Stumped.

So, as many of you know, I’m a pantser, not a planner. I write as it comes. I don’t outline, synopsis, draft 1, 2, – 1,000,000, etcetera. I simply write. I allow my characters to write their own fates. Anytime I’ve gone in trying to plan or map something out, my characters turn it on its head and completely crush it. So while, I have a general idea going in, it’s often so far from my launching point that I don’t even bother writing blurbs until the end. It’s why things seem so last minute with me…because they are. Because my characters have proven themselves unpredictable.

As you all know, some of my most unpredictable characters are in the Vamp Chronicles. I’ve been writing book 6 & book 7 at the same time, piece by piece, scene by scene. While, again, I have a general idea of where the books are supposed to go, what is supposed (in my head) to happen, my characters are totally kicking, screaming and fighting me on this. In fact, Mel has totally stopped talking. (She’s always been a little stubborn…) But, as she went silent, a new development completely knocked the breath out of me: I wrote the ending to the series.

Dear, sweet mother of all things holy…I balled my eyes out. I did NOT see this coming. How do they do it? I’m the author. I’m supposed to be the one in control. I’m not supposed to be surprised. I’m not supposed to be hacking up a lung and trying to breathe between sobs. It was so unfair. I thought having “writer’s block” with a stubborn Mel was bad, but having the words flow the way they did, the way they are, was almost worse. Because…how do you write everything that comes before the end, when you know the end is going to completely overshadow whatever you put down?

However you can, I suppose.

So, that’s what I’ll be doing. Working on working…between coughing and praying for my ears to finally pop.

Have a great day!

~ Christin