A Second Novel Nearly Finished
I've been working on a second novel for nearly two years. Since teaching takes up so much time during the school year, my main time to work is in the summer. The first draft of the book was finished in October 2006, but I've been tweaking ever since. Its working title, The Reluctant Detective, was suggested by a teacher friend of mine. (Whether it will stick is anyone's guess, as my own title for Riding Out the Storm didn't get used.) In addition to countless online searches, I did some "real life" research this time, which was lots of fun. I visited a nursing home on two occasions, spoke with the director of the local county library, and even interviewed a police detective - all to help make this story as realistic as possible. I spent hours and hours on my bed with my laptop, writing and revising and writing some more. After getting feedback from my husband, I passed it on to several friends, fellow teachers, and students. Using their feedback, I tweaked some more until I felt it was ready to send out. Finding a publisher for it, however, hasn't been easy, but in this business, if you can't take rejection, you might as well quit. So I haven't given up on this story yet!
I recently attended a writing conference and had ten pages of the manuscript critiqued by an assistant editor from a New York publishing house. She gave me some constructive
ideas for strengthening the story. And so, my goal for this summer has changed: I'd been planning to work on a third novel, but instead, I'll devote the time to polishing The Reluctant Detective.
A Third Story Idea
Thinking I had the second novel finished last fall, I began work on a third. It introduces some new characters, but also includes some from The Reluctant Detective. It, too, is a mystery and will have some unusual characters whom I'm hoping my readers will find worth getting to know.
A Sci Fi Adventure
Years ago, I wrote a science fiction novel. Recently, I pulled it out of its box in a cupboard, and reread it. I was pleasantly surprised! It's actually a good story, and I know I would have a lot of fun turning it into a young adult novel. So, I find myself in a situation where I have "so many ideas, but so little time" to put them into writing. Frustrating, but exciting, too!