Saturday, May 02, 2009

A New Book and a New Reader

Forgive me RoCommers, it's been months since my last on line confession. (Can you pick out the writer with the Catholic uprbrining.) Anyway, I apologize for my digital silence, it is unintended. Since we last spoke I had a Ro Com published (Sea of Love, I think my best, but who am I to know) and I wrote what feels like a thousand tie-in books. All those deadlines are what kept me from the blog. (Lame excuse I know.)

Anyway, I have just started a new book and am struggling with the first chapter blues. I wonder how the other authors feel about this situation. I've written the first chapter. I really like it. But I don't love it. It's all a matter of voice and POV and it's the reason I tend to write my first chapters like 75 times. Am I alone in this. I re-write it and re-write it until one day it kind of hits me that - yes, there's the voice. It's frustrating and a little fun.

I've also had quite a literary thrill lately. My fourteen year old son actually read one of my books. Years into this and he finally thought, "I'll check this out." I've never been so thrilled/scared in my life. And at the end, he said he loved it. And I was thrilled, but also wanted to add "Why do you say that like you're surprised?"

I promise, I'll write more to catch up. Hello again to all.

3 comments:

Debbie Rigaud said...

Hi Jamie. What a great feeling it must be to know that your son read and enjoyed your book. LOL at the fact that he seemed surprised that he liked it. It reminds me of what my 12-year old neice told me (incredulously so) after she first read my novela--"Aunt Debbie, I didn't know you could write." :-)

Wendy Toliver said...

when my oldest son (he was 6 at the time) wanted to read Teenage Siren, I was pleasantly surprised. And my favorite comment of his was, "Wow, Mom! Roxy shops at Target just like we do!" LOL

As for writing blues, I LOVE writing the first few chaps but I have a really hard time doing an outline (like for a proposal). I think we all have parts that are difficult for us, but the more we do it, the better we become. At least I hope so!

Best wishes!

Ms. Yingling said...

Boys really want to read romance books. Have you thought about writing one with a boy as the main character? I could use a lot of those titles, but the cover would have to be COMPLETELY devoid of pink!