The undertaking of writing the second instalment of False Hope is beginning to make me nervous. I remember how time consuming and all-encompassing it was writing the first book and I’m beginning to feel bogged down. I have one chapter completed with work starting on the second. The struggle of carving out time to write characters and scenes and implement accents and plot points is difficult when summer weather decides to make an appearance. The sun shines and I want to be outside, not locked in a room in the basement writing the next big adventure. The rarity of sunshine makes it all the more important for me to head outside while it lasts. Autumn is packing its bags getting ready to move in and wave summer off into the grand abyss where the seasons-that-barely-happened go to die. Before I know it, I’ll be welcoming students back for another year, scheduling tests and skipping lunches in favour of one more hour for testing. I’m fearful my penchant to procrastinate will overtake me and I’ll finish Book Two around the same time any grandchildren I’ve been promised have graduated high school.
I’m ever-aware of my tendency to simply give-up or to throw my hands up in the air and proclaim it all a bit too much before I’ve even given it my best shot. I managed to stay focused and finish the first round and I’m hoping my determination will see me through to the next. I have big plans for Claire and Jimmy in Book Two and I’m hoping it will all come to fruition. They may even run into some old friends from False Hope. (That was a hint, by the way in case you missed it.)
My notes are gathering in the purple notebook I used for the False Hope. I’ll simply keep it moving with more notes chapter-by-chapter and flesh out some new characters I have in mind. I always change around chapters and events according to how things logistically work out. For example, in False Hope Julien was supposed to be accused of nefarious activities with the women he was photographing. If you notice in the book, there are references to a rapist running around loose in town and even a dark hooded stranger bumping into Julien when he was standing outside the office building where Ashley worked. That incident was initially a set-up to a much larger sub-plot. I backed down at the last minute not wanting Julien to undergo any further scrutiny and bias from his colleagues. He had enough on his plate.
My work continues on Book Two and I hope my characters move forward with their lives, but not everything can go easily for them in their new circumstances. I’ll try to keep the momentum going through bouts of soaking up the intermittent sunshine and my tendency to walk away.
I’ll keep you posted on the progress and maybe drop a few more hints along the way, like Jimmy Feherty. He’s an Irishman straight from Belfast with eyes only for Claire. Or so he says….
Kayjai 