Sunday, May 5, 2013

Let's Hear it for Motivation

I'm writing again. 

For most of you, that may not sound like a statement worthy of announcement, but for me it is. By now, I'm sure everyone knows about the upheaval in my life during the past several months and my recent cross-country move. I feel like I've been busy every second--busy with everything except writing. Some of my activity has been writing-business related. I've designed my first three book covers, which was a wonderful creative experience and a great start to the design aspect of my new career. But I also have 3-4 writing projects growling for attention.

For the first time in my career, I have unfinished projects in several stages of completion. I know many writers keep several WIP's going at at time, but I've always been more linear. Start a manuscript. Finish that manuscript. Get glimmer of idea for next manuscript. Develop that idea while first manuscript is in editing. Write second manuscript. Ditto, ditto, ditto. I don't know if I've become more scatterbrained as a result of stress or more freely creative, but suddenly, I find myself with a completed manuscript I'm reworking, two partials, and an urgent idea. Not my usual style at all.

Time for triage. I've decided my completed manuscript should come first. It's a fun, snappy contemporary romance entitled Unwritten Rules about the proprietor of an all-female bodyguard agency who signs on to protect a former-CIA agent-turned-author on a national book tour. I got some great suggestions from a couple of beta readers (my sisters) I want to incorporate before I self-publish it. As both my first contemporary and my first venture into indie publishing, this book will be a major departure for me. I also plan to design my own cover. I'm nervous on all counts but pretty stoked, too.

Next on the timeline will probably be If Wishes Were Fishes, an expanded version of the short story I wrote for the Roses of Prose 2012 holiday anthology. I fell completely in love with the characters and setting and would love to have a longer version ready for the holidays this year. 

Last, (and by that, I mean probably next year) I'll move on to my two partials. One is a western novella about a woman who has reluctantly inherited a saloon but would rather bake pies, and the other is the first in a contemporary series about three artist sisters living in the Carmel/Big Sur area of California.

My muse has never been so active. Now all I have to do is harness my concentration and actually GET THESE THINGS DONE. Wish me luck!

Alison
www.alisonhenderson.com
http://alisonhenderson.blogspot.com

6 comments:

Jannine Gallant said...

Go, Alison! Feels good when you have a writing plan. 1st Vonnie, now you, with the Christmas story expansion. You're making me think about mine. Best of luck getting through all your projects!

Margo Hoornstra said...

You go, Alison. Whatever the cause, I say take all this inspiration and go, go, go! Much luck coming your way!

Christine DePetrillo said...

This is how I work, Alison. I think it's fun because you never are at a shortage for something to work on. If you get tired or stuck on one thing, you can play with something else for a while. All the projects eventually get done and then you stand back for a minute, appreciate all the work you've done, then dive back into new projects. Best of luck!

Alison Henderson said...

I put all this out there in print so that now I'll have to follow through! LOL

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Go Alison!! If anyone can pull this off, it's the lady who packed up an entire household and moved across country. To me that was a Herculean task, and you did it.

I usually keep two or three projects on the go for when I hit a wall on one, I can hop over and work on something else while my mind works through the problem.

Barbara Edwards said...

sounds busy but in a good way. Good Luck with everything!