November is NanoWriMo. Or for the rest of you National Novel Writing Month. I write romance novels as my day job (and I'm learning to do web coding but that is a whole other insanity!) Yeah, I wasn't expecting sympathy but it does explain why I haven't been here much in the last 2 weeks. I'm almost done with my 50,000 words, though the regency romance that I never planned to do won't be finished by then.
So this book made me think about planning and planning makes me think about SWAP and so ALTERswap since that is what I will be doing this year.
See I spent all of Sept. and Oct. planning a contemporary romance. I had character sheets, and plotting graphs, I'd done tons of research. I got 1/3 of the way through that book that I was positive was the basis for my next series. I even had a cover idea! I realized that the characters were fine but they didn't have that spark that makes you want to find out how they are going to unscrew up the mess they just made. They were like really boring neighbors, not bad to live next to, but you wouldn't go out of your way to say hi. But I spent all that time planning! I had all that research!
I dropped that book and ran with a title that my daughter came up with. In the space of an hour I had characters, setting, plot for not just this book but at least 3, possibly 7! more. I'm now farther in this book than I was in the other and I LOVE these characters. I dream about them and their world at night. I keep scribbling notes to myself when I should be doing other things. They have consumed me, and I love it!
So what does all of this have to do with sewing? Oh, now I need to have a point? Okay, I do, sort of. If you have a completely workable plan but it doesn't thrill you, it isn't worth spending the time on. You can have done everything, bought the patterns and fabrics, figured out your techniques, you name it, but if you don't love it, just don't do it!
Your time, energy and attention are worth more than your materials. And we should all want to love the heroine of our own story, yes I mean you!
So true. I love the sound of the new novel. I book I recently read about a family that adopts a chim started with a suggestion from the authors daughter. I loved it. And when sewing it is best to let ideas percolate and jettison them at will in order to get the right plan.
ReplyDeleteHi Kate! Yes, the novel got finished at least as far as the rough draft! It needs some polishing but I'd love to send you a copy when it is done!
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