BernetteThis post is about how I let the characters lead the way in my current work in progress (book one of the Maradobu Chronicles). How did I arrive at the point when I realized this was the approach I’d take? Read on.
In June I got serious about this idea for a all Black fantasy book (series) and starting thinking about the story I’d tell. I worked to get plots for a multi-book journey and to start ‘meeting’ the characters. I had about fifteen pages in a Google doc just on what the story would be.
Then…I started writing.
I quickly threw out the opening and then the entire story shifted on me. I got rid of an entire sibling, changed who the bad guy was, and where I’d started with an end, that was gone too. Yes, I’d written the ending lines so that I knew where was I going. But the muse had other ideas!
Suffice it to say, the story that was supposed to get told is the one that got written. It came through with relative ease (for writing a book that’s over 104,000 words). I edited it and found an editor who’ll get it after the beta readers.
While waiting and working on my play coming this week to the Apex Museum as part of the Blue Series (shameless plug) I started writing book two of the Maradobu series. Why? This one character who was maligned in book 1 requested I tell her story. When she came through as she did and I saw her I was like, wow, I really like this woman! But…am I supposed to?
One good thing is that in starting this next book, I realized I needed to tweak some book one details so it makes sense for book two. Since it hasn’t even gone out to the editor yet, I went ahead and did this easily.
The crazy thing is that I can’t even outline this story and don’t know how this book will end because I don’t know her story til she reveals the next part. I’d been trying to figure out where to go with this next book for two plus weeks and she (the character) told me to just start writing. So I did.
Being this kind of writer is fun as you’re waiting for the twists and turns too. It can also be a little frustrating. I thought I knew how the last one would end and then it plot twisted me and I was like dayyuuummm! What!?
I was like where are we going? Will she get what she wants? Who does she really love? Who is the bad guy? It hadn’t a care about my ‘plans’. I may talk about that one day.
In the meantime, I’ll keep letting the voices in the story tell the story, their story, and I’ll write it as best I can and hope it reaches those who’ll appreciate it, connect with it, love it.
If you write series, do you write more than the first one before publishing so things line up or publish and then write the next one and make it line up with the prior book(s)? Plot all the way, pants all the way or go in a little like me – some of both?
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