Jennifer L. Davidson's Blog, page 11

Talking it out

I was able to work out a few kinks in my writing the last few days. Book #3 is no longer on the naughty list. Whew! Things were not looking good for a while. I sent my mom the first two chapters to get her opinion on what I should do and she liked what I had written, but suggested a few changes. I agreed to the changes and finally feel good about the direction I'll be going.

I also filled her in on the rest of the plot. In relaying to her the storyline, I realized a few parts of the story were a bit over the top. Some areas needed to be toned down to be believable. Since my imagination often gets carried away and needs to be pulled in from time to time, it was helpful to talk out the plot and the characters. We came up with some better ways of doing things to help with the suspense and to continue one or two characters forward. I will still need her help with the ending. I'd like to prolong it this time. Not too much, just enough to slow the pace a tad. Improvement from one book to the next is my ultimate goal.

A new beginning

Book #3 is my evil nemesis. After having written nearly 12,000 words, I've decided that the beginning needs a major overhaul. I currently have three different options for the book beginning. Unfortunately, the one I like best does not fit in very well with the rest of the character development I've already created. What to do. Quite the dilemma. I'm hoping that when I open the file in just a moment that it will all become clear to me which direction I should go. However, it might still appear muddled with no direct path lighting the way. Hmm. I'm almost afraid to get started. The good thing I guess is that I'm only 12,000 words in and not almost finished. I have plenty of time to make things work since I plan to self-publish it next May or June. Wish me luck!

It's OK to be the first one

It's OK to be the first reviewer for Sincerely, sad dad. Being first is the best! When you're first in line you get the best seat, the closest parking spot, or the cheesiest piece of pizza. How about when you're first at crossing the finish line? Hey, that feels mighty good. Or for all you Minnesotans, how does it feel when you catch that first fish of the season? It probably feels just as good as getting the first pedicure of the summer. Being first is awesome!

(Hint: I need someone to post the first review of Sincerely, sad dad. No pressure.)

Character strengths

I've written a few times about character flaws and how it is the flaws that make a character unique. They are what make us all unique. However, it occurred to me while developing a character recently that it is also a character's strengths that set her or him apart from the crowd. I'm always so focused on defining the weaknesses in a character that I forget to balance things out by giving them some strengths. Or maybe it's just human nature to find the flaws first. I bet it takes you twice as long to name your own strengths than weaknesses. Sad, isn't it? But characters in fiction are supposed to have bigger-than-life flaws, making you really glad you aren't them. I can't help but think of the latest action movies. Can you imagine putting yourself in some of those predicaments? Not me. I sort of like my boring life. Sort of. Some days though I think it might be cool to be visited by an old friend that is certain I hold the key to some huge secret that will save the world from its doom at nightfall. Okay, so maybe that's taking it a bit far, but you know what I mean. 

Making some progress - finally

Yesterday was a good day. I put everything else out of my mind and sat down and wrote just over 1500 words. Yippee! It was spring the last time I did that. The story flowed from my fingertips and the characters revealed themselves. One character even turned out to be completely different than how I envisioned him. That happened sometimes. When I start developing one character, I don't always get it right in my notes how the other one will react. My natural instincts take over defending the weaker one. I figure we could all use a defender from time to time.

A rough start

I'm already starting chapter five of my third book and it still doesn't feel quite right, which tells me something needs fixing. I'm just now introducing Kody's main client so the story is finally getting interesting to me. That's not good if the author isn't interested in her own book until chapter five. In Sincerely, sad dad I introduce Kody's main client right away and I think it immediately draws the reader in. I'll have to rethink this third book. A reader needs to be hooked within the first couple of pages and I doubt anyone is going to stick around until chapter five when things get interesting. My plan is to keep writing and when the story is basically writing itself I'll go back to the beginning and decide what to do. This is one of those cases when time is the only solution.

The last weekend of summer

I have to say that I'm ready for summer to be over. For one thing, our air conditioner broke and we don't plan on fixing it until next summer. Some fall-type weather would be nice about now. Another reason is that the kids will all be occupied with their sports and school and be on a "regular" schedule. This will hopefully make me get on a regular writing schedule. I'm having a hard time getting started with book #3. It's all outlined and ready to go. All I have to do is sit my butt down for longer than five minutes and "get after it" as my husband would say. It is so hard to write when the weather is perfect though. Maybe I have writer's block. That might be it. Or maybe it hasn't been that long since I finished writing Sincerely, sad dad. That can't be it because other authors like James Patterson somehow pump out like twelve books a year, or so it seems. Oh, well. This too shall pass. I only hope it passes quickly. Have a great Labor Day weekend!

New Release: Sincerely, sad dad

I'm ready. It's ready. Sincerely, sad dad is yours for the taking! The book is available as a paperback or you can download a digital copy for your ereader. You can even download a sample of it at any of the sites listed on my website, www.jenniferldavidsonwriter.com, which includes Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Book Description:
With a growing compulsion to kill, one mourning father fights the urge to seek revenge on his daughter's killer by asking Kody Burkoff, a small-town ghostwriter, to help him create a memoir filled with wonderful memories from the years he spent with his daughter before her untimely death the summer after she graduated from high school. Kody, who feels impelled to help every lost soul who enters her life, agrees to help this sad dad knowing that she'll either come out of the ordeal a celebrated hero or an accomplice to a murder. Can Kody save the lives of the boy deemed a murderer and the father facing a lifetime of regret?

Check out the book and share the news with your friends and family. All of your support is greatly appreciated. And, as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Send me an email or find me on Facebook or Goodreads. Or better yet, write a review.

Happy reading!

Nervous energy

Once again I'm feeling that nervous energy that comes with sharing what I've written with the world. Part of me wants to run and hide in fear that no one will enjoy the story as much as I do. The other part of me wants to run screaming down the street telling everyone to get a copy. Releasing a book is scary. You're basically opening yourself up for criticism to anyone willing to give it. So far, I've received only a few bad ratings and reviews for Missing Maggie. It usually takes me a couple of days to get over them. I'll read the author's critique or stare at the single star and brainstorm every reason I can think of as to why they didn't enjoy the book. Eventually, I get over it. Eventually, I move on.

With the release of Sincerely, sad dad next Tuesday, I'm hoping for an even better reaction from readers. I've been told it's better than Missing Maggie. I can't say whether I like it better or not. I loved Daniel and his twisted love story. I loved building Kody into who she is today. I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Character flaws

When thinking about character development, I pay special attention to the flaws. I mean, it's the flaws that make a person who he or she is. What is a perfect person anyway? Is it the person with the least amount of flaws? We all know "those people." They appear to have it together all the time. They're dressed in the latest fashion. Their hair and makeup are perfect. Their kids are star athletes and at the top of their class. I could go on and on. I can only believe (or hope) that at home they are a complete wreck. That's terrible to say, but come on, nobody is that perfect. They just try harder than the rest of us to hide their flaws. Anyway, flaws are what set us apart from the rest. Would my husband be more perfect without his one hairy arm, or would my daughter be even more adorable if she was less of a bear in the morning? I can't leave my boys out. Would my oldest be an even better son if he didn't have to be told to blow his nose instead of wipe the snot on his shirt? Would my youngest son be more lovable if he didn't make weird noises at all hours of the day? Ok, I feel better having covered the family. Since this is my blog, I won't be documenting any of my flaws. Actually, I write about my flaws in my books. I'm just not going to tell you which ones are mine!