When I wrote my first novel, Gotta Let It Go, a romantic-suspense novel set in Baltimore, I had
no intention of writing a sequel much
less a series. But after my family, fellow writer friends and fans started
clamoring for more, I thought, hmmm…why not? So, I set off on generating ideas where my
protagonist, a former burnt out prosecutor would dive in head first against the
warning of her detective lover to solve the murder of a judge, someone very
close to her. This sparked the genesis
of the sequel titled, Gotta Get It Back.
Well, life got in the way and the story stayed dormant for a
while… a very long while. The longer I stayed away from the novel, the more I
got pestered by folks, via phone calls, text messages, emails, and social media
asking, “When’s the new book coming out?” “Aren’t you done yet?” “What’s your
excuse this time?” and the list goes on. Of course, I knew it was all done
lovingly so that I could get back into the creative writing seat and get it
done. But it wasn’t easy.
Some days, the words wouldn’t come flowing like I wanted to.
I would get distracted, move onto another project and create even more distance between myself and the storyline. However, it wasn’t until I decided that I
wanted to see my characters again that I became fully committed to finishing my
second novel.
Toward the exodus of my novel, I learned a few lessons. First,
I told myself that if the motivation for the characters didn’t work, it was
okay to start again. Second, I was forced to see what really worked in the
story and cut what didn’t. Third, I asked myself the tough questions such as
“What is this novel really about?” “Are the voices consistent?” “Are the
characters likeable?” “Is it all gelling?” This was all in an effort to ensure
I had something readers wanted to get their hands on.
Now that Gotta Get It
Back is finished, I look forward to the editing process and then getting it
published. In the meantime, I’m imagining new ideas for book number three, Gotta Have It All, so I can take it from
its genesis to its exodus. Can’t wait to embark on that ride!
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