Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Light Bulb Moment

Currently Reading: I received a treat yesterday! My father is 'chauffer' to a sweet Japanese lady, Kazuko Sato. She's the ninety year old woman who's eyesight is deteriorating, and whom my sister and I accompanied her to her physical therapy appointment back in October, and who provided the tickets to the Opera?? Anyway, she has written her memoirs in a book titled Memories I Choose To Keep, and with the help of author Amy Clements Blackburn, the book became available last month in Newport, Arkansas. She autographed a copy to me and when my father arrived to pick up S, he handed it to me! I'm on Chapter 2, and can already hear her precise diction in the written words.

Here's a quick overview: She was born in Japan in 1919; her marriage was arranged; she lived through WW2 and travelled extensively. In 1994, her son-in-law's company transfered him from Japan to Arkansas, and ultimately to Lafayette. This lady continues to keep her mind sharp by taking courses at community colleges, and is always improving her English. My dad takes her to voice lessons, art lessons, as well as her cardiac physical therapy (she suffered a heart attack a few years ago). It has definitely been an honor to meet this lady, and when she discovered I was an author, it inspired her to go ahead with the book, as Amy had been after her to help her write it. I can't wait to learn more about her life:)


I think my muse is back with a vengeance.

I spent most of the day yesterday at the computer, reading and re-formatting book #5 in the AU series, Endless Love. (I made it all the way to chapter 10 when my body insisted I get up and walk around!)

Anyway, it's funny the things you notice when you've been away from a WIP for a while...

I was thinking this morning about finishing the final ten or so pages, and that alphabetically, #3 Forbidden Love is next to be worked on.

Blink! Sudden epiphany.

Maybe the reason my series is not getting anywhere with publishers, is that somewhere along the way, the focus of my books wandered severely off track? Originally, I was just going to focus on one girl's story, taking a year or two of her college life and showing the struggles.

But I think since I wrote them out of order, Keri's story set off a chain reaction of bringing each character's problems in, instead of being foreshadowed, as Amy's is in Love is Sober (to be re-titled some day as Love On The Rocks).

Amy's story foreshadow's Keri's in Love Finds A Way.

But Keri's story not only involves a great deal of her own story, but goes into detail about Gretchen's, and actually foreshadow's Stephanie's book (#6 Searching For Love) instead of Gretchen's (#4 tentatively titled Emotional Rescue).

And Caitlyn's? OMG...the first chapter dives back into Keri's story!

I think this is where I went wrong. Instead of focussing on the main character, I allowed the others to take over. Time to go in and make some more changes, and take back the creative control over my series!

Keri: You're going to what? Oh no; not again!

Gretchen: Yikes! Hopefully this won't be too painful...

Caitlyn: Why mess with perfection?

Stephanie: Caitlyn, pull your head out of the sand! Yours is still a major work in progress!

4 comments:

Mia Watts said...

First works always read as first works once you've been published. Well done for finding the errors on your own for correction. Not an easy admission or task to accomplish.

Molly Daniels said...

LOL:)

I've joked that I've been trying for over fifteen years; Kenzie tries twice in three months and gets it right:)

Regina Carlysle said...

The Japanese lady sounds absolutely fascinating.

Kenzie Michaels said...

She is, Reg. Picture this: She's barely 5 feet tall; my dad is 6'3". She has to hold his hand, and does NOT wear 'little old lady shoes', but regular pumps. They look sooooo cute together!

At the opera, she was concerned with the word 'appreciate', and the correct way to use it. So dad coached me to tell her how much I appreciated the opportunity to attend the opera with her.