Wednesday, July 14, 2010

All aboard! (Almost!)



I've been spinning my wheels long enough. Tomorrow--Thursday--my cousin Ginger and I are taking a jet to Washington D.C., then preparing to board a train for the Great Ten-Day Southern Train Tour.

Today I have to pack, finish some edits, make some lists, and get my hair done (hubby says I look like Cruella de Ville.) And clean the house.

I had HOPED to have a nearly complete rough draft by this point, but a funny thing happened . . . I realized I didn't know what to write about. I had ideas, but they weren't really coming together, so in the last week I've spent some time getting to know my story characters. I found it was simply a matter of asking the right questions, and now they're talking. A lot.

But I'm trying something new with this book (always!), and I want the "train novel" to be a suite--in other words, three complete stories that do NOT overlap, but abut each other. And all of the protagonists happen to be on the same train.

Naturally, this leaves me with three little plot skeletons and the conundrum of how to end them--simultaneously? One at a time? End one in another character's point of view? Hmmm.

But I'll figure all that out later. For now I'm off to enjoy the sights, my cousin's company, and the train. I'll be hauling all sorts of gadgets to record the event, and I hope to be blogging, so stay tuned.

Oh--I just learned that THE FINE ART OF INSINCERITY (formerly known as "The Grandma Gene") is now available for preorder on Amazon.com. How's that for preplanning? The book won't be released until May of next year, but you can order it now. :-) I will share the cover design as soon as it's finalized.

So . . . off to make a list of things to pack. And for those of you who are meeting us at a Starbucks stop, we can't wait to see you!

Until then,

Angie

Photo: meet my cousin, Ginger, who'll be traveling with me, and her grand-dog. :-)

3 comments:

Mocha with Linda said...

This sounds like so much fun!!

Anonymous said...

A "typical" Angie day--three days worth for most of us! Ha.

Your new suite idea sounds intriguing. The challenge reminds me of The Lilac Bus by Maeve Binchy, which I read eons ago.

I knew Amazon took preorders--but didn't know for nearly a year ahead! I'll wait a bit. I know myself -- if I order now I'll forget and buy it again. (Don't laugh. It has happened. Just ask my co-librarian/hubby.)

Have a grand train journey. Let us know if you ever take such a whistle stop trip along the west coast.

Blessings,
Mary Kay

Denise Miller Holmes said...

Angie, I must insist you never looked like Cruella. Have an interesting trip. (Actually, that might be a cruel blessing. You've heard of the Chinese curse "may you live in interesting times," yes?) Okay, I'll change it to. . . have an exciting and pleasant trip!