The end

Zac and Lana have sailed into the sunset.
(This is the picture that started it all...sigh, isn't he gorgeous?)

'Making Waves with the Magnate' is done!

Rather fortunate, as had a chat with my editor last night and plans have changed, big time!
Revisions for THE DATING DILEMMA have been shelved, as my next Romance (the one I can't wait to tell you about) needs to be written...now!
This is the commissioned book as part of an exciting new series and my deadline is...like yesterday! Yikes!

So guess who's going to be a busy little bee? Then it's another Mod Heat asap, then while I'm waiting on that one I can tackle revisions.

Throw in several deadlined articles I have to write, a requested short story for a magazine, several interviews, guest blogs and the general life stuff of being a supermum and you'll know why I couldn't sleep last night. My head is buzzing!

So exciting times ahead.
But firstly, Zac needs to be edited next week. That first article has to be written, as does the short story.
Then it's onto...JOURNEY OF THE HEART.
Wait till you here about this story! I love it so much already and I haven't written a word yet!

I'd also hoped to post my cover of THE BOSS'S BEDROOM AGENDA today but must dash (kinder kid off to a party-I swear his social life is more of a whirlwind than mine!!)
There's some great news about its US release too, but I'll leave that till Monday :)

Slacking off

Now Bryce is just kicking around having fun at the beach...

Well, no, he's not actually doing that in THE DATING DILEMMA, but he looks like he's slacking off in this pic so thought I'd throw it in just for fun.

This is the first chance I've had to log on all day.

Busy making Easter bonnets and baby food and running around doing a host of stuff.

The Easter bonnet was rather spectacular, even if I do say so myself. I'm having too much fun with this kinder caper! :)

Will post a pic so you can all laugh at my craft prowess...

Can I still do this?

It's the same every book.

I may have just finished one book, may have just finished revisions, taken a bit of time off to wind down/relax/whatever...then comes the time to start the next book.

Time to write something fresh.

And this is when the inevitable question pops up: can I still do this?

It's the weirdest thing but that little question can put a major dent in one's self confidence. What's even stranger this time around is that I'd already started THE DATING DILEMMA. I'd written the first chapter before revisions on 2 books came in so I went into hiatus.

So you'd think I wouldn't feel nervous, right?

Wrong!

Over the weekend I immersed myself in the characters, jotted down a few key scenes on paper, got a feel for Bryce and Eve again.

Then it happened.

The buzz. The flicker of excitement that accompanies a new book, any book really, when I feel the urge to sit at the keyboard and let those words flow.

So I did. Sat down last night and wrote 3000 words without realising it. Felt the immense satisfaction, the rush that accompanies those words and the knowledge I can still do this.

I love a new book. And I promise to share the low down on Bryce and Eve every step of the way.

Here's their collage for a start.

Do you get a feel for what they're like from the pics?

Pre-preparation

Margaret wants to know:

Collage, interview with characters. I'd be interested to hear how much preparation you do, Nicola, before you start to write? Do you plot your story out in detail or write into the mist? I know you write very quickly so I guess you must have some idea of how it's going to pan out.

I used to be a confirmed plotter.

Yes, I had an idea of key scenes (though not the whole book.)

Yes, I'd jot down one or two lines per chapter (though this tended to happen more when I got a bit stuck in the 'sagging middle')

And yes, I'd start with a 2 page proposal (with pics of hero and heroine) having some idea where the book was heading.

Then after a mid-07 chat with my last ed, I've changed how I work.

My books were plot driven.

She suggested I go with character, hence the change in my preparation. For my last 2 books, I started with character: did the interviews, knew them inside out before starting.

So how did that work out? Well, I'm waiting to hear back from new ed on both those books so I'll let you know ;)

The collaging is fun and gives me a 'mood' for the book, so I've done a collage for my last 4 books.

The character preparation is way more time consuming than anything I used to do (I spent hours last night, on top of previous hours!) but I now feel confident to tackle THE DATING DILEMMA, knowing Bryce and Eve are going to leap off the page.

I hope!

So do I plot in detail? No.

But rest assured, once I start this one and the thrill of the first few chapters has faded, I'll be jotting down that brief chapter by chapter outline, whether I stick to it or not. :)

So how do you do it? Are you a plotter or a pantser or a little of both?