When you’re writing a novel, you are living that place, with those people, quite closely. Even if you’re not totally glued on to it, and not writing more every day, it is still an idea, a setting, a community that takes up a certain amount of your mind’s attention.
I’m not as glued on to this book, as I want to be, not on the outside, but inside, my head is still very much living in the place where my story is set, and I’m there with my friends who are the characters in the book. When I’m actually writing, I’m much more connected to them though.
But if I’m going to get a whole series of these books written, do I actually need to get more committed? Life is a collection of doing a variety of things. and writing books is an important one, for sure, but being a good wife and mother is important, playing my part in looking after our dog, Missy, and helping with house, and our finances, they are important too.
But Meredith is there in my head, with all of the other characters, and I feel I have a responsibility to them too. And of course, I know have a responsibility to my friends who are waiting to read this book I’ve begun! I’ve currently written nearly 19,500 words of book one of my “At Talloola” series, with Meredith Webster as my amateur sleuth.
I had a chat with a friend the other night, on Social Media, and she gave me some great ideas for this book, another new and interesting character (two new ones if I include a dog as a character, which for this series of books, I think I have to). So many thanks Cathy, your ideas have got me back interested again, and I will use the notes I copied from what was said, if not in this book, then in a following one.
My idea has always been to write a series of books in the ‘At Tallola’ series of Cosy Murder Mysteries. I have a setting, I have characters, now I just need the kick up the bum to get writing the first book, and then I can get onto book two, then book three, etc. I have I think twenty book titles, so I want to keep going until I’m in my eighties.
It’s an interesting idea, and I love the idea of it all. But is it absorbing enough? Will it, can it, be absorbing enough to finish this first book, “Winds of Death At Talloola”? Only time can tell the answer to that one. All I can say is that I will try …
If anyone has any hints or tips on how to ‘get connected, and get on with it’ I’d really love to hear what you think. As long as it doesn’t involve me getting out of bed earlier, because that is not going to happen!
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 