The Second Book Should Be Easier, Right?

Ya’ll.

Book 2 of the Everglen Series is giving me so much grief. My husband asked me about it this morning, and my answers were somewhat ridiculous.

“The characters are being so stubborn,” I said. “They won’t get into the same room together!”

He replied, “Aren’t you the one writing it?” Damn. He has a point.

My first book flowed out of me in a way I can’t explain. I couldn’t get enough. I was writing all the time. The story felt so easy to piece together. Even before I began writing, I completely plotted out the book. Every detail, every chapter was planned.

I really, truly felt like I had cracked the code on writing and had done it. I was going to be a writer because of how amazing the process was!

The second book has been different. I thought I knew exactly where the story was going, but when I tried to plot it out, it wasn’t working.

So I decided to just sit down and write, and I have. It hasn’t been working.

To be fair, school started back up, and I had to take on another client to stay financially afloat. My time is definitely more limited than it was over the summer and back in the spring when I wrote the majority of the first novel.

I realized something last night, though. I was frustrated, not only with the book, but with where my career is going.

The query trenches have been rough. I decided to hire someone to help me with my query, synopsis, and first few chapters for book one. It wasn’t an easy decision. We don’t have the money, if I’m being honest, and today I found out our basement leak is now a $10,000 plumbing problem.

Secondly, with homeschool and my volunteer obligations, it’s all been a bit too much. Add on the stress of having clients, and you do not leave much room for writing or creating a story worth telling.

That’s where I’m at. My brain is so overwhelmed; how can I be inspired to write?

There is simply too much being held inside this head of mine and not enough room for figuring out plot points and how to make phone sex sexy.

So I made a change. Instead of waiting later in the day to write, I’m getting up and doing it first thing. Today was day one, and it was great. I got 600 or so words out before the little one came in and begged for breakfast.

Are my characters in the same room? No. But they did set up a date. Don’t tell my FMC I called it that, though. She’s struggling with commitment and making everything work.

Hold on.

My FMC in book 2 is dealing with the same thing I am. She’s juggling a lot and trying to make her dreams come true. There is no room for a sexy drummer in her life. He’s not giving up, though, and neither am I.

There. That feels better.

Isn’t it crazy how playing God with your character’s lives makes you realize so much about your own?

I’ll continue working on book 2 for you, for me, and for my FMC who needs to discover how to be happy without being busy.

All right. Off I go. Thanks for listening.