What a Difference a Day Makes!

On Thursday, I wrote this post where I kinda complained about the in-between. Mostly, I was frustrated with this new WIP I have, HOTBOYALICIOUS (not real title.) I had two really exciting opening chapters, some characters that I was really looking forward to writing, and this amazingly-developed mythos. The only thing I didn't have? The next chapter.

And I've been stuck here since Christmas! I talked to writer friends about it. Took on a few different approaches to find out the next chapter. Took some time away. Tried to work on different project. Nothing worked. Then I figured out that I didn't really have a plot---which prompted the post on Thursday.

It's depressing when you realize you have all the elements to tell a story, except what's the most important piece. It sucks. And my best friend Patricia and I spent all of our daily hour phone call complaining about being stuck. (Because she was in the same place I was.)

What a difference a day makes!

I don't know what happened. I was sitting in my office, doing work on Friday (which is the busiest day all week!) and I had this idea. So I wrote it down. And then another, and I wrote that down. Something clicked and I had some more of this plot. Patricia and I spent two hours on the phone talking through mine--and hers, which fantastically took a positive turn while she battled a migrane Thursday night.

HOTBOYALICIOUS now has a plot.

Which is funny, because it was there all along but  I was missing that one minor piece that would thread the whole story together. It's been a very exciting weekend--full of plotting, which I have never done for a whole novel before ever until now, and writing.

This story is different for me. My last book took so much time to perfect--and I love it--but Hotboyalicious is a whole new level for me. It's so much fun. I often have to stop myself from gigglefits in between writing scenes. My CP and my friend who are both reading, love my characters, too. That's a great feeling.

What a difference a day makes.

Seriously. If you're writing and you're stuck anywhere near where I was....just give it time. I promise you'll figure it out. Sometimes the story just needs to reveal something to you that you're missing. Be patient (which is so so so so so hard.) But in the end, so worth it.

In the meantime, I have a writing retreat next weekend and I'm going to spend it writing Hotboyalicious. And hopefully, containing my giggles so other people don't stare at me.