Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Making Other Plans

It was John Lennon, I think, who said that life is what happens when you're making other plans.

I'm here to tell you that stories are what happen when you're writing -- or trying to write -- other books.

Seb and Neely and I got ambushed by another story. A far more insistent story than Seb and Neely's right now, to tell you the truth. This sometimes happens.

I've written 59 books. And some of them have made sense right from the beginning and were clear sailing all the way through. Well, with ONE OF THEM that was the case.

And the other 58 had varying degrees of fits and starts along the way.

Four of them got waylaid by other books. I started them and, er, well, something happened. Either the book didn't go the way I thought it was going to, or the editor in charge thought something should be different and I couldn't see it that way and so I couldn't bend my mind around it, or the hero and heroine were walking down the street to the cafe and never got there (yes, Flynn and Sara, I'm talking about you!).

Anyway, sometimes things like that happen. And then, what's an author to do?

Well, in this case, Seb and Neely are going back in their box to get chummy and think about what they want to do down the road a piece. And I am joining another couple on their way to a happily ever after. It's pretty exciting because they are definitely eager to get going.

Interesting things are happening. We've left Seb and Neely in San Francisco. We've gone back to New York. Hawaii might turn up. So might Greece. No idea where this story came from.

Writing. A surprise a minute.

Mindboggling, that's what it is.

3 Comments:

Blogger Madeline said...

Anne, the stories are coming from your very creative mind. I can't wait to hear where you are going with these new ideas. I've waited so long for Sebs story, a little longer won't hurt.

Good Luck and keep on writing. Hugs, Mads:)

PS. Is there an Eamon in any of these stories? LOL.

20 September, 2007  
Blogger Anne McAllister said...

Mads, glad you're excited and looking forward to it. Just sounds like a long slog to me. But the characters are turning out to be fun and interesting. So were Seb and Neely, but I needed some distance from them while I worked out how to deal with a couple of issues.

I haven't seen any Eamon in this book so far, but who knows? A whole lot of Eamons showed up here today. They'll be on their way to Abby tomorrow, creeping up unsuspectedly on her while she's out of the country!

20 September, 2007  
Blogger Madeline said...

Hi Anne, Oh no! You wouldn't? lol. Abby is going to have a fit. I'll have to find some little Eamons to send her too. By the time we're finished she'll either really love Eamon, or want to hit both of us. Have a great weekend. Mads:)

22 September, 2007  

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