It's Puzzling by Lala Corriere
Imagine you have a colossal jigsaw puzzle. Now imagine you don’t
know how many pieces it contains, but somewhere between 75,000 and 90,000. A
best guess. It’s not labeled on the box.
That’s what I have in front of me. A new manuscript. Pieces of
rough outlines, scores of sticky notes and hundreds of untamed ideas. They'll
need to be moved around and sorted, because I always start with the flat-edged
pieces that I know will make up the border.
For me, the border represents the
foundation of my manuscript. It encases my growing cast of characters to
include the protagonist, the nefarious, along with a slate of voices important
to the story. Settings become clear. At the very least, a vague plot is formed.
Whether I write as a plotter or a panster, I have to start somewhere.
Some of the pieces don't fit quite right. I try to jam them into
place to make them work. Some of the pieces go in smoothly and I can begin to
see the storyboard that is my book.
I’m missing some puzzling pieces. I can’t tell you how many
times my writing enters my dreams. I try to scribble illegible notes down in
the dark. I wake up, and some of my thoughts are plain stupid. Others, I can’t
quite remember when I knew they would be perfect.
Another piece, I painfully toss out. That piece would be the
perfect scene that did not move my story forward.
A big part of the puzzle is that we fiction authors are liars.
We make things up. It’s remembering all those lies that gets tricky. I love
this part! Tying up all the loose ends by remembering where the pieces went.
Every puzzling piece must be integral to the whole picture.
This is the best analogy I have for you on writing a novel. For
those of you who are new to writing, or just curious, less than one percent of
the population that sits down to write their great American novel actually
completes it. This remains true, even in today’s saturated digital book market.
And yet the process is a bit like that of an explorer. You can
celebrate knowing that you have the vision. This is your decision to write your
book. You can rejoice in knowing that you are overcoming all of your obstacles.
Your words are unfolding faster than you can type them. You will then dance the
victory dance when you see all of those words fill the blank pages. And then,
and only then, you realize The End, when your journey is documented.
A finished novel.
Today I wish you many celebrations along your
journey as a writer, reader, and amazing puzzler!
"Success is
falling nine times and getting up ten."
~Jon Bon Jovi
Blub:
Just when romance author Chyna Blaze gives up
her haunting past, she has a new problem. Her peers are being knocked-off. The
detective insists she’s high on the list.
Her publicist arranges the date with a well-known
literary giant. Chyna finds the idea annoying, but harmless.
Orson Locke quit writing, but not his vices. He
likes his sugar straight out of cans of white icing, chased by bourbon, and
Poe. He likes his temptations well-sated.
Bio: Lala Corriere
Since early childhood, Lala has been
passionate about all the arts. She is a painter and a former stage performer. Early
work careers blended high-end real estate sales and serving as president of an
interior design firm.
Her fifth grade teacher, Miss Macy,
was the to suggest she consider a career in writing. That extension of the
arts, the written word, turned into a full time passion in 2001.
Career Highlights:
- Endorsement
and long-term mentorship by the late Sidney Sheldon
- USA
Today articles and review.
- Published
in regional magazines, newspapers, writer’s guides and journals.
- Award
winning poetry.
- Endorsements
from Andrew Neiderman [Devil’s
Advocate], J Carson Black, KT Bryan, CJ West, Paris Afton Bonds, and
many others remarkable authors.
Titles Include:
- Widow’s
Row
- CoverBoys
& Curses
- Evil
Cries
- Kiss
and Kill.
- Bye
Bye Bones,
coming 2015
Readers and reviewers applaud her
hallmark original plots, her in-depth character portrayals, rich scene
settings, and authentic dialogue, all delivered with a fresh new voice. Oh, and
her TWISTS! With her recent visit to Italy and riding the trains, her sixth
book, Tracks, is taking shape.
Lala is a desert rat. She nestles there
with her husband of over 25 years along with Finnegan & Phoebe— Teacup
Yorkies.
Buy link:
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