I would say it's a great day but...
Have you ever had the feeling that you have bitten off more than you can chew? Or, you come out of a planning session feeling pretty good about the progress you've made, only to sit back and realize maybe you haven't made as much progress as you think you have?
I've been working on a book! Well I kind of finished a book and sent it off to my Auntie because she insisted. So she is currently doing...I am not exactly sure what she's doing. Holding me up I suppose. So to fill up time, and because I have an overactive idea generating mind, I started a NEW story.
The original idea was of a "spoiled" entitled girl. A lead cheerleader, the popular girl who is now the popular senior who thinks she deserves the world! Well she has it...the world in her little town in Wyoming but what she really wants is the attention of the popular jock in school.
Unfortunately for her, he's not interested.
Enter our Main female character. An outsider to this little town. She's from the big city and immediately attracts popular boy's attention.
I thought it was a good concept, so I ran with it. I decided to make it about werewolves...well I called them Wolven and scattered them about. Made a pack, a ranch, and a commune out in Wyoming.
I started to work and tinker and named characters and start to develop them. Who is this person? Who are their parents? Where did they meet? When did they marry? How did they get here? That sort of stuff.
I tinkered some more and realized....
There wasn't a strong enough conflict.
*bummer*
Back to the drawing board.
Rule number one in creating a story: Think of an original idea.
Rule number two: Conflict conflict conflict!
And then I thought...this is too much work.
So I decided to cheat a little bit. When in doubt, copy.
Conflict and a ready made template. So instead of a rather boring, stuck in Wyoming werewolf story with no conflict, I've moved my story to San Francisco.
Now it's a San Francisco Wolven versus vampires, Romeo and Juliet type story. Two clans alike in dignity in foggy San Fran where we lay our scene.
uhm...kind of.
Since I don't want to recreate my wolven pack, I am shifting them into SF. Getting rid of that Main female character (goodbye Celena!) and creating a new Female Protagonist (hello and welcome aboard Vivian).
Creating a strong antagonist (so far he's unnamed. I was going to name him Seth but it doesn't fit the time and place where he was born)
I am recycling most of the wolven pack. Keeping the young male alpha (our Main male protag) but making him 19 instead of 17 in the original draft. His father Erol has been murdered instead of wandering around the country as a loner. Killed on orders of our lovely and "sympathetic" antagonist.
Today I spent the day in the coffee shop reworking this Wolvenheart story idea. Making it Romeo (wolven) and Juliet (vampires).
I had to look for a name for my antagonist the uber evil villain (the Capulet) and if homeland protection is monitoring internet
I just hope I am not alone when it comes to being a complete spaz in doing research for a story.
My wolven and newly created vampires are settling in nicely to San Fran, and I am enjoying writing about a place I loved to live and places I know.
I just hope Aunt Fran doesn't totally disrupt my flow when she sends back my novel. That one needs another 30,000 words added to it and I am eager to fill in the blanks.
It's a writer's life for me!
