I think novelists always can’t wait to start working on “the next one.” That’s because they’re probably sick and tired of the last book they finished, and they’re struggling through the current book they’re writing (believe me–even bestselling novelists I’ve met struggle). They can’t wait for the next one because it’s all about the possibility. It’s just a nugget of an idea that looks so promising.
I’m working on a couple of projects this summer. Come fall, I will start my next novel due to Faithwords (who published Isolation and Ghostwriter). So it’ll be a comedy, right? Ha. No, it will be another supernatural thriller.
It’s a story idea that I’ve had for a while. Just as I said above, I can’t wait to start writing this story.
I’ve already been working on it in various ways.
For example, yesterday I actually did some work on it. I came up with the opening line while walking my dog. I forgot about it when I came inside, then remembered it later and emailed it to myself. Twelve hours later, I still like the line. Maybe I’ll use it.
I wrote out a tentative road map for the story dividing it up into sections. The story is all there. The skeleton is there–just the basics.
Ideas will continue to come at me every day. I’ll try as much as possible to get them down and put them in the folder for this novel.
If the story develops the way I want it to, it will be my favorite thing ever written. It’s a great story that I can’t wait to start.
But that’s what we all think when we’re in the midst of the writing storm plowing ahead trying to make it to the end.
It's extremely reassuring to know that the creative stream doesn't bog down many novels down the road. I am an aspiring author and love reading your blog because of these insights into the full time writer's life.
I've been thinking if I would need to have a folder for each story project that comes to mind, or if I could get away with writing a note to myself on the computer. Do you use a manila folder or an expanding folder for each story?
Hey Joseph. Thanks for the questions. I'll post another blog showing the notebooks and folders (not that they're THAT interesting). But I can show how my organizational system works. I'll post that soon.