Emmanuel

I have been working so many hours that I have not had the opportunity to update the blog. It is our busy season at work, commandeering every second of my day. However, I have managed to squeeze in some writing time on the train. Usually I reserve train time for applying makeup and taking a quick nap. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The nap looses.

I have been trying to work into my first book the expanded story of one of my characters, but the story is too long. So guess what? He gets his own book! I have titled it Emmanuel, named after the character. He is an angel who chose to 'fall' with Satan so that he could keep an eye on his activities while terrorizing mankind, especially God's Rose, Lela. Emmanuel is a continuation in the series of  novels, spurned by Julian's curiousity regarding his great-great-great grandfather. Intrigued by his name, subliminally remembering their past lives together, Julian asks Lela to tell him Emmanuel's story. She tells him that only Emmanuel can tell his story. Suddenly before Julian's eyes, Emmanuel commandeers his grandmother's body, telling him of not only his life, but their lives together for 200 prior to Julian's current incarnation.

That's kinda it in a nutshell. I have written the story throughout all of the novels. However, I have finally decided to extract the chapters from the other books, giving the story its own space to grow. We will see what becomes of it.

Busy and Writing

How do we balance life and writing? Both are two pretty dominating forces to contend with. We must work our jobs, take care of home and family. At the same time, we have to satisfy the burning desire to put pen to paper, fingers to key board, and crank out all of the thoughts bouncing around inside of our hearts, minds and souls.

For me, I am now well into the 'busy season' at work, being that the holidays are near. As an Executive Assistant, I must not only attend to my normal duties, but the extra cares of conference planning, mailing lists and gift ordering for my boss's many associates, friends, families and clients. Needless to say, I am already exhausted. But even with all of this, my writing is placing pressure on me as well, constantly bombarded with new ideas, scenes, story organization (or re-org) the list goes on.

But somehow, it all gets done. I am always sleepy, but everything gets done. I dream of the days when I will enjoy uninterupted time to write, but I find when I am granted those few moments of serenity, I have nothing to say. It is an all or nothing situation. I must do it all at once or nothing at all. I am so accustomed to writing under pressure, I do not how not to.

How do you write? Do you do better under pressure or in a relaxed, serene enviroment (if such a thing exists)?

Continual Growth

Since splitting the novel for the umpteenth time, the saga overall has taken on a new life, blossoming, unfolding, growing. I am shuffling storylines around... characters are evolving. Those who had small roles before are growing, sharing more of whom they are and how they came to be.

It is funny, but once I let go of my idea of what the series should be, it has become what it actually is. So now, I am just going with the flow, anxious to see what the story will become.

I guess that I will not finish anytime soon. Ha! But then again, maybe I will complete all sooner than expected.