As of 3:42 AM last night, I finally finished the first draft of Billow. It’s been a crazy two months which included a death in the family around Christmas, a brutal holiday schedule, husband and I both coming down with a very bad case of the flu (including a hospital visit for hubs because of severe bronchitis), and ridiculous amounts of work from my day job.
Through it all, I squeezed in writing whenever I could, working at all-hours of the day. When I finished last night, I was so damn happy. Yes, I may even have shed a few tears.
Every writer’s process is different. I’ve always found it fascinating to read how others handle their story from beginning to end, so I thought I’d share the book’s progress with all of you. Hopefully, it’ll help you to know exactly where things stand.
Like all first drafts, this version of Billow is horrible. It completely sucks and I’d rather stick a fork in my eye than share it with anyone. But hidden under the mess of words, meandering ideas, and plot detours…the story is there. At 178,742 words, it is a massive, convoluted mess, probably the longest first draft I’ve ever written in my life (just to give you an idea of the size, Whirl was around 81,000 words).
Different writers take different approaches. Some writers will construct a very lean first draft and fill it out during the revision process. Others hop around, writing scenes out of order (beginning, end, then middle). I have a very hard time jumping around, so I tend to stick to a very linear way of writing. My first drafts are usually huge. No matter how well I plan my story, my characters always end up surprising me.
It comes in unusual ways. I’ll be writing a scene, getting into the groove, and suddenly the character says something that’s completely unexpected. And I’ll stop and think, ”Wow. Where did that come from? I didn’t realize she/he was feeling/thinking that way. Hmmm. It’s an interesting idea. I wonder what that means…let’s find out.”
Which is why my first drafts are so long. I feel I owe it to the story and the characters to explore these subconscious things that pop up. Sometimes, the things you never plan for are the things that end up being vital to the depth of the story. Of course, not all surprises turn out that way. Some ideas are abandoned because they simply don’t work. Others are left aside for now with the intent of exploring them further in another book.
So. Billow is now a draft full of strange explorations and half-formed themes and ideas. Of course, the final version of the book won’t be as lengthy as it is now. Because now comes the most grueling, painstaking part of the process: revision. It means plowing word by word, sentence by sentence, through this bloated draft and unearthing the story that’s hidden. Sharpening, refining, cutting, and honing everything so that it flows and holds together the way I want it to. And this takes a whole different mindset than the original first draft process.
After I complete several revisions, it’ll head out to trusted critique partners and beta readers. Once I have their feedback and make any needed adjustments, it goes off to my editor. After working through her suggestions, the book will be released.
I know all of you are waiting impatiently and I’ve received many messages asking about the book. Please know that I’m working as fast as humanly possible, but I’m not a full-time writer (yet) and life has been throwing a few challenges my way. I’m also not the kind of writer that can quickly hammer out a story and upload it – although sometimes I wish I could. It would make my life a bit easier. : )
But that’s not how my brain or my creative process works. And part of this whole journey for me is trusting that process and the way I write. I’d rather take that extra time than throw something out that I know wasn’t the best I could do. It wouldn’t be fair to the story, to the readers, and to myself.
I’ve been in complete Internet block-out mode during the draft writing process and have found it surprisingly liberating (though I have missed chatting with people I adore). Part of my process includes that “shut-out” time. I work best when I lock myself in my windowless cave-like office and write in absolute silence. I put my phone on silent and can’t listen to any conversation or music. So it makes sense that shutting off the “chatter” of the Internet works for me as well.
Now that I’m heading into hard-core revision mode, I’ll probably continue to remain offline. Nothing’s wrong and I’m doing fine. : ) I’m just honoring the way I know I work best and giving my all to do justice to Kendra’s story.
Finally, here’s the synopsis/description for Billow. Cover won’t be revealed probably until the book goes off to my editor. This description may also be tweaked/adjusted as the book nears publication, but I wanted to give you guys something so you have an idea of what’s in store for Kendra next.
It has been six months since ondine Kendra Irisavie arrived in Haverleau, the hidden capital of the water elemental world.
Six months since she discovered her destiny as the sondaleur.
Six months since a series of devastating events left behind their mark.
Now, as she enters the chevalier elite program in her final year at Lumiere Academy, Kendra continues forward on her prophesied journey against the Shadow. Obsessed with what she must do to keep those around her safe, she struggles to balance her powerful magic and the demands of her fate with the challenges of friendship, the complications of romance, and the bonds of family.
Meanwhile, the threat of the Shadow looms larger. Kendra and her friends investigate a series of puzzling human and elemental disappearances in the city of Lyondale and uncover a horrifying tactic used by the Aquidae in the war. When danger strikes close to home, Kendra must separate the truths from the lies and choose who and what to believe.
Even if it means facing what she fears the most.
