Currently I’m working on my third novel in my Rose Petal Wine Murder Mysteries but get stuck on plot points or a character’s actions, whether to place a meeting in China or St. Louis. During those times, I step away from that book and work on something else for a while, which is why I have three books of short stories, an autobiography on my fight with Alports Syndrome and four cookbooks. There is a wide world out there that is just begging to be written about! So many different genres and ideas that just come to me.
As I’ve said before, I’m writing my first children’s book, probably pre-teen and it is in the Mythology realm, one I’m really excited about, touching on themes of acceptance, hate, love, definition of family and so forth. No idea how long it will be, probably not into ‘hundreds of pages’, more than likely, around 25,000-50,000 words. So don’t get “JK Rowling” ideas floating around your heads. Just a sweet, short novella that I hope all will love.
The other book I’m working on is my first science fiction/science fantasy! Not sure the difference, but this is one idea I’ve had for quite some time. This takes place in outer space with future science ideas woven into the plot, old fashioned paranormal ideas that you’ll recognize. This book really stretches my writing and ideas so much that I considered not working on it at all, but the idea was, or is, so novel and new for me, that I could not help but put fingers to keyboard and just start.
So much of writing is just banging on, even when you have no idea what you are doing. If I had advice for beginning writers, I would say create characters you actually like and love to be around because you’ll be with them for quite some time. Especially if you’re working on a series that will take you a few years (or decades). Read about places you love and incorporate them, visit them virtually, because not everyone can afford to write off months of renting a villa outside Toulouse, France or Chenggong, China.
Don’t worry so much about grammar, syntax or whether or not you’re using too many adverbs. Write what you enjoy reading. Write how your characters talk, walk and live. What are their thought processes? Think about their histories, families, education. These are all details that can make or break a book, story or idea.
Best advice I can give is have fun writing!
Brick ONeil 