scene of death and destruction rolling on the tv.

In the face of all of this how do you move on?

I am writing a thriller that includes a number of bombs. I went back through my manuscript to ensure that I had not accidentally written a how to manual.

My next step was to free write, these words are not yet part of anything, in fact they may never see the light of day, but it felt good to let out the emotions. As I started writing I didn’t edit or correct anything I just let my emotions and feelings flow freely. Then I got a good meal, took a shower and got back to my novel.

I am encouraging everyone who has suffered from a tragedy to write, write until you feel the emotions leave or settle to a more normal level. You need not share your words, but allowing the release of these powerful emotions is a good thing.

Powerful emotions are like flowing water they need a place to go, writing gives them a safe outlet.

Tragedy in Boston and how it can change plot lines

First off I want to offer my thoughts and prayers for those who were killed or injured in the terrorist attack on the Boston marathon.

Next comes the army wife, many thanks to the soldiers both National guard and active duty who were there, and immediately jumped into action. Tyler who is a member of the armed forces comforted a woman named Victoria wants to thank you.

Now the writer in me will take over. How many writers particularly those who write suspense and thrillers ever thought of this. I urge you to write your plot lines with one thing in mind, please don’t make your book a how to manual for an attack. Keep the details of how to build bombs in your research notes, while interesting and informative let’s not hand over that information. If you choose to include details about the bombs in your novels alter the specifics so they are not instructive.

I was thinking of this as I listened to the news yesterday and worked on my novel. I know anyone can google the information but let’s as a community not hand it to them even by accident in a novel.

My ghost writer, LOL.

Just kidding. I was reading my changes out loud when Diana decided to insert her own plot twists in my manuscript.

A haircut that ended my writers block

I had long hair, it was about halfway down my back. I had been telling my husband I was going to cut it off for months. Well yesterday I decided to actually do it.

I went short real short. Then as I was driving home something happened. My writers block lifted as I arrived at home. If I didn’t know better I’d say the hair was the cause of the writers block, but…. I think it was more the feeling of having done something fun.

My hair now takes 2 minutes to wash versus 10 minutes and there is something fun and freeing about not having to care for long hair.

It’s the same kind of hair style I picture my Kate my main character having, that may indeed have something to do with it. Well enough about my hair for now.

In other news I started a website, I know this is sort of putting the cart before the horse since I don’t have a debut date for my novel but… I took the plunge anyway.

Check it out.

The pain of editing is leaving

I had been stuck on editing the early chapters of this novel for weeks now. There are a number of reasons I was stuck. The road trip I blogged about and other life related things didn’t help me have a lot of time to write. Then there was the pain of tearing apart my words and stitching them back together in a new order.

Add in the fact that I had to write whole new sections that had never seen the light of day, the pain and challenge seemed overwhelming. So I put it off, well on the road trip I realized that if I let it slide to long I would risk never finishing it. I decided in the last 1000 miles I would have to start writing again soon.

When I got home the plot bunnies were not bouncing or giving me any ideas, I tried anyway. I started in on a new novel I hope will become a sequel to one I am editing.

A few days later inspiration struck in a hospital waiting room with my husband. He was having corrective eye surgery. I started in on the fresh material even though I had no idea how to weave it into the current chapters. You don’t want a thriller that starts out boring, or the pages just wont get turned.

Finally the right way to get everything stitched together nicely came to me. So as I watched my husband begin to heal the pain of editing was leaving me was well.

I was totally relieved. Today I began stitching the new material in with the old material. The pain of editing has left my body. The plot bunnies are bouncing around again, and I am finally getting some inspiration.

I will make it work!