A blank page, that’s what.
Since I finalized Damsel In Distress two months ago, I’ve been casting about, trying to decide what to work on. A few posts ago, I listed out six projects I was actively pursuing, which probably seems like a lot. It is. Normally, I have, at most, two active at a time. One of them is my primary, and the other is what I work on when the primary isn’t gelling for whatever reason. My brain has been a little messy and scattered, wanting to start things without finishing them.
I’ve had other stuff creep in to my writing time, which hasn’t helped. Spring is just starting to spring, which means gardening. I love gardening. When I go outside to tend my yard and flower beds, I imagine myself as a dragon, out to destroy the vile weeds that threaten my herd of docile yet needy flowers and vegetables. I save the fire breathing for things that truly need it, like an infestation of poison ivy I had to nuke from orbit to be sure about a couple of years ago. (Side note, I’m wretchedly sensitive to poison ivy. A lot.)
Shadow & Spice was someone else’s idea, and it worked to focus me down on something. Once I finalized it, my brain went back to scattered and messy. Until last week. I sat down and really thought about what kind of a book would come after Dragons In Flight, and who should be the main character, if it ought to be a series or a standalone, or a collection of short stories or novellas.
Back when I finished DIF, I had a thought that I ought to take one of the female supers for another book or trilogy. So I gave it a shot. I picked one – Andrea, if you’re interested – and ran with it for a bit. After a chapter, I decided to go back and do a prologue with Bobby, to show why Head Cowboy wasn’t going to be the main character. A funny thing happened.
Bobby flowed out of my brain and hands like melted butter. I know him. I love him, dearly. He’s part of me. I gave up on Andrea, started writing Bobby, and haven’t looked back. I have no idea what this next book will be called yet, but it’s a split, like Dragons In Flight, following Bobby and a different character as they each pursue a separate piece of the same issues. Head Cowboy has saddled up, and he’s learning more about himself and where they all came from. It’s a doozy. I don’t even know where my head gets this stuff.
The second character is Sam, short for Samantha, who plays a minor but pivotal role in both Chains and Flight. Her superpower lets her control computers and devices that run on electricity. She’s a geek and a little awkward in most ways imaginable, but like the rest of the supers, when push comes to shove, she gets the job done and freaks out later.
I had a really good writing day yesterday, bringing this one up to about 25% complete, give or take. This and a trip to see family and such has put a dent in my reading time. More book reviews will come. More Baker of Brennan, too. Soon!