This week is probably going to be a short post. I have not been able to do a lot of writing this week. I have spent most of my time packing. I move in a week and I can’t tell you how excited I am to be in my new place. The writing I have done has been mostly poetry. The plan is to have more poems, that way Matt and I can pick and choose what we want in our book. This book is not just mine, it’s Matt’s too. I have also seen in my head what the cover should look like. Now I just need to find a name for it. For me, it’s important that he is part of every step.

I have also been thinking about how I am going to get to the end I have written for book six. There are a few pieces that Savannah has given me that I still have to write. I can see three different scenes that I have to write and I have no clue how I am going to get to each of those scenes. This is one of those moments where I have planned, to a point and Savannah takes over. She throws me scenes that I then have to figure out where they go. In a lot of ways I think as a writer, you can only plan so far. Then out of nowhere your characters take the reins and it all goes to hell. It feels like I am trying to rangle squirrels. It's just me running around going, what are you doing and yelling don’t do that? Savannah and Meri many times have ideas of their own. Matthew is another one that does that. Many times he forces his way to the front and then sits breathing down my neck until I give into him. It's one of the reasons the end of the book is written already. Matthew had something to say and I was going to listen whether I liked it or not.

So what do you do when your writing plan goes to hell? For me, I try to fight it for a short period of time telling them that it’s not supposed to be this way. Eventually, I give in to their demands and I do as they say. There are days I tell Savannah that she needs to stop causing chaos. Her response to that is it’s her story and I need to shut the hell up and do my job. Sadly, I give her what she wants and I abandon my plans and start creating a new plan. The hard part is I never know if she will do it again. It is one of the reasons I do not write out too many chapter cards in advance because I never know if Savannah is going to add something.

The lesson in all of this is to be flexible when it comes to writing. You may see things one way but as you go through the process you may realize the story is taking on a different direction. You may find that your initial thoughts were wrong. Do not try to force a story that is not right, you will only hurt yourself and your story in the end. Until next time!