Photo by Lukasz Szmigiel on Unsplash
It’s autumn, the clocks have gone back and as the leaves line the streets like fallen flame, lockdown looms again.
Perhaps in some hopeless act of defiance against our current circumstances, I gather small amber pumpkins, blush-red apples and plain white tea-lights for a home-based Halloween/Guy Fawkes Night. Meanwhile my thoughts turn towards writing the sequel to my festive romance book, A Christmas Romance with the Earl.
A Christmas Romance Heroine with a Difference
Now why on earth did I choose to write a Christmas romance novel with a copywriter as heroine? Maybe it’s because I’m secretly a masochist, but as a writer I rather do like a challenge and wanted to create a romance fiction book for a character with a not-so-romantic career.
I mean surely call-centre workers; data analysts and estate agents deserve true love too?
I also like the challenge of dropping a smart, yet still ordinary woman into extraordinary circumstances and I feel a challenging job brings out more of her character. Besides I think having a more mundane job (as most jobs are), makes Jess Smith a little bit easier to identify with.
Re-kindling the Magic
But after publishing A Christmas Romance with the Earl, I also wanted to write a much longer second book. Now I did enjoy creating a glimpse of Jess’s and Christopher’s holiday romance coupled with a festive snapshot of village life, but felt that another visit to Birling Grove would allow readers to linger a little longer in that world.
So the next story picks up as spring drapes Birling’s trees in blossom and a series of unforeseen events in the little village (and in the city) lures Jess back to her childhood home.
And as I write the second draft of this contemporary romance book, I hope I can conjure up a little more of the warmth and humour that will keep readers entertained right to the very last page.
The Ghost of Clients Past
However as I edge towards the finishing post, like clockwork one of my previous clients surfaces again. Fortunately they are nothing like the whimsical client, Blanca, that Jess will encounter in the new book due in March.
However my client would still like me to write another series before Christmas, which means I can’t focus entirely on promoting a Christmas Romance with the Earl, or the short festive stories I like to give away for free during the holidays.
A Great Problem to Have
In case you think I’m complaining, having more work isn’t the worst thing that could happen. With all the turmoil of 2020 I am luckier than most to have some money coming in during the lockdown period.
But it also means that I no longer have the luxury of focusing solely on one writing project, which can be a tad draining when you’re already blogging, sorting out book covers and writing other genres of fiction. On the plus side, each project tends to be in unrelated genres so at least I won’t feel creatively drained.
A Rushed Tale Always Tells
Yet there are people who juggle whole jobs and families, whilst still managing to write fiction on the side. So why is this a concern?
Well as someone who has written for more than twenty years, for a variety of publications under real and pen names, I hate to admit it but I can always tell later when my writing has been rushed. Or if the first draft was written piecemeal over more than several months due to life commitments.
But many authors have written their magnum opuses like this you say. Well even one of the world’s greatest authors, Stephen King, tries to write a first draft in less than three months.
In his book On Writing Stephen says:
“I believe the first draft of a book — even a long one — should take no more than three months…Any longer and — for me, at least — the story begins to take on an odd foreign feel, like a dispatch from the Romanian Department of Public Affairs.”
Now in no universe am I ever as great a writer as Stephen King, but from my own personal experience, a book that takes too long for me to write often ends up feeling rather disjointed.
So no matter whether the story is 4,000 or 150,000 words long, I try at least to clear the decks and get the first draft down in three months, then use subsequent passes to add all the sound, colour and sparkle.
So How Do I Juggle More than Three Writing Projects at a Time?
Well, if you are looking for side-hustle tips you’ve come to the wrong place. I’ve personally found using precious spare time to hustle when you’re already working 9-5 is a quick and easy way to have what I’ll call the Side-Hustle Hairline.
Don’t believe me? Just try it for a few years and wave goodbye to your lush young follicles.
But seriously, if like me you actually have to write for a living, working in what I call time blocks might help.
Time Blocks? Is this a Doctor Who Thing?
Sadly not. It’s the method I use to write more than one project at a time, to avoid having a nervous breakdown or getting into a muddle and sending Where is My Sock? to a publisher of clean romance novels.
Is it foolproof? As I’m not trying to flog a writing course I’ll be honest. No. But it might be of some help to someone. Somewhere.
My method is simple, though to be honest I probably pinched it from another author whose name is now buried deep in the sands of time.
First I divide my projects into time blocks: Morning Block, Late Morning Block and Afternoon Block.
Morning Block
I use this time block for client-related work: i.e. research, writing projects and playing Animal Crossing.
Now the third activity is very, very important, because if I forget to visit Kiki she will move out in a huff and I’ll just have to burn down my town and start from scratch. Again.
Oh Kiki, why did you leave me?
Late Morning Block
The late morning block is for writing my own work, as by then my writing muscle has already been exercised and I find creativity and words flow more easily.
Then for a change of pace I tend to throw in a short yoga session, as I find this helps to startle the neighbours when they try to peer through my front windows.
Afternoon Block
After lunch I usually revise my client’s project or write my blog. By the end of the day I’ve written about 4,000-5000 words without pulling the last of my lush follicles out.
Now by dividing my writing into hard blocks, I find it much easier to juggle three writing projects at once without feeling burnt out by writing all day.
You will also note that unlike proper authors I make sure to stuff random fun things and exercise between projects, because this helps to keep my writing festive then I can create more worlds for readers to enjoy.
Back to Jess’s World
As someone who is generally sceptical of sequels, (Except Paddington 2 which somehow manages to excel its brilliant original.) Lockdown II will also mean that I’ll be able to stay much longer in Jess’s world and write a far more extensive book than the first.
How have I found the second book so far? Well writing the second draft has been fun and generally if I’m not boring myself to sleep whilst writing a book, the reader tends to enjoy reading it too.
It’s also been great to introduce interesting new characters and give an impression of village life, as seen through the eyes of a character stuck between two worlds. However, familiar faces do crop up from time to time and even though Jess tries to find new love- old flames seem rather reluctant to let go…
The Creature Returns
However as I finish this book, the old creature that came to visit me in early March seems equally reluctant to leave. But these days when he squats on my chest he feels much lighter, less scary, less of a mystery and slightly less inclined to nightly dash my brains out with a rock.
But although his accompanying symptoms are now more irritating than terrifying, I still wouldn’t wish him to pay an unwelcome visit to anyone else. But the minute I think he’s gone, he likes to occasionally tickle my throat with a feather.
Just so I don’t forget.
The Christmas Romance Book Still Beckons
So as the creature slowly fades away, what is next? As I’m now more than three-quarters through the second draft of Jess’s latest romance novel, it’s heading to be more than 90,000 words.
Now it was only meant to be 75,000 words tops but when that rather magical moment happens when your characters take over the story, it seems rather churlish to interrupt.
The next goal is to complete the third draft of the book by the year’s end, whilst preparing to update Christmas Romance with The Earl just in time for the holidays.
Then I intend to set the price of the romance novel to free as a Christmas gift to my readers, so they can snuggle up with that steaming cup of hot cocoa on the sofa and shut out the troubles of the world for a little bit.
So if you’re wondering what modern romance book you should read this coming holiday, then get your free copy of a Christmas Romance with the Earl by entering your name and email address in the form below. And I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve set all my Christmas-themed books and short stories for free!
In the meantime, what are your plans for the upcoming autumn and winter season? Please feel free to drop me a message and let me know, because I love hearing about your festive plans.
Stay safe,
Kate
Comments