MBTM reboot

Been restarting Murder by the Mile. The book stalled nearly a year ago, mostly because I lost faith in the story and in my ability to write. Although I preach that to be a writer, you must write, I wasn't writing. I wrote a few pages and abandoned them as soon as the writing got tough. (See Circles for a good example of this, although I still like that story and hope to return to it soon.)

In the MBTM reboot, I've changed many things. Took the protection off my characters as it were. Added in a couple of new subplots that really interest me. Changed the murderer almost completely. Only the name is the same. And part of the motive. It's like a new book. A better book. And one that I can approach daily without misgivings and feel good about writing.

This has revealed something fundamental to my fiction writing: I must like what I'm writing. I have to enjoy it. It has to interest me. Unlike journalism where I learned that no story was my darling for any longer than it took for someone to read and discard the newspaper or magazine in which it was publsihed. In journalism, my interest wasn't required as long as I could tell of someone else's interest and could string the words together in a coherent and lively fashion.

I realize that may seem obvious, but I had approached my fiction like it was work. And it is work, but it has to be play, too. That playfulness, that joy is what keeps me writing and lets me slog through the barren times.

What keeps you going through the barren times in life? I hope that whatever it is, you have plenty of it.

Oakleaf Harbor Christmas Cards now on sale!
Buy Floozy and Other Stories at Amazon.com
Buy Floozy and Other Stories at Barnes&Noble.com
Buy Floozy and Other Stories in paperback at Lulu.com
Buy Floozy and Other Stories in hardcover at Lulu.com
Buy Murder by Dewey Decimal at Amazon.com
Buy Murder by Dewey Decimal at Barnes&Noble.com
Buy Murder by Dewey Decimal at BooksAMillion.com
Buy Murder by Dewey Decimal at Lulu.com
Buy Murder by the Acre at Amazon.com
Buy Murder by the Acre at Barnes&Noble.com
Buy Murder by the Acre at BooksAMillion.com
Buy Murder by the Acre in soft cover at Lulu.com
Buy Murder by the Acre in hardcover at Lulu.com
Buy Floozy, MBTA & MBDD items and more at Oakleaf Harbor