Stop and Start: Lessons of Book One

I am in the midst of writing what I am considering my very first book. It’s my first because it’s the only one to date that has made it past the most preliminary planning stages -I have all of the major character names and bios done; I have 75% of my setting mapped out; I have three chapters written; and the entire book (as I think it will go right now) outlined. I even have very vague plans for the next three books in the series and TONS of research done.

I’ve never made it this far without petering out in the quagmire of my ideas. It’s exciting! But also exceedingly frustrating.

I’m frustrated because my lack of experience is hampering me from sitting down and just writing the book. To start, I jotted down very basic notes about my main characters and chose my setting, then got to work. After I wrote 1.5 chapters I had to stop and take a pause. I needed to research the city I chose because I’ve never been there and I realized the urban setting is becoming integral to my series.

Then ideas kept flashing in my mind about my main character. Her background needed to be well established before I finished book one because it’s a point of pride with me that my world is built solidly. I don’t want to have things change spontaneously in book five or something and have my characters do anything not true to them in any book.

As I got to know my protagonist more intimately I realized my book was demanding a first person narrator. I hemmed and hawed but the reality is she needs to tell the story in her words. I haven’t changed the first and second chapters yet because I’m trying to train myself to edit AFTER, not during.

That’s three stops to one start! Finally, I got back to writing. I finished chapter three weeks ago. And then I had to stop! Why? Because my dark urban fantasy, like the vast majority of urban fantasy, inevitably has a mystery element to it. And of course, I hadn’t plotted out the numerous attack sites I need even though I wrote in my outline that my protagonist triangulates places to search -oops.

The list goes on.

Stop and start is the worst possible method of writing next to not writing. I swear. The upside is that I’m learning the million and one things not to do over the course of writing a book and (hopefuly) figuring out the list I need before I even start the next one.

My goal is to be up and writing, meaning done all my research, this month (July). Regardless, I’m sure there will be more lessons of book one to learn as I stumble my way through this project.

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