The Research...The Drudgery...The Dreaming

By the title I'm sure you gathered I'm writing a proposal.

I really should have titled it in reverse order. Ideas (for me) are usually sparked by some dream or idea captured as I read something else. In this case a non-fiction book. Gasp, yes, it's true. Fiction writers read non-fiction. I read a book that tells an under-told aspect of World War II and was hooked. Characters come to life, and ideas have germinated since late summer. They won't let me go.

If only they would translate to the page.

That's where the drudgery comes in. The slogging through character sheets. Reading more books, while begging and praying for inspiration and more ideas. Sitting down and staring at a blank computer screen. Wondering where the words are going to come from when I still barely know my characters. Digging deeper and finally putting words to the page, only to find I must stop and research all kinds of details.

Tuscan Villas.
Which painting to highlight.
On and on and on.
With little visible progress.

For a girl who loves climbing word counts, it's a frustrating process. But without it, there's no hope of a contract that would turn the idea into a published book. So I continue to pray, and slog, and dig deep. All while dreaming up ideas for the next proposal. Absolutely nuts!

Now don't you wish you were a writer, too? :-)