Those Snarly Moments of Drama

MUSE MONDAY
A few days ago, I sent off the final round of edits for The Art of Love and Murder. Two days ago, I sent off the next book in the Love and Murder series, Southwest of Love and Murder. And now I'm tackling the third book, A Legacy of Love and Murder. This is one of my two moments of drama when writing a book.

The first moment of drama hits around chapter two. Which is where I'm at with A Legacy. The first chapter is the springboard and if the reader isn't launched into the book, they just might quit turning the pages. So I fret. Half of the time, chapter one is destined for the trashcan. Until I get to chapter three or four, I won't know for sure.

The second moment of drama is near the end of a novel. I know how it ends, I look back on what I've written and my inner insecure demon rises up and laughs at me. What? Not good enough? Too short? Too long? What? The moment sometimes lasts days. It isn't writer's block - I keep writing, but the bumpy road is difficult. It does smooth out; or at least it always has.

This is my first series. There are different types of series. Some, like many detective novels, have a main character who is in every book with a new crime or mystery. Other books are a continuing story that keeps you going on to the next book to find out how the story ends. Still other books are linked by a setting like a small town in the midwest where you learn about the inhabitants in each book. My Love and Murder books are linked by characters. Although book three will pick up a thread of plot from book one, each book can stand on its own. What I love most about writing is character building, hence the type of series I'm writing.

As more characters appear in subsequent books, more books are waiting to be written. For instance, there is a hotel clerk in book one who was supposed to be a minor character. Lacy, my heroine, dubbed this clerk The Black Fairy because of the way she dresses. I've not been able to get her out of my mind. She's screaming for her own story. But she has to wait. In book two, there's mention of a daughter of a secondary character. Only a mention! A story is bubbling. It will have to bubble quite a while as there are several in front of her.

I didn't know I'd enjoy series writing so much. And what it has lead me to think about is more promotion. Groan... but I have to spread the word. Now I'm thinking of Street Teams. How to find readers who would like to sign on? Certainly a topic to come.

Now, back to moment of drama for A Legacy of Love and Murder.