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Thursday, June 9, 2011
Behind & Beyond My Books (LIP GLOCK): Writing Page One
Happy Thursday, D. D. Scott-ville!
And welcome to my first Behind & Beyond My Books for my next release LIP GLOCK - Book Two of The Cozy Cash Mysteries - which will be released in August!
So...how is it...that an author gets to the point when he or she can write that first page of a book?
Well...for me, that first page begins in a series of images, that, for whatever reason, grab-hold of my muses and scream 'oh yeahhh...you're writing this one about these things'!
For example, for LIP GLOCK, here's what my muses are demanding of me...
And here's the result...
SPOILER ALERT!!!
LIP GLOCK (Page One...plus a wee bit more):
CHAPTER ONE
Life in a castle ain’t all it’s cracked-up to be.
Especially when you’ve arrived here after being at the wrong end of a Glock.
A Glock held to your chest by a woman old enough to be your Granny, and who’s endowed with these monster-sized lips, formed into a maybe-evil-maybe-not, super-botoxed, Cheshire Cat-style grin.
And I mean it...Granny Veruschka’s lips take-up half her damn face. A face that once graced the world’s top fashion magazines, with a body attached that also got her on every hot catwalk. But now, a face that had seen one too many botox injections, and a body, although still sleek and cat-like, was currently filled with who knew what the hell kinda motivation to be holding me at Glock-point.
So now...here I sit, in my fave of all positions – the fetal position...my new M.O. –gazing at the Actaeon sculpture in the cascade of the castle grounds now holding me hostage.
Not familiar with the story of Actaeon?
Here’s the scoop...
Actaeon is an iconic motif used in ancient art, both Renaissance and post-Renaissance, in which a hunter becomes the hunted.
Are you starting to get why I’m in the fetal position staring down good ‘ole Actaeon?
Let me make it perfectly clear and paint y’all a rather disturbing snapshot.
Actaeon was once a hunter of stag and wolves, but now, thanks to Artemis, another Greek Mythology big-shot, Actaeon was a stag himself, with the wolves he used to hunt now about to rip him apart.
Kinda the story of my life the last couple weeks.
I’m Zoey Witherspoon, a fairly new, badge-toting P.I., who’s been on Thug Guard hunting a twisted bundle of Ponzi-scheming turds throughout both The States then Europe too, along with my Secret Bond – as in James Bond-esque - Roman Bellesconi, Prince-of-Many-Names, and now his Granny Veruschka too.
Except the strangest thing happened on my way to get my all-things-green Naked Juice, my fellow hunters – Roman and his could-be-lethal Granny – decided I was the one to be hunted.
At least that’s the impression I got.
But maybe that’s just me, and there was another reason good ‘ole Granny had a Glock pointed at my Gucci blouse in the parking lot of the Jiffy Mart back in Music City.
Not like I’d know said reason...because Roman and his Could-Be-Lethal Granny had so far refused to tell me shit!
I’m tellin’ ya...life in a castle ain’t all it’s cracked-up to be...not when you don’t have a God damn clue how or why you’re here.
Okay...so maybe I had the tiniest of ideas “why” I’m here.
‘Course that was before Granny drugged me and got me all comfy in the family kingdom’s private jet for a flight across the pond...then into Milan...and straight to Castle Command Central.
Thus the fetal position...
And...oh shit...here comes Granny...
Now...from here, I'll spend a couple weeks fine-tuning these first couple pages, along with writing the first three chapters.
The first three chapters of each book are the toughest for me, and thus, take the most time.
That's when I'm really fleshing-out my characters and plot-points.
Once I've nailed these first three chapters, I can write the rest of the book in about four to six weeks.
I'm writing at a pace of one book every two to three months now...and that's sooo workin' for me and my muses and my readers and fans too!
It's Your Turn, D. D. Scott-ville: What questions do you have about my writing process or are there any of my characters you're dyin' to read more of...and no worries..."Yes, your fave Mom Squad is back in LIP GLOCK...and OMG are they outta control!!!"
Sexy Sassy Smart D. D. Scott Page One and Beyond Wishes --- D. D. ScottLabels: Behind and Beyond My Books, Lip Glock, My Writing Process or Lack There Of, The Cozy Cash Mysteries
7 Comments:
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"Lip Glock" sounds SO cool!!! I can't wait to be able to read it on my Kindle! Keep your muses in high gear, & keep writing faster, please!!!
You write fast!! It takes me about two months for the first draft and a couple more to edit and revise.
This is great stuff. How long does it take you to do research before you start to write? For instance, on castles, settings, to find out about stuff you know you don't know but will need for the book, etc.?
Faster, Jaw?! LOL!
I'll see what I can do...
You're a hoot!
Thanks bunches for the LIP GLOCK shout-out!
I'd say you're pretty speedy too, Tonya!
You're still goin' at it at about a 3 book a year pace...WooHooo!!!
Welcome to D. D. Scott-ville, Jacqueline!
Great question!!!
I spend a good couple weeks (a month at the most) what I call "fleshing-out" my story...and that means doing all the initial research to get me to the point where I can crank-out the first three chapters.
Now, during that time, I'll often print and/or tear-out magazine pages and articles that for whatever reason - usually not known to me at the time - make my muses dance.
I then put all those clippings into notebooks, organized by topics, and begin writing...using those notebooks to stimulate my muses as I go along.
For example, me and my muses The Carrie Squad might take a look at some article about some superfab and chic vintage clothing store and say "yeah...today, we're doing a scene in a store just like that one"! (Note: Me and The Carrie Squad did that very thing regarding the Vienna Vintage Boutique in THUG GUARD - based on an article I found about a terrific boutique called New York Vintage!)
Thanks bunches for the fantabulous question!!!
And Welcome to my Bootscootin' and Cozy Cash Mystery Worlds!
Happy Reading!!! And Writing too!!!
Great start, DD. Love it!