By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’ve always been very jealous of writers who have spectacular, manuscript-worthy dreams. Those writers who wake up with ideas for their works in progress or for new stories, falling out of their beds to find a pen and paper.
Although I often get story ideas in those drowsy moments right before I fall asleep, my dreams have always been a source of consternation for me. They’re pedestrian visions of forgotten locker codes from decades ago, anxious and imaginary wanderings through unfamiliar cities with no map to guide me. They’re even work-related dreams of me writing…without, mind you, the actual writing which would make such dreams worthwhile. My dreams are basically me worrying over minutiae.
Which is why my dream last week was so completely extraordinary.
I woke up, gasping, sitting straight up in bed, scaring my husband half to death. I could still see the freight train from the dream, so real I could practically feel the breeze as it went by.
And I had a whole skeleton of a book…from the dream.
Naturally, after years of complaining about my boring dreams, I wasn’t about to squander this opportunity. I gave up on sleeping (yes, it was…oh, maybe two-thirty in the morning) and created a rough outline for the story along with character sheets.
Then I looked at the outline. Well, what the heck was I supposed to do with that? It wasn’t that it was a bad story. But it presented me with a bunch of problems.
Problem #1: It was a story that wanted to be lit fic. Even though the characters were teens. It didn’t want to be YA.
Problem #2: It was a story that wanted to be a standalone.
Problem #3: Neither of those things (lit fic, standalones) sells particularly well.
Problem #4: My brand as an author isn’t associated with lit fic at all. This means I’d likely want to write this book under another name. Which involves a web presence of some kind for that other name. Which involves time.
Problem #5: I’m writing a series that’s doing well. I have dedicated readers for it. It makes no sense to spend three months writing a project that won’t sell in a genre I don’t write for readers that don’t exist.
Of course, the argument against giving in to the problems with the story is that I would likely enjoy writing the story. I’d find it creatively stimulating. It would be a challenge.
But…it’s also a challenge for me to write my own, fairly successful series. In fact, the challenge grows with every book, with every new reader. The challenge is to create new and exciting material within the story world and with the recurring story characters. The challenge is creating character growth to prevent popular characters from getting too static…without changing the characters so much that readers are unhappy with the changes. There are plenty of creative challenges there and will be for a long time.
So, even though it was a Shiny New Idea (and we all know how tempting those Shiny New Ideas are, especially when we’re slogging through other stories…I’m writing one and editing another currently), I’m going to shelve it for a little while. My thoughts are that build up a couple more releases for my self published Myrtle Clover series, finish out my responsibilities for my trad published series, and then I’ll write the book. Because clearly—the book has to be written.
It made me think of all the writers who are facing similar questions: should I write this new story? When? Should I write the story under my name, if it’s a different genre than I usually write? And for writers who might be increasingly dependent on the income they’re now making from the more commercial genres (mystery, romance, YA), should they take a break from a lucrative gig to branch out into a less-popular area…like literary fiction? When might they reach the point where they feel they can take on something completely different?
Have you faced these questions as a writer? How did you choose your course?
Image: MorgueFile: can131
Welcome to my world!
I write a lot from dreams (even the dreams of wandering around a parking ramp, looking for my shoes seem to spark details that work for the odd moments of a story), but mostly I’ve just got too many stories that I have got to write before I die (because nobody else will write them if I don’t). And my stuff is too quirky and cross-genre, or too old-fashioned or something else, to be commercially viable, so I don’t have to worry about the money choice….
But as to your problem: I have many stories which are just kind of my personal stories. I may never write them or write them in my journal. And now and then one pops out as a real story. But I don’t put any effort into turning them into something to publish.
If your series work was making you feel hemmed in, I’d say take a break and go after the shiny new dream story. Since your series work is satisfying however, I’d just treat it as a hobby story. You can play with it, and only give it serious time if you find it’s driving you.
Also: You wouldn’t have to create a whole new presence. First of all, if it’s not all that commercially viable, you don’t have to make money at it. You can let people discover it. And if you make it an open secret of the pen name — make it a “writing as” and mainly talk about it in the context of it being a complete departure for you, your more open minded fans can find it and enjoy it, and your more closed minded fans will be forewarned.
Or you could just keep it for your own pleasure.
Camille–My boring dreams don’t even have cool details!
Good idea. I mean…I usually don’t like writing two stories at once. But I *could* write one book in the morning and one in the afternoon. I did that under deadline once. Actually, it was tricky and I kept messing up and characters from one series would make accidental guest appearances at the other. But this book would be SO different that unless I completely lost my mind, I wouldn’t get the two confused.
Yeah, it’s not at ALL commercially viable. I don’t see anyone reading it. So good point–I don’t have to promote it. Ha! Honestly, it’s the kind of book that I don’t even think promo would help. But somehow I *always* feel driven to share my stuff. I don’t know why. I’ll almost certainly publish it. Good idea about making it discoverable by at least *linking* to it so that determined readers can search it out.
I write one story at night and one in the morning most of the time, and am usually editing one or two then, too, so go for it! I only get confused if I try to write in same series morning and night. I-ah-hem, have 1 scene repeated in 3 stories, that I had to chop out of two because I tried that. . .
My dreams are full of exciting chase scenes and weirdness most of the time! I had one story that came in parts over a night, so I Kept! having to wake up and write it down. Have fun:)
Sara–That’s a lot going on! That’s great that you’re handling it so well. I think if the stories are different enough, I *can* do it. The last time I did it, the stories *weren’t* different enough…and pandemonium ensued. Ha!
Chase scenes and weirdness would be fun! And a serial dream…that’s really cool. I think I need to ask the Dream Fairy to give me an upgrade.
A fascinating dilemma and I love your honesty for sharing it. I believe it hits a lot of authors, this desire to write something else, something totally unlike what one has written before, the kind of books your reputation is built on.
It has certainly hit famous authors again and again, for example Romain Gary who wrote under a pseudonym books that were totally different from anything he’d ever written – and I wonder about JK Rowland who is now writing under the name of Galbraith books that have nothing to do with Harry Potter!
Indeed, both these authors exemplify how to get out of that dilemma: write under a pseudonym and see how they fly! But both were very famous authors and journalists uncovered them, giving a boost to their sales. For us who don’t write in that league, matters are different. Writing under a pseudonym is ok, but it means starting all over again the big marketing push (and book promotion simply drives me mad – all I want is write my books and all I find I’m doing is marketing all day long, argh!)
The upshot? I think you’re right to shelve your dreams for the moment (I’ve done that too), it’s wise, it saves on your marketing energy! Perhaps later, when you have more time, you can do it and you may even find you need to do it for your mental health, i.e. get away from the series because all series, eventually, come to an end…
Claude–Absolutely! A pen name is key so that we don’t make our dedicated readers confused/upset at buying something they thought would be something else. And there would be more curiosity from my readers than a burning desire to read something different–they would be curious why I wrote something different and possibly concerned that I’m not continuing the series they enjoy reading. They wouldn’t *buy* the other book. They would just wonder about it. And that’s only if I linked over to the other book on my site.
I think Camille is right when she commented that if it isn’t commercially viable…I really don’t have to worry about the promo. She’s right. I don’t think this book would do well even with a promo push because it doesn’t have a built-in set of readers. I *do* have built-in readers, but only if I write traditional/cozy mysteries. So you’re right–I don’t think I’ll squander what I’ve got going right now. Good to shelve it for a little while. And you’re also right that it’s good to have something on the back burner if I start to feel burned-out! Mental health is an important thing. :)
Right now I’m struggling with a similar choice. I’m committed to working as a hybrid author, but I’m having trouble nailing down an idea for my next traditionally-published book.
With my self-published book being the first in a 4-book series, that side of things is pretty much covered for at least a couple of years. But settling on a new trad-pub WIP is a pain. One idea is YA, and I’m not sure I want to focus so much on YA and forget my basis in writing for adults. But the other idea burning into my head isn’t fantasy of any kind. I think it might qualify as science-fiction, or possibly dystopian if I play up certain angles, but it’s really more a revenge thriller crossed with street-level superheroes.
Paul–So your story has an identity, too. I know I *could* change the story idea I have to force it to be YA…but then a lot of the story ceases to make sense. It’s really lit fic and can’t be forced into a commercial genre. Isn’t it funny how stories call their own shots?
In regards to the hybrid thing–I’ve temporarily solved that problem by just finishing out my contracts and not pitching new ideas. I’ve hoarded the new mystery ideas I’ve had, trying to figure out what to do with them. I think I’ll make more with them if I publish them myself. I believe I’m hoping that trad publishers will pitch *me* an idea to write (they have before) and that I’ll develop *their* ideas. I feel as if I want to keep my own ideas to myself.
Well I’m a firm believer that the final story and characters are what the author wanted, it’s all a matter of what changes they’re willing to make, and what work they’re willing to put in, to make them fit.
So I could write this crimefighter revenge story (by way of Count of Monte Christo) as an urban fantasy, but would that add to, or take away from, the story?
I hadn’t considered just going self-pub for a while. I think I’m concerned I’m still not well-established enough to take that risk.
Paul–I could definitely, definitely take the main premise of the story and make it YA. But–I dunno, it doesn’t seem like I’d be honest to the story if I did that. And I can’t even believe I’m writing that, considering I’m a very calculated commercial writer. Ha! It’s like Invasion of the Body Snatchers…maybe that’s what happened when I was having that dream. Because I haven’t had the same writing philosophy since that night.
In the case of this story, yes, it would take away from the story because the story (again, very, very unlike me) has a Theme with a capital T. And I’d probably have to tone down the theme, because it’s loud. And loud themes don’t sell either.
Give it a couple of self-pubbed books and then reassess. You might be in a different place then, in regards to moving forward in self-pub.
I suppose it helps for me, that at the end of the day, I’m still writing adventure stories. There’s a lot of crossover of themes and tropes, regardless of the trappings of a particular genre.
Paul–Exactly! That would definitely, definitely be helpful because you could still take your readers with you.
My readers might be willing to accompany me over to a police procedural or a thriller (well, the thriller might be pushing it..maybe a psychological thriller), but I don’t see them making a huge leap to something completely different. There’s a lot of leeway in mysteries as a genre, though, like there’s a lot with adventure. So if I tired of cozies, I could make a move in another mystery subgenre and still keep readers.
I’m in shiny, new idea mode right now. It will be published under my own name, but it’s a self-pub, non-fiction series, which means a new marketing slant and another learning curve. I’ve actually walked away from a couple of freelance projects for a week (I scurried to get ahead in order to do this,) so that I can spend the next 4-5 days giving this project serious focus. I’m hoping to end up with some good ideas, a draft/outline or two, and, most important, knowing what to do next. Fingers crossed.
Heather–Congratulations! That sounds like something really viable. And nice that you’re devoting time and energy to it–and scary, right?
Non-fic is possibly the *only* thing I’d do under my own name in a non-mystery genre. I don’t have the time for it right now, but I’ve considered it…just a writing-related book.
Maybe one day I’ll wake up with a cool dream idea like that. (My dreams are also boring.)
Sounds like it can happen but in the right time. Which you are smart enough to wait for. I think a lot of writers get get distracted by shiny new ideas that aren’t the right time.
Alex–You know, when I was a kid, I’d have really cool dreams. I remember one I had about a witch in a refrigerator. I was 10 and I still remember that dream. But when I grew up, I was cursed with such BORING dreams. Being an adult is no fun.
And thanks. I think you’re right. It’s not the right time to go off on a tangent.
I currently write a mystery series but I’m constantly faced with stand-alone novel ideas that insist they be written. I am writing a book right now that fits into this category and I’m trying to decide what to do with it. Thanks for this encouraging and insightful post. Have a great week, Elizabeth.
Clarissa–It’s a struggle, isn’t it? Do you have a huge file of stories to write one day?
Thanks for coming by…hope you have a great week!
Thanks for sharing. I think that’s cool. Maybe it’s a story that doesn’t need to be written right this second but over time it might morph as it simmers in the background into something that feels more commercial viable. Or it might be a secret project that you write a little bit here and there. Or maybe elements could be added so it has mystery or romance.
Lately, I’ve been almost genred out and looking for novels that border on literary with those kinds of elements. :)
Laura–I would *love* it if it would morph. Let’s hope. Maybe a subplot would make it more commercial, I don’t know.
Genred out–ha! Yes, I know what you mean. I’m not there yet, but…
A series with young characters and literary ambitions which isn’t YA?
Wonderful.
Don’t let your commercial aspirations stand in the way of your art. You know how to manage the day gig well enough to eat. Art requires sacrifice and suffering. Well, you are a writer.
So you spend an evening hour on the new work for year. Tell me that sounds crazy. No one ever writes a book like that! What am I thinking? Writing out of genre? How could that work?
Running full force into the new isn’t something you are under pressure to do here. Having a completely new type of story come in relatively full form to your brain – don’t you think that means something?
Use your journeyman skills to make a new masterpiece. You don’t have to put off the standing gig to do it. You’ve jostling become an a vocational writer on the new new project like thousands of us are. The day gig feeds piggy. The night gig feeds us.
Don’t be to quick to think thee is no money in “lit.” Ask Ms. Flynn.
I’m in your corner on this. I have one in the can cooling of this lit with death and youth.
Jack–That’s nice of you. :) So I have one fan for my impossible literary tale for teens!
And thanks for the vote of confidence that I could write this book at the same time as one of my series books. I think I probably could juggle both, if they were hours apart. I like that you said it would energize me instead of wear me out. The last time I wrote two books at once, I *was* exhausted, but they were two genre/commercial books and I was constantly getting confused over characters and storylines since they were the same genre.
I really do doubt there is an audience for this one because it’s directed at teens and it’s lit fic (and…well, we know kids don’t really read lit fic. John Green excluded, since I think he writes a popular form of lit fic that veers into YA territory). So…yeah, I’m still thinking about our car payments and mortgage and the kid getting ready to go off to college and the folly of writing something that won’t sell–BUT! If I write it at the same time as something that WILL sell, then I can do it.
Bloody ipad spellmangler.
Jack–Ha! Yes, my phone does that. I sent a message to someone yesterday and the phone changed “hulu” to “July” without even asking me…
Elizabeth – Oh, yes, that story must be written. And it’s probably not a bad thing to put it aside for a time and come back to it. Then it will be all fresh and you’ll be able to really get to work on it. How exciting! I actually had that sort of thing happen too, ‘though not from a dream. I had the plot for a book all ready, but it wasn’t going to be a Joel Williams mystery – well, I didn’t think so anyway. It was going to be a historical mystery. I’m not ready to write it yet, but it’s waiting for the time when I am.
Margot–At least yours is going to be a mystery! That’s awesome…I’d love to read a historical mystery by you.
I think my inclination right now is to let the story bake for a little while, finish the projects I’m currently doing (the edit and the drafting), and then try to do two projects at once…since they’re so different.
I’ve dreamed up many novel ideas from my vivid dreams. Every time I have a dream that seems like a great idea for a novel, I create a folder and write a rough outline immediately. I continue working on my current project, and sometimes add thoughts/ideas here and there to that new idea folder. (I also use pinterest for novel storyboards. I keep them secret, lol.)
It’s a dilemma when we dream up stories outside our genre. I usually try to stay the course within my own genre, and shelve the other genre idea for some other time. But I’ve also incorporated some of those out-of-my genre scenes into my other stories instead of writing in a new genre.
So yes, I’d agree that the story must be written, either as a new genre for you, or somehow incorporated into a story within your own genre.
I dreamed up a novel outside my genre and wrote a first chapter – which ended up as a short story in an anthology, published under my own name.
Regarding pen names, I now write under a pen name and I’ve already established it online, so when I get around to publishing my works-in-progress, it won’t be too difficult for me to operate under that name.
If you feel that your dream story should be written (and under a pen name,) perhaps establish that pen name now, before you write it?
Above all, have fun with your ideas!
SJ–That’s so great that your dreams are so vivid and creative. I’m jealous! I’ve heard a lot about secret Pinterest boards lately–intriguing. I’m going to have to explore that for myself.
I don’t think there’s even anything in this story that I could cannibalize for my cozies…too dark for the humorous books I usually write. Which is even more astounding that I dreamed it at all. Maybe I had a fever… :)
That’s cool that you took one of your stories and adapted it for a short story–another great idea. Wish I were better at shorts, though.
Elizabeth, I think there’s a difference between a shiny new idea and a story that wants to be told and won’t leave you alone. Rather than using intellect to decide whether to write this with a different name or all those other publishing issues, perhaps open yourself up to this story and see what your heart tells you to do. The rest will fall into place. Maybe your heart wants you to expand your horizons and do something creatively different. I’d love to see how this plays out over time. Just saying…
Karen–Yes, you’re absolutely right. I think I’m trying to minimize this story so that I can put it off. But even thinking about the story makes goosebumps form on my arms and legs, so obviously the story has to be written. There’s no way around it.
You have two series going and those have to come first. The new idea has given you a backup for when you want to try something really different.
Almost every single one of my fiction ideas have come from a dream. I used to write down snippets of dreams all the time, although now I have enough ideas to fill several lifetimes of writing.
Diane–Lucky! Gosh, how I wish I had dreams like that all the time. I really think that I must have had some sort of fever or something. It was just so random for me to dream like that.
Yes, I know what you mean…I’ve got too many ideas to write, myself. But my conscious, waking ideas are usually for mysteries. Okay, they’re always for mysteries. :)
Very exciting! You must write your dream state idea because opportunities to grow lie in wait.
Teresa–Yes! That’s the truth…it would offer a growth opportunity.
Your “worst” book has a rank of #245,000 while your best is around #30,000…I think you can do what you want.
Boy, I wish I was getting that many sales, because then maybe I wouldn’t feel so guilty about writing what I want while seeing it not sell. After all, I know the rent will be paid.
I’m sorry, but I fail to see the problem here, other than your fear of risk.
Greg–But you see, I look at that and worry (possibly because I’m neurotic, but maybe because it’s really something to worry about). Because my top book is usually around 8k. And I have a trad release coming out on August 5, and I hate to release something when sales are stalling. So I’ve now gone into the dashboard and messed around with the retail prices. I know that sounds silly, but you know how it is when you budget purchases around income you’re counting on. Another reminder that writing is NOT a stable source of income. It fluctuates like crazy. Readers are off on vacation, lying in the sun, riding roller coasters…and maybe not reading mysteries right now. Maybe they’re reading beach books.
But you’re so, so right. There are worse problems to have!
Sounds like a fun challenge! My dreams are far too scary – not living in those worlds for any more time than I have to! :)
Jemi–Those sound like creative dreams, too! But I wouldn’t want to dwell on them either. :)
My latest Chandleresque cozy, A Long, Hard Look was, though not the result of a dream, exactly as you describe otherwise: a Shiny Object I had to pursue.
Tell me: having read both the first draft of A Long, Hard Look and my first Irish mystery, Through the Fog, would you rather I’d spent the time on the sequel to my Irish mystery, or are you glad I stepped away for 3 months and made Phil Brennan’s story come to life?
Joel–And that’s a hard question to answer because I’m invested in *you* because I knew you before I knew your writing. I think “Long, Hard Look” was an important book for you to write and it was not at all 3 months wasted–terrific story. At the same time, it would be good to see a “Through the Fog” sequel. So in the perfect world, maybe you could have written both those stories at once. Too bad we have to sleep, right? Really need more hours in the day to do all this writing.
Here’s where I accept that my circumstances are special: I was writing the sequel to Through the Fog at the same time. It’ll be out in July.
Clearly, you’re sleeping too much.
Joel–No way! Congrats!
No, I’m not sleeping too much…I’m spending too much time staring at the ceiling and tossing and turning! I should just get up and get stuff done instead of wasting all that insomnia. :)
I’m just going to add here …. because receiving unsolicited advice is almost as joyful an experience as stepping on dog poo missed during clean-up at a garden party …
You have the skill to write a mainline lit fiction novel whose protagonists are YA but which itself is not YA.
You have the skill to write a detective novel whose protagonist is a drug and alcohol addled reluctant detective without the prose being drug and alcohol addled.
Same thing. There is no reason that the transformative effects illustrated in literary fiction are not welcome in any other genre. The trick: do it well.
Jack–No, because I asked for the advice! I really feel very conflicted.
And thank you for that encouragement. :)
Boy, that’s a hard one. At the risk of being presumptuous: You’re getting close to having an empty nest, aren’t you? There’s something about not having children around all the time that lets the subconscious mind acknowledge darker stories. Some moms don’t have a problem with this, but I know I did, as did a couple of others. It’s like Job #1, Example-Setting, comes to a close and the next job down, Creative Expression, expands to fill the vacuum.
Is it possible to change the pace of your Myrtle Clover output? Maybe have them come out three months later than they have been? That would give you time to write a different kind of story. As a creative person, you need the chance to exercise a different set of muscles once in a while, otherwise you risk burning out. That would be the one solid reason to make time to write a novel that isn’t likely to bring in cash–mental and creative and personal health.
A pen name for a difference genre would probably be a good idea, so that The Brand doesn’t get garbled (“Lizabeth Craig,” anyone?)
Okay, that’s my two cents and then some. Apologies in advance if I’ve got it all wrong!
Meg–You’re absolutely right…getting closer, anyway. I’ve got a rising senior and a rising 8th grader. That’s interesting that you’d say that…it’s very true that as soon as my kids were born, I was done with “disturbing” fiction, films, newscasts, anything. It really bothered me. And now it’s not bothering me nearly as much. So there may be a good deal of truth in what you’re saying.
And very true about the brand. I don’t want to confuse readers, for sure. I may end up with a dozen names before I’m done. :)
I’m wondering if I can either get to a plateau point with Myrtle (slowing output while still pulling in sales) and try other things…without abandoning the series…or if I can write two things at once. I’m leaning toward writing two things at once since my time *is* starting to open up a little with one child driving and the other involved in lots of activities. Hmm. Thanks, Meg!
Elizabeth–
It seems your problem stems from success: the Eureka! dream idea is out of synch with what’s made you known, given you a career. It will be interesting to see whether the idea from the unconscious will eventually demand to be developed, or whether your hard-won career leads to further, very understandable postponements.
Barry–It’s an odd thing for me to have come up with. It makes me wonder if there is another side of me that subconsciously wants to try something different.
Kudos for having a dream that was worth losing a night’s sleep for! It sounds like the kind of thing that will keep hitting you over the head if you ignore it too long, anyway, so I’d say just keep doing what you’re doing until the dang idea won’t shut the heck up…
I wish I was nearly as efficient with my writing time as you! You are a model I aspire to…one day…
Good luck,
Kathy
K.B.–I think you’re right! It’s a bullying sort of idea. It’s not going to leave me alone forever, that’s for sure.
And…thanks!
I sometimes get ideas for genres I don’t write in (as of yet) and I usually sit them aside too. I’m still trying to establish myself in one genre, though I plan to write in at least two at the moment, just not any time soon. It’s enough to query in my first chosen genre.
Traci–That’s the thing–we end up with an established set of readers and it makes the process very simple for us. And then we suddenly get the idea of something else and it doesn’t fit into the general plan. I think you’re smart to build up books in the one genre first before tackling another. Although some authors have done very well in a variety of genres, I know.
I am one of those annoying authors who have had some of their greatest writing ideas from their dreams ;) I find that some cheese and alcohol pre-bed time have been particularly conducive to helping me remember my dreams in the morning. Mature cheddar is best ;)
I am also in the same situation in that I have a light-hearted fantasy series which is very close to my heart and which I would like to publish in the coming years. I have written the first two books, although they both need serious re-writing. I am still debating as to whether I should publish them under a new pseudonym (which I’ve already picked). I am 80% inclined toward using the new pseudonym.
I also have a dark fantasy trilogy that has been marinating at the back of my mind for 4 years; still not ready to write that one as I feel I need to grow more as a writer before I can do it justice. There’s also a YA sci-fi novel (inspired by a dream of red stars falling to the Earth and a boy who ends up being transformed into a powerful weapon), a sci-fi horror novel/novella (inspired by a nightmare of waking up on a research station on Mars and realizing that the thing that woke me up was a scream. Oh, and the station now is devoid of life), and a children’s book with a geriatric dragon with dental problems (yes, another dream).
You could give this new story idea a few hours a week, say an hour a day, or a couple of hours every other day. NanoWriteMo might be the other option for you to dedicate an entire month to it, if your writing schedule and commitments allow. I am attempting to rewrite the first novel in that light-hearted fantasy series while I write Book 4 of my current successful series. I have to admit that the going has been particularly slow this summer for a variety of reasons but I’m hoping to pick up the pace in the coming months.
AD–Another writer with great dreams! I really am envious. I *do* remember my dreams…every dull detail. :)
I’d probably lean toward the pen name if I were you, but you should link to it from your website, too. I do have one pen name, even though I’m in the same genre with the series. I did try to brand for the pen name online…at first. But what a pain. I still have my Riley Adams FB page, but that’s all I keep up with.
You’ve got some terrific ideas to develop! Hope your writing this summer starts picking up. And thanks for the advice…much appreciated!
I haven’t reached this point yet. But I have had one entire story come to me in a dream. And bits and pieces of other stories. I love how our minds send us down paths we had no intention of traveling.
Carol–The power of our subconscious is an amazing thing, for sure.
Hi Elizabeth, just to let you know that I’ve nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award – http://fcmalby.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/very-inspiring-blogger-award/
Fiona x
Thanks so much for this, Fiona!