Blank Slate

I'm sorry that I wasn't around much in March, but I've been finishing up a project and thinking up schemes for the upcoming release of DEAD MAN'S DEAL on May 7.  I hope you enjoyed my Book Heaven post earlier in the week featuring some of my favorite authors who had books out.  I'll keep an eye out for more awesome new releases.  You need to stay tuned here for more book deals.  A little bird told me that a really awesome deal is coming up in April.

In the meantime, I've been writing.  No, seriously.  I have been writing.  You don't think that I've just been sitting around all winter, glaring at the snow.  (Well, I did that a little but mostly I've been writing.)

For 2013, I have finished a 25,000-word novella and I have just finished edits on a 97,000-word novel.  Neither happen to be urban fantasy.  (Don't panic!)  I think after many years of writing urban fantasy, I needed to give myself a little bit of a break. 

When I started writing at the ripe old age of 12, it wasn't urban fantasy.  Prior to writing urban fantasy stories, I wrote epic fantasy, historical romance, contemporary romance, mainstream fiction, science-fiction, poetry, horror, suspense, and stuff that doesn't really fit in a genre.  I found that recently I needed to stretch my imagination, characters, and writing voice in different directions for a while.

But now that I've finished two projects and I've cleaned off my white board, I'm scratching my head: "What next?"

At the beginning of the year, I created a writing schedule for 2013.  According to the schedule, I would be able to write 5 books and at least 1 novella this year.  Funny enough, I'm only slightly behind at the moment and could actually make up for the lost time.  Also according to the schedule, my next project is supposed to be a speculative fiction novel that I started years ago but haven't finished yet.  I love the project, but oddly enough, I've once again heard the siren song of urban fantasy.  Actually, this project sort of straddles that urban fantasy/paranormal romance fence.  It has a sizable ensemble cast of characters and I love each one for different reasons. 

It's calling to me..... the precious....

Sooo... today, I'm giving myself a break.  I'm allowing myself to play with the urban fantasy project.  I'm re-reading what I wrote a few months ago and adding a little new text here and there.  I think I'm sitting on about 25,000 words at the moment, which is a good start.

On Sunday, I'm changing gears a bit.  Sunday will be plotting/outline day.  I owe my agent a book synopsis, which means I need to get the rough idea for a book out of my brain and onto paper in some kind of ordered format.  (You know, something that has a beginning, middle, end, character development, shocking reveals, and sex.)  Sunday and some of Monday will be spent writing a book synopsis.  My lovely agent says I write a great book synopsis. (I think she says that so I'll stop grumping about it and just write the damn thing.)

By the middle of next week, I will have officially decided on my next project, which I am trying to get 95% done by the release of DEAD MAN'S DEAL on May 7.  The race is on!