Friday's newsletter is going out today. I apologize for the delay. Unfortunately, it was unavoidable. I'm still trying to ease my way out of my old business to make time for writing, which means honoring those prior commitments. Hopefully, this won't be an issue after the end of this month.

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My goal when I decided to extend the world introduced in A Higher Purpose into a series was to write novellas. Lacey and Rafe, the main characters in A Wicked Love, the second installment in the Witches of Cullowhee series, are not cooperating. Seems like the more story I write, the more story there is left to tell. At this rate, AWL will end up being a short novel instead of a novella.

Now, I'm not complaining and I'm sure readers won't mind having a longer story, either. Something I'm learning as a writer is to let the story flow the way it needs to. In order for the story to be fully told, AWL needs to be longer. That's all there is to it. My goal is to put the story first, and if that means breaking a few conventions, including my own, then so be it. I'd far rather deliver a satisfying story, regardless of the length, than force a square peg into a round hole and leave readers disappointed.

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Speaking of breaking conventions...

We made a rare shopping trip this past Friday to buy shoes for the whole family. (One reason for the delay in the newsletter. Hey, we needed shoes!) While out, we stopped at a bookstore where I picked up four new books on the writing craft, a paranormal romance, and an urban fantasy. The fiction I'm saving as a treat for finishing the first drafts of AWL and Second Chance Christmas, which is next on my writing list. 

I'm slowly going through the writing books each evening as I finish that day's scheduled writing. I've already posted a review of one of the books (see yesterday's post). The coming week's readings will be from Story Trumps Structure: How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules by Steven James.

I have to admit, I was drawn to this book by the title. Yesterday, I mentioned the tendency of books on writing as a craft to offer rigid advice. It's one reason why I've stopped reading them. This book, however, promised to focus on the story rather than the underlying structure, a premise I wish more authors would grasp. Who cares if the narrative follows a strict three-act structure? Um...literary critics. That's pretty much it. As a romance author, I have little hope of ever attracting anything but derision from such people[1], so why should I struggle to please them? 

The answer is that I shouldn't and neither should other authors. The people we need to please are our readers and ourselves, and we should, at all times, be true to the story. That's the underlying message in James' book. I skimmed through it last night and was very impressed by how he delivered that message. Over the next few days, I hope to tackle at least one chapter a night. I can't promise to write another review. Frankly, this blog is geared toward readers and not writers, but if it turns out to be a handy reference, I'm sure I'll mention it again. 

And now, back to my daily work...