Update: Writing, rewriting, brainstorming & jello shots

Once a month I post a brief update on my writing projects. Here’s this week’s update …

Almost have the first draft of The Whiskey Sipper done. 2 1/2 scenes left to write. Based on some changes there’s about 4-5 scenes that’ll need rewrites since I made a major shift in the novel after the outline was done. But I’m really happy with the change and with the story. I’m sure I’ll be happy with the writing later. I never like a first draft or maybe not even a tenth draft. I tend to write, rewrite, rewrite, and repeat for days and days. It works for me. I think I upped the supsense plot and the conflict between Jake and Lincoln quite a bit. Even I wasn’t sure how they were going to end up together. Gotta love it when I throw crap at my characters.

This weekend, I went to my first brainstorming session with a group of local writers. There was drinking and talking and hysterical laughing and yes, mud-slide jello shots. I do believe one woman slid off her chair and laughed herself to the floor. But we also brainstormed a ton of great ideas. It was fun to bounce ideas off one another. And these people were highly creative!! I was impressed. I was leery of what such a session would be like, but I really enjoyed it. My creative energy got a surge. And not from the jello shots.

Thanks for stopping by,
Sloan Parker

Project Update: Lincoln and Jay really want me to finish

Once a week I post a brief update on my writing projects. Here’s this week’s update …

I have not written anything on The Whiskey Sipper in the last two days. That hurts … a lot. I’m pretty addicted to working on my writing. I did manage to edit some existing pages while riding in the car. I had quite a few family obligations to attend to as well as some painting to do for a major rebuild of our storage shed my partner insisted on doing this summer. And well, since summer’s gone, we have to get it done … like NOW. Our poor lawnmower doesn’t want to live in the garage this winter. He misses his shed where he can hang out with the other gardening tools. And our poor cars want back into the garage. Especially before it snows and the ice starts to build up. We made good progress, but it took most of my weekend and time away from my regular writing schedule.

My goal was to finish the first draft of TWS (Lincoln and Jay’s story) by the end of the day September 25. I have 5 writing days left. I might be able to do it. I know how the story ends. I know most of what happens leading up to the final conflict. And I know the basics of who does what to whom. I just have to write the How. This is the part I love so I’m hoping it’ll go easy — once I get my butt in the chair this week. This will have to be the highest word count for me ever in a five day period. Good thing I love this business of writing.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sloan Parker