Insight Into A Writer's Work

Attempting to get Flavius Fettotempi - Book II written

This time, in Hemmingway’s words, it’s like “drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.”

The first book, Flavius Fettotempi, poured out of me like rushing water through a drainpipe. I was smitten by the story, the characters, and the world of the 14th century centering around Crete. The process was simple—one day I sat down and created this scene of a young woman daydreaming by the sea about her life and the misfortune she’d endured by losing her lover to the plague.

She had to leave—needed to leave—as though the doors were closing in on her, her burden so heavy each breath was a strain. From there, the story took off almost on its own.

As I was not an expert in 14th century Greek history, there was a significant amount of research to be done, but that, too, flowed along with the writing…it was as though the book was already written in my head and all I had to do was type it out as it came. Even the twists showed up on their own, not that a book needs to be as twisty as the Tail of the Dragon, but it certainly helps with suspense.

My beta readers were also a huge help in crafting the story as they spotted weaknesses that I was able to rectify in short order. The short version is Flavius Fettotempi came out as I expected and has been well received by my readers.

Enter Flavius II (not the official title).

As easy as the first book came out of my head, the second installment is proving that much more difficult. I know where I want the story to go, know what I want to address, but getting it down on paper is proving much more difficult than I thought.

The hose has a kink in it someplace. Just when I think I’m on a roll, the flow simply stops, or I don’t like the direction and scrap it, re-write it, or simply stop to contemplate things. Sometimes that contemplation becomes days.

There are rules for writers to be efficient, and there are rules that tell the scribbler to break the rules. Some of the rules simply don’ fit or apply, like a size 31 waist over the actual size…36. The goal is to find the ones that fit.

I don’t outline my stories. I don’t take hours to plan my characters as I believe they have their own lives, I’m just there to watch them in my mind’s eye and mine what they’re thinking, being, and doing to put on paper. I’m a pantser, a term I was unfamiliar with until someone pointed out that’s what I am when I write.

Ok…I’m a pantser.

It worked the first time, why not now? It’s not that it’s ‘not working’ for the story is taking place, it’s just not flowing as the first one did—the first being my measuring stick. What I’m discovering is that measuring sticks can be mis-measuring sticks, like right now.

So, I’ve spent the better part of the summer slogging through this story, trying to get it written, paying attention to too much of the minutiae rather than writing it and then editing it (another rule broken). I’ve lost my place at times, lost the time stamps (some characters are months ahead while others are weeks), and even lost track of the plot, only to recover it later.

Some of my notes, organized and to the point last time, are scattershot, scratched out, and incomplete. Or…they’re too complete leading me to overwrite the period in the narrative, something pointed out to me recently. I want to teach the period (there’s the 35 year educator in me) rather than let the characters and plot submerge the reader in the period.

I’ve reached out and worked with the ever helpful Dr. Joshua White from the University of Virginia, and the wonderful Dr. Hannah Barker from Arizona State University - both of whom have been little short of fantastic helping me with the details of the historical aspect of Flavius II. It’s always great when experts are willing to share their knowledge pro bonobecause they simply love history as I do.

That said, Flavius II is a labor, rather than a labor of love. I have to tell the story as it’s pushing me to do so, but it’s in need of strategic blasting caps at times along with significant chiseling. It’ll come eventually, and I hope when it is finished it’s as well received as the first installment, but it is testing me right now…and I think that’s a good thing. Little worth much is easy—working for whatever it is makes it worthwhile.

So…

I’ll keep hammering away, keep pounding the pavement, knocking on the door, and all of the other clichés that mean the same thing. Eventually it will be written, and hopefully, written well.

Stay tuned!