Download | Duration: 00:17:53

 Click here to listen to the podcast! The notes I used when I recorded it are below. The podcast contains a lot more info, but if you can't hear it, read the notes!

Rough going, as it always is early on. I’m at around 5,000 words right now and the only difference between my drafts and yours is that I KNOW I can finish the story and that it’ll be better when I’m done.

First big issue I hit up front was the question of which person to tell the story in. Obviously, that choice influences many others. I like to be intentional about this, not just letting it happen or just “Oh, that’s the way I see it,” picking one by default.

There are reasons to do this one in first person, notably that there will be things going on with the character that are best done in first. I know her well and I am certain of the voice. For many of the same reasons, it might be a better idea NOT to do it in first.

Third is a much more flexible voice. It lacks some of the intimacy of first person – in some ways, though not all. It doesn’t have to, but it takes more skill to pull it off.

The thing that finally decided me was thinking of my potential readers. I fell back on considering what I wrote about in First Pages and decided I could do a lot better job on reader identification in third person – because I want to hook in both men and women and I think I can do a better job of that in third.

In first, I think my identification with the character could get in the way of the reader’s identification.

On my conflict levels – yep, I have that pretty much sorted out, though I’m feeling a little weak on certain aspects of the end of act II fly to point, just because what I’ve got worked out is technically quite correct but I’m not sure it’s interesting enough. Oh, it probably is – feeling like this is pretty normal at this stage. That’s why some people feel like structuring ahead of time sucks the life out of it. They don’t get some of the cheap thrills out of the process.

I decided as I was structuring that I wanted to hit each type of conflict and that I didn’t want to do a traditional sort of love interest for her. The physical was fairly straightforward – physical usually is. Mental, not too difficult – I like puzzles. The spiritual bit is really the fun part, and it’s here that I think my old technothriller skill sets really kick in. Then finally, the emotional – this is where I made the decisions about traditional love interests. Now, that’s not to say that she’s not straight – she is. But her emotional conflict has more to do with the universe and where she is in it – she connects on an emotional level rather than an intellectual or spiritual one. I think that’ll be interesting to explore. There’ll probably be some personal relationship stuff as well, but it’s not coming to mind and it’s going to be fairly minor, so it’s not structured. If it turns out to be necessary, then I’ll put it in.

See, this is where structuring really frees you up. If it’s NOT working, you’re always free to go back and change it.

At this point, too, as I’m starting to write – I’m already thinking about the practicalities of this book, where and how I’m going to sell and publicize it and gethe word out. There’s soemthing nagging me about my marketing plan but I can’t put my finger on it. Part of it has to do with the timing – my time line is so much shorter than most publishers and writers that it’s tricky scheduling things like reviews and such. I mean, three months  before publication is all well and good when you’re in an 18 month publication schedule and spending six months in pre press. I spent 10 days to 2 weeks in prepress. So obviously, the traditional things don’t work as well.

The other problem I’m having is that a new puppy is arriving tomorrow. Yes, a Greyhound puppy. Dennis the Menace, age six weeks. Now, normally I’d be worried about a pup that age but the circumstances are such that it’s okay. Rule of thumb – age in months plus one equals hours of bladder endurance.

Well, back to the book – the other thing I’ve yet to hammer out are all my character names. The ones I’ve got at the moment are basically placeholders, unless I get real attached to them. Her name at the moment is Bree. I’ve always like that name, ever since I learned about Bree Walker, a TV newscaster in San Diego. But whether it’s going to stick or not, I don’t know. This is actually one of the few areas of writing in which I’m a bit woo-woo. I do let it percolate a bit until the right names surface. In Rites of War, the protagonist was named after a waitress. I was out having lunch with Marion Jones in Chula Vista, bemoaning something or other about writing – I can be a terrible whiner – and I saw the name Jerusha on our waitress’ name tag. It just clicked immediately. Ever since then, I’ve been open to that sort of thing.

Now, with my structureline basically done, I’m feeling such a strong urge to commit a whole bunch of words to paper. I can’t wait until I have 40K or so words down on paper – which will be about  week from now, I imagine, if my wrists and my voice hold up. And, of course, if Dennis allows that much work.

As to length – I already know this is probably going to run 80-90K words in the first draft. It’ll probably increase by another 10-15K in the rewrites. Those will be painful words to add because I’ll be ready to be DONE.

I also have a lot of other projects on my plate at the moment.

If you want to read more about how I write, check out the BAM books at http://booklocker.com and do a search on Mobley, or just click on these links:  BAM: Structure and BAM: First Pages.