Falling Into Your Story

September 22, 2009

I'm working on a novel whose working title is Dressed To Kill. (I'm looking for a better one). It's a new character, but it's for a story idea that I've tried about 5 different ways over the last 5 years. And I think it's working great. In fact, I'm eager to get back to Parker and his investigation in Detroit. (He lives in Austin, TX). I'm curious to see how he's going to come unraveled and then get glued back together again. I'm curious to see if Mandy, the college student he had a one-night stand with in the first chapter back in Texas, is going to show up at his hotel in Detroit (after having moved into his house in Texas after he left--he's having problems dealing with her). I'm surprised that I seem to have a beautiful 3-act structure designed for this novel without benefit of an outline.

Will it work? Will it die on the vine, so to speak? I don't think so this time. Because I'm very engaged with the story and the character. And I think that's the way it should be, even for us workman-like word mechanics. Hopefully, if we fall into our own stories and bring all our skill and passion to it, the readers (and editors and agents) will, too.

Thoughts?