My Muse's Boyfriend

Every so often you'll create a character who causes trouble. They don't do what they're told, they run amok creating new plot lines and relationships, maybe even an entire new book (*cough cough*). They keep bothering you with their new ideas to the point where you're not sure who's in charge anymore.

Sounds like a muse, right? Except I already have a muse, and he's not the one who keeps bugging me, throwing ideas at me, invading my dreams (I wish I was kidding). But it's not like they don't know each other. This pestering character is actually Jordan's boyfriend. Well, future boyfriend.

I say future because they don’t get together until Book 3, and I’m still working on Book 1 (but my muses are technically ageless/can change their ages, so they are together? Maybe? It’s ok, I don’t understand it either…).  He’s not even in Book 1, actually! But whenever I think about Book 3, there he is, telling me what to do. Hogging my attention when I should be focusing on the first book. Just like a….A MUSE. 

His name is Adam and he’s a bass-playing, bisexual JERK who always has perfect hair for some reason. He was supposed to be straight. No, wait, let me rephrase that. His sexuality wasn’t supposed to matter. No details about him (including his hair) were supposed to matter!  All he was supposed to do was stand there in the background, play bass for the band when it was necessary, and maybe if he was lucky I’d throw him a line or two. But nooooooooooo. That wasn’t good enough. He wanted an upgrade. 

So Adam is the main love interest for Jordan in Book 3. Actually, he's the whole reason Book 3 exists. Because he told me (Yes, told, not asked. Because he's pushy.) that he was going to come out to Jordan at the end of Book 2. I had two responses: A) So? You're not important, and B) That doesn't mean you're gonna get together. He just said, "Are you sure about that?" and then threw all of Book 3 at my head. Characters, right? They don't like to listen. 

I have such mixed feelings about Adam because as a character, I adore him. Seriously, he's too perfect. I need to give him a flaw. But this pseudo-muse version is getting on my nerves. I dreamt about him singing a song (one that I hadn't heard in years) and now it's on my playlist for Book 3! You’d think I could get Jordan’s help on this. He’s not exactly one to give up the spotlight. But no, all he can do is blink innocently and say “What? I can’t say no to that hair.” I think he just likes not having to do all of the muse-work.

But I did not sign up for a second muse! Especially one who is dating my first muse! No no no no no. I’ve done this before. When I was a teenager my muses were a couple from a book series I was working on. It’s just awful. They’re either ganging up on you or just not inspiring you even a little bit because they’re too busy doing…err, things. Either way, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Seriously, though, Adam needs to back off a little. If he’s not careful, I’m gonna change his name to Yoko. Or I could always kill him off! Oh, who am I kidding? My characters never take my threats seriously…

Do you have any characters who won't leave you alone? Ever had a couple for muses (DON'T DO IT)? 

To Epilogue or Not to Epilogue?

I've never written an epilogue before. I've never even considered one, actually, until very recently. When the third book idea for my series hit me, I thought an epilogue could be a nice way to wrap things up once the story is over. But I worry that it could also be too over the top. So when should you include an epilogue? Do we ever really need them?

There are several reasons to include an epilogue. It can provide some added closure. We can find out what has happened to the characters several years or just a few weeks after the story's conclusion. It can be an interesting glimpse into the future to see if things have worked out and how the main story has affected the characters as they continue on with their lives.

An epilogue is a tricky thing to figure it out, because if you think about it, no story really needs an epilogue. That's how it should work. Your story should be complete without the epilogue, and adding one on should just be an added bonus for the reader. But the book itself should be able to stand alone without it. So while you definitely don't need one, it could still be fun to include one.

There are a few reasons why I'm thinking about an epilogue for the third book. First of all, it's the last book in the series. I wouldn't include an epilogue in the first two books (although setting up a sequel can be another reason to have an epilogue), but since I don't plan on continuing with these characters, it seems like a nice way to wrap things up.

It also has a lot to do with the plot of the book. While everything is wrapped up and decisions are made by the end of the last chapter, I feel like there are still some questions that may be asked. The story mainly revolves around a love triangle. The readers would probably want to know if the MC stayed with the person he chose. Another huge part of the story is that my characters are sort of making their last shot at being successful with their band, and by the end of the book they've signed a record deal and things are just starting to get going. So that leaves more questions--did it all work out? Are they famous rock stars now? You can certainly provide closure within a story but there could always be questions that your readers may ask about the characters' futures.

My only hesitation with writing an epilogue is that I think it may be too much of a happy ending. It kind of just screams, "Look at how successful everyone is!!!" I worry that it may be too sappy and while just being generally irritating, doesn't fit very well with the mood of the books themselves. Then again, my narrator isn't all that emotional of a person so he may be able to handle all the happiness without shoving it in the reader's face. I'm still on the fence about it. I'll probably write and rewrite it a million times until I think it's right.

While not every story needs an epilogue, it can be a fun way to wrap things up. A story should be able to stand on its own without it, but an epilogue should still provide information that is interesting and believable, and fits the mood of the story.

Have you ever included an epilogue in your book? 

Jordan Takes Over: Let Sleeping Muses Lie

**The first Monday of every month, I let my muse take over the blog. I apologize in advance.**

So I'm in trouble, apparently. What else is new? I'm always in trouble. Ok, sometimes on purpose. Because figuring out a way to get out of trouble can be fun. Or seeing how long you can get away with something (hello reason why my novel even happens!).

But anyway. I'm in trouble with Miss Writer Lady because she can't keep her dates straight. Look, I do not have enough time to keep track of every single blog post, or when certain things should be posted. And yet this morning she tweets: "Well then. Wrote an entire blog post, previewed it, & was about to hit publish when I remembered it's Jordan's day to post. WAKE UP, MUSE."

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up a minute. First of all, I'm pretty sure that's slander. I'm calling my lawyer. Second, ok, yeah, I like to sleep. It's one of my favorite things, after all. But still. Like I said, I'm not in charge of these things! If she forgets that it's my day, how is that my fault??? It's her job to remind me, because I'm probably sleeping!

Look! It's even on her calendar! So how is this my fault??!! Notice all the empty dates with no ideas in them. Also not my fault.

When has anyone in the history of ever been able to force their muse into doing something? I mean, really. You can ask nicely. But if we're sleeping then just leave us alone! Trying to wake us up just doesn't work. We will let you know when we're good and ready to inspire. Usually when you're trying to sleep. HA.

I don't see what the fuss is all about. This all worked out in the end. Ok, look. See, now she already has a post written for Wednesday. YOU'RE WELCOME. I'm so under appreciated.

JP

When Dreams Make Stories

Not a lot of dreams make sense. Most of them, actually. Rarely do great story ideas come out of dreams, but it is possible. Sometimes you may dream about your already existing characters. There's a particular moment that happens in UL that came out of an alcohol induced dream I had. I never would have considered putting anything like it in the story but once I had that dream, everything seemed to fall into place.

Other times you may dream about random people you've never even seen before. And if it's interesting enough, maybe you can turn it into a story. I've actually never had this happen before, until a few nights ago, that is. I had an interesting dream and when I woke up I actually remembered all of it. I thought, this would make a great story! But then another thought hit me. What if I can't write it?

This particular idea is completely different than anything I've ever written before. It's kind of a mystery/thriller. I've never even thought about writing one of those. I really don't know if I could pull it off. But I guess it isn't the first time that a story idea seemed way out of my league. When you get an idea, sometimes you just have to run with it, no matter how scary it may seem.

I'm also considering writing it as a screenplay rather than a book, but I've also never done that before. I definitely want to, but maybe taking that on along with a genre I've never attempted may be a little too difficult. Then again, if I don't feel I can write a convincing novel for this particular idea, a screenplay may be easier, since dialogue usually is the easiest thing for me to write. I really don't know. I also don't want to take on a completely different story idea when I'm still working on something else.

I guess you never know if you can actually write something until you try. I've certainly learned that before. And I do always feel like my subconscious is one step ahead of me. So maybe I had this dream for a reason. Maybe I do need to write this story. Probably not for a while, but it's great to have an idea waiting for when I finish (or need a break from) my current projects.

Do you ever get story ideas from dreams? How do you tackle a genre that's completely new to you?

Get Out of the Funk

It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's the posting day for the Insecure Writer's Support Group! As always, the IWSG is hosted by the awesome Alex J. Cavanaugh. Check out the group's website to learn more and sign up!

So I've been in a bit of a writing funk for about, oh...ten months or so. I'm not even kidding. I've barely touched my WIP in that time. I've had a revelation here or there, jotted down some ideas or a random line of dialogue, but that's it. Nothing major. No new scenes or major editing done at all. Part of me really wants to work on it, but another part just wants to avoid it.

The thing is, I've always had big, big dreams for this particular book, but I think I'm so hung up on them not coming true that I don't even want to bother. I know the road to those dreams is going to be very long and filled with obstacles. It's going to take a long time. I'm pretty sure most people are going to be against me. Finding the people who "get it" isn't going to be easy.

I've been thinking about giving up on those dreams because honestly, they're not realistic at all. But I've come to realize that I don't have to. I should use the dreams to motivate me, not to keep me from working. Because right now, the only thing standing in my way is me. I can't even start out on that obstacle-filled road if I don't get the book done first. So why am I already giving up?

I was thinking lately how bad I want these particular dreams and I thought, why shouldn't I have them? I think I've got something good and interesting here and even though not everyone is going to get it or like it, there must be some people out there who will. So why not try for those dreams? I won't know for sure if they're unattainable until I reach the end of that road.

Will this new found attitude lead to actual editing and writing? I hope so. I won't be able to get anywhere if I don't at least try.

Too Tired to Function

I know my last blog post was a cop out, and well, this one kind of is too. But I have a good excuse (I think...). I'm just way too tired and I've got unpacking and cleaning and dishes to do (more dishes???!!!!). So my brain just isn't working.

Well, my weekend in New York was pretty much a complete disaster. The weather was not on our side and I definitely overestimated how many blocks I can walk in high heels. So even with umbrellas I still ended up looking like a drowned rat (why exactly did I bother doing my hair??). And I destroyed my feet. I was in so much pain on the walk back to our hotel that I had to give in and take off my shoes. Yup, that's right. I walked about 3 blocks in NYC with nothing but tights on my feet. In the rain. I regret nothing.

Don't even get me started on the bus rides. I feel like I never want to take the bus again, even though I've done it so many times before. The way there took an hour longer than it should have. And on the way home there was a crazy woman who started screaming at the driver (don't know what happened to upset her since we were near the back of the bus) and he had to pull over on the highway to get her to stop. She was swearing at him and there were kids on the bus. Don't get me wrong, I swear all the time, just not in front of children. Or out in public at all, really.

Literally the only good thing about the trip was seeing the musical. Probably half because my favorite actor was in it and half because I got to sit down for two hours. No seriously. You should see my blisters. If the weather had been better and if we had more time to, I don't know, BREATHE, this would have been a better trip. I don't think I want to take any more trips for a while.

What did everyone else do this weekend?

No Time to Blog!

I had a blog post idea for today, I swear. But I kinda don't have time to write it. Or more accurately, I don't have time to visit anyone else's blog today or for most of the weekend so I'd rather save my good idea for next week. I probably should have taken my blogging break this week instead of last, too, but it's too late for that. Maybe at some point I'll actually write my blog posts ahead of time...YEAH RIGHT.

I pretty much procrastinate on everything so now I find myself with way too much to do and not a lot of time to do it in. Ok, so I'm only going to New York for one night and I've done it a million times before but I haven't packed a single thing yet, haven't even tried on my whole outfit (yikes!), figured out how to get to the hotel or the theater, or come to terms with the fact that it's going to rain tomorrow (wearing my hear down + humidity = no). Plus there's a sink full of dirty dishes and other stuff to clean and honestly, I need about an hour in the shower because I haven't shaved my legs in a while. TMI, sorry.

But anyway! I know what you're going to say. Take a deep breath. One thing at a time. But I should probably get going on those million things I have to do before I have a nervous breakdown. Maybe I'll get some writing done on the bus! Or some reading, at least. I swear I won't just take a nap...

Well I'll be back and hopefully in normal form on Monday! Have a good weekend, everyone!