Where'd I put my pants?

Whichever way… keep writing.

I realized something not long ago.

I've lost my pants.

Yep, you read that right. Lost 'em.

No, not like that, you nutters… In the realm of writing! ;)

With Pendomus (Book 1), I had no clue what I was doing. I got an idea, heard about NaNoWriMo and took off running with my pants around my ankles... Or something like that. 

I took notes. LOTS and LOTS of notes. But things about the story still surprised me.

The characters, for one. 

I had no idea who the players of my book were going to be. I only knew of a young girl who was lonely and didn't fit in. At the time, she was much younger than she has now turned out to be. Fourteen is where she started out, in fact. But as the story grew, I realized she needed to be older for the story to work.

Why? Because of the other characters who walked into the scene. Quite literally.

I was writing along, happily minding my own business and it was sort of, "Oh? Who are you people?"

So I fleshed them out… gave them their own lives, their stories. Once that was set, the scenes played out as they wanted… I let the characters go wherever. Do whatever.

Which, in a sense was fun, but was also, as it has turned out… harder for me in the editing phase. Pendomus doesn't follow the typical rise and fall. While I know where I am going with the story, there are many things that happen - but get left for a later time for resolution. I, as the author, know they are not forgotten. But how will the reader know? You know?

From my betas, that is the biggest hurdle I need to over come with Book 1 before it's ready to be published. I need to make sure the readers know I am not dropping things…

Because of this, it has come to my attention that my pants have been left behind for a bolder, more organized, Plottery-type me.

I am mapping out the plots of Book 2 and 3. In fact, I'm even mapping out the plot, retrospectively, for Book 1. In addition, I've been working on another story… something to take my mind off of Pendomus, to push myself back into writing. That, too, I've plotted.

So… how do you all feel? Are you plottery-type people? Pansting it?

Which one works for you and why?

Refreshing...

I know, I know… it's been a while. Again. LOL!

Well, these things happen.

On the upside, I've been getting a lot done. Hell, a lot more than I was before I started working full time. Which is, in itself, sorta weird.

Last time I wrote, I was having trouble with it. Trouble getting my grove on whilst working.

While I am still hit or miss on writing in book two, come the ass-crack o'clock, I am making headway with final edits from my betas for book one. I'm 1/3 of the way through with it, as a matter of fact. But the biggest thing coming out of this final pass is this:

I am regaining my sense of excitement for the book, the world and my characters. 

I have a clear direction to what I need to fix for book one so I can move on to the crazy writing of book two. Book two even has it's skeletal outline ready to go. (Be watchful of a blog post on that coming up. Pantsing it, versus Plotting it.)

Within this realm of revitalization and reintegration of Pendomus into my daily life… I've decided that my hub- this blog- needed its own refreshing. So, you may notice some changes that have taken place. A new look and feel - but still carrying forward similar colors, as they tie in to Pendomus so well.

I hope this update makes things easier to use. Easier to find. Easier to read.

I can't promise to blog as often as I should, but I will try to do it as often as I can.