The Twelve Days of Shar

So I have insomnia. I have to be up by noon, which wouldn’t be a problem except it’s 7AM. But I can’t sleep because Dogs and Goddesses is running through my head like Milton through the house with a tuna fish package. (Don’t ask.) We’re pedal to the metal this week on Act Two, and that’s where everything kicks into gear. It’s interesting writing with Lani and Krissie because we have such different processes that you’d think we’d clash, but we give each other such freedom that it loosens us all up, I think. I’m the one who’s the drag on the process because I rewrite incessantly, but they’re patient and I’m grateful.

So Act Two is where I have to put Shar and Sam in motion, and as usual, there’s too much talking in my scenes, I’m forgetting to arc the character, forgetting pretty much everything I know, so these nights when I have insomnia are really good because my mind races and I can think things through and all kinds of stuff shows up. I have five scenes to write for Act Two: one of them on its third draft and the rest are roughed in. So I decided to do the Twelve Days of Shar here, even though we’re blogging the book on D&G because that would be hogging D&G. And because this is going to be the fastest I’ve ever done a book–we’ve decided to crash on through since we’ve done so much prewriting and brainstorming–so for once the Twelve Day Plan should work.

Fingers crossed anyway.

18 thoughts on “The Twelve Days of Shar

  1. so this, you writing something every day about a woman I love and a stone cold hottie, is the best possible Christmas present so far… many many thanks.

  2. I swear with most things (in life) when you do the majority of time, prepping. It makes the real thing sail.

    Here’s to smooth sailing..I agree what a Christmas present to your followers!

  3. Fingers crossed for you. Looking forward to more D&G!

    The insomnia is not surprising: You have a lot of new bed partners. Hope you can get some rest.

  4. Sounds like you’ve defined some of the problems and can start there. That’s SOOOO much better than sitting down to a blank legal pad and a gross of sharpened pencils and staring and staring and staring.

  5. I’m really glad you’re doing this. It’s even more exciting having met the three of you.

    When we were at the con, I asked everyone who was a “pantser” and who was a planner, and to a person, everyone raised the hands for “pantsing.”

    If you can work it into a post, I’d really be interested to know how you can have three “pantsers” collaborate and find the ending of the book. I gues what I’m saying is, you already know at this point how many scenes you need for this act, so you all must know the ending of the book already, right? It isn’t like one of you will wake up and say “Oh! The butler didn’t do it, the dead doctor did!”

    Maybe this comment would be better over at D&G. I haven’t been there in a while, so if it’s already been beaten to death, sorry.

  6. Oh, super duper. This year I cut back on all blogs and even left my local chapter. I’m concentrating solely on writing, except for one obsession, this blog, Bob’s blog, and the HWSW workshop. So now I get to read some D&G, without breaking any of my heavily enforced rules, happy days. It’s starting to sound a lot like Christmas.

  7. sorry, totally unrelated question – but how far back does the blog go? as in what year? caz I’d love to read the first posts but I don’t know where to find them… thanks

  8. Don’t call it good times when the HWSW blog ends. Where are we going to get all that inspiration from in 2008?

  9. I’ll miss HWSW. I’m behind, so I’d better start catching up. It’s been a great source of information.

  10. btw, sry Evelyn is the long version of Evesie. So I’m the same person with another question. What was the other website like? Also, a blog?

  11. So go ahead, rub it in. HWSW ends soon. Well, we’ll still have the Cherry Forums, we’ll just frequent that, right colognegirl?
    Yep, I suppose it will be good times ahead for you and Bob, not for us. It must have been a mammoth undertaking for you guys, one we struggling writers are thankful for. I feel like I’m finishing up my junior year of learning the craft of writing and now in 2008 I have to quit futzing around and produce something decent, otherwise I’ve failed the course.
    So, if I produce something good, do I at least get a HWSW certificate? I mean you don’t have to send me a pony or anything, but a certificate would be nice. Okay, I’m going back to writing now.

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