It's my turn for the blog chain, but apparently I posted on the wrong topic last time. Oops.

Today I'm responding to Katrina's topic:

Write about your next writing project. What is the genre? Is is one you've written before or is it a new venture? Do you have it all figured out or is it just a germ of an idea? What did you learn from your latest writing project that will make this one even better?

I have a shiny new idea that I need to force myself to find time to work on. It's a YA...murder mystery? I think. I haven't read that many murder mysteries, so maybe I'm wrong, or maybe it's a bad idea to try to write one. But there's a secret murderer, and a body count, and with the help of her sleuthing friend, the main character will have to solve some mysteries.

I think this book will be about sisters who are more than sisters, the magic of a mother's love, the power of a good story, and a heroine who has more heart than brains.

I have a rough outline, a paragraph playing with voice, and the first scene in my head. I need to write a detailed outline and then get to work. I've learned from previous projects the importance of structure and I hope this whole outlining thing will work out. I just have to sit down and make myself do it. :)

You can check out Michelle's post from yesterday here and Cole's tomorrow.

Out with the old, in with the new...

For this week's blog chain, Amparo asks:

It's a new year, and some writers have taken it upon themselves to switch things up. *points at self* It might be the genres you write in or your revision process. It might be your main character's voice. What's one thing you've chosen to change in your writing this new year? Why do you wish to change it? If there's nothing you're going to change, why do you think it should remain as is?

Well, since the birth of my son, I've had to re-examine my writing process. I'm an unorganized pantser. I usually just start drafting and maybe by my third draft, I'll have some idea what the story is about. Now with a little one, I feel like I need to make my process more efficient.

I'm starting a new project and I'm afraid I don't have time for my usual methods. Normally, when I have a new idea, I like to spend hours staring at the wall, spacing out, and living in my head. That's hard to do with a 3-month-old who needs constant attention. So, I've decided to force myself to write a detailed outline before I start drafting this shiny new idea. It's been more difficult than I thought.

At first, my idea seemed boring and formulaic when I started to outline it. I was not motivated to work on my ho-hum story. Then, I hashed out some ideas and am now super excited about this new WIP. I'm so excited about the new book...that I want to jump right in and forget the whole outline thing. Sigh. I'm forcing myself to stick to it, though. Maybe I'll hold off on drafting for so long that when I do sit down to write scenes, the words will fly out of my fingers. Here's hoping.

You can read about Michelle's new process from yesterday and check out Cole's tomorrow.