This weekend Gordon and I finally figured out Catalina’s character arc for Ruby Fever. We had written it in. We had grounded it in the previous novels. We had dove-tailed Alessandro’s conflict into hers. And neither of us had recognized that we had done all that, because in one of the pivotal scenes we had her do something out of character and it killed the book.
We kept dragging ourselves through this narrative with neither of us wanting to work on the book because the character arc was dead and it was very hard to keep pulling its corpse forward. You can only write a book if you root for the characters.
We sat on the back porch, looking at our magnificent pile of firewood – they delivered my 3 cords, hehe – talked it over, and realized it wasn’t even a big edit. We fixed the scene, we fixed all of the problems that resulted from it, we brought the two character conflicts into focus, we got the fight scene done, the book is fun now.
Like why didn’t we see this before? It was right there. 14 years of writing, 27 novels, and if this was a snake, it would’ve bit us. The stupid, it burns. I’ve been resisting the urge to call Jeaniene Frost and explain to her how the two of us were so dumb. She’ll get a good laugh out of it.
We have a lot of heavy lifting left for the finale, but I’m really excited because of all the cool stuff we’re planning to stuff into it. :rubs hands: Off I go.
yeah –
YAY!!! I’ve been really excited for this book but sad that it was so unpleasant for y’all. Glad you figured out the issue and now you can hopefully enjoy the rest of it!
+1 ????????
+1 🙂
+1
Excited for more book(s), whenever they happen!!
+1! ????
+1 🙂
+1 ????☺
+1
Yay!
My thoughts exactly!!! I AM THRILLED!
No, no not dumb! I’m glad you figured out what was blocking you!
That’s an interesting question. Does that count as writer’s block?
It seems like writer’s block to me.
For me, when those things happen (and man, they are a pain), it’s more like writer’s roundabout, where you’ve suddenly found yourself going in circles, trying to get to your exit, but you’re in the wrong lane every damn time you get to that exit, so you go around again.
Yay! I love it when a plan comes together! I’m glad it’s fun!
I’m sure it’ll be brilliant, can’t wait!
???????? Hooray for you guys! And have fun!
Sometimes stupidity happens. It’s great that you can recognize it and move on. The moving on is the important part. Also I’m glad writing the book is fun again. I can’t wait to read it!!
+1
It’s only stupid if it doesn’t get fixed. ???? looking forward to reading the new book.
Hooray! I am so glad you are enjoying the creative process again. Happy writing!
Congratulations!
Better to have a Doh! moment than continue to be frustrated and unhappy.
I am so glad you fixed it. Enjoy!
This post made my day. It has been disheartening how much this book was fighting you. Learning that you are excited about it is like the sun coming out after weeks of gloom.
Hurray!
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1!!
+1
So excited!!! Your books are always fun!! I enjoy reading them so much!
Yay! Glad you were able to find the problem and fix it! So happy to hear you don’t hate the book any longer, as I love Catalina and I’m really, really looking forward to it.
If you are comfortable with the idea, after the book is published, would love to see one of your writing advice posts on this kind of situation.
+1 to this! I adore you advice columns and it would be awesome to know what you did and how you recognized it.
+1
+1 So excited! Congrats! 😀
And I also would love to hear advice about character arcs. 🙂
Hurray!
That’s the best news of September!
So happy for you!!!
So very, VERY happy for you!
So THAT was what was dragging you down. So VERY glad it’s resolved – and, most important thing, “the book is fun now”!
Yay, House Andrews!
Ditto. So glad this is resolved. It would seem terribly unfair if you hated writing the book while we all thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Same. I’ve had stuff like that happen in my own field. Blocked for weeks or months, and when the solution occurs, it’s so obvious, but the shift in perspective required to see the obvious is not so obvious.
Awwwww… Congratulations on figuring out the stupid and fixing it. I am rubbing my hands in anticipation now. House Baylor for the win ????????
Woohoo! Glad you’re excited about the book again, I can’t wait to read it!
Hurrah! I’m so glad you can be excited about the book again!
WOOT.
I’m glad it’s fun again.
Huh. I get the irritation, but that has to be intensely satisfying. Now I’m looking forward to hearing the postmortem on this once it’s all published and stuff, because I’m super curious, and I love understanding the mechanics of storytelling the way you two do it.
Also, seriously, thanks for sharing this kind of thing, and for the incredible effort you put into your work. I cannot express my gratitude sufficiently for having your books at hand during the past couple years.
+1!
It’s so encouraging to hear that even experienced authors with highly developed worlds and characters still have these moments. And even more encouraging that you found a way to re-work it and shed the slog. Both the joy and the hard work are visible in the *chef’s kiss* quality writing you produce.
Whooo! To House Andrews! To House Baylor! Ruby Fever!
So glad it’s fun for you again!
Yay! Yay! Yay!
With matters of the heart, things are rarely clear. The sun is shining again, so let’s put the cloudy days behind us.
So let the magic loose!!!!
Can you tell I saw that 10 ring movie yesterday?
As a reader I love hearing that, even if it took a little while, you guys are clicking with the story again
Yes! Amazing, you’ve been struggling with this for a long time now, so glad you made it over that hill!!
Happy Tuesday!
I am so happy for you! It’s still work, but no longer a slog! So happy about that!
+????????????????
Forests and trees… it happens to everyone. But your instincts told you something was wrong, and you caught it in time – that is what makes you great writers.
Have fun finishing the book, so we can have fun reading it!
PS: I just found out something I did not even realize could be a problem does not work at all and thus my elegant, work-avoiding plan crumbles before my eyes…
(IT-problem: docker container cannot receive multicast traffic.)
(Nooooooo not docker on my safe place????)
Jk/ Hope you found an even cleverer way to secure your lazy way????????
Yeah! Thank you for the insight into your creative process. One of the reasons I love your books is the character development. I’m looking forward to re-reading the entire world and then diving into Ruby Fever when it comes out!
Yay!! I can’t wait ????
I think you alluded to the problem in your post, “14 years of writing, 27 novels . . .” How in the world could you keep it all straight. Not stupid, just a lot to keep track of. Can’t wait.
This is so awesome! Finally! And I can’t wait for the release of Ruby Fever! I’m so rooting for Catalina and Alessandro!!!
I am so happy for you that you figured out what was making the book a slog for you and it turned it into a fun writing time again.
This sounds like great news! So glad you guys figured out the issue that was keeping you from enjoying the writing of this book. Congrats, I hope everything is smooth sailing from here on out! I dearly love this series, it has become my goto comfort read during the pandemic, so I’m really happy to hear that Catalina’s book is no longer a horror show to write. Good luck, I will be patiently waiting to give you my money for this when it is ready to preorder.
Oh hooray! Isn’t it exhilarating when things finally click? Sending you good wishes for the heavy lifting.
I think you can safely blame it on this on-going pandemic. It’s like lugging
a mind-numbing weight along for every task that needs to be accomplished.
Hoping the success inspires ideas about werewolf mating hijinks. I know there are other projects in the pipeline (and I will buy all of them) but I think more Derek and his princess is what I’m looking forward to most. But no pressure!
I’m so excited for you two that you’re getting some enjoyment from this book again!
I have a mental list of Things Authors Do That Make Me Dump Your Book/Series. And high on that list is making your character do things that completely out of character.
I’d never thought of it as killing the book, though, but that is exactly how it feels to me as a reader. Amazing to find that it affects you so strongly.
Quite a few authors I’ve read throw their characters under the bus, it seems, to further the plot or make the book more exciting (a book is a book, if I wanted a video game, I’d buy a video game). Or something. Do they not feel it? Is their process more mechanical?
Or maybe it’s just me.
After living awhile in the comments section of a web serial, I learned something I had never realized while reading novels only by my lonesome:
People interpret things differently.
I mean, of course I knew that.
But readers can disagree on things that are printed in black and white.
And the things that have to be read between the lines? Forget about it.
Half the readers think one big character is a black-hearted witch. The other half think she’s great. The other other half just shrug.
And how they interpret her motivations and tendencies? All over the map.
I suspect you and your authors disagree about the basic nature of the character. What you see as completely inconsistent they see as reasonable.
I quit reading books when I can’t see the author’s view like that.
Yeah. I realized after I sent the comment that I had not stated that well. As Ilona says, your mileage may vary. And I do look at the way the author portrays the protagonist to see if I just don’t like what the protagonist just did or if the action really is counter to the way the character was portrayed in this or previous books. If it is, then I quite.
It really just struck me by how closely a writer’s experience could be to the reader’s experience. A lot of wisdom about writing portrays the writer’s experience as being detached, like a puppet master, while the reader’s is more empathetic.
“Things Authors Do That Make Me Dump Your Book/Series,” hehe 🙂
Now I’m deeply curious what other sorts of things. I have a list, too, but also a short list of exceptions. It would be interesting to see what the BDH’s pet peeves include…
Anyone?
Continuity issues. It’s less noticeable over the course of a series but if it happens in a single book it irks me so bad. There was one book where a mobile mobile phone was damaged, lost and then suddenly the character had a working mobile again in highly unlikely circumstances. I couldn’t tell if they’d gotten a new one and it wasn’t mentioned or if some timey wimey stuff went down. Never finished that book.
Wrong setting, wrong slang. I once read 3 chapters of a novel set in Alaska, and ALL the characters were as British as could be! British slang, British viewpoints of the world (some subtle, some not so subtle), but not a single character acted, reacted, or spoke as if they actually were in Alaska! I tried, but it was so jarring I gave up after 3 chapters.
Sloppy writing/editing. There’s an author who shall remain nameless, who recycles the same phrases many, many times *in the same book* as well as in the subsequent book I tried reading to be fair, in case they improved. Also has zero sense of distance and frequently describes things that are physically impossible given the distances involved. We are not talking rocket science, or even higher math. It’s simple arithmetic.
Also, any protagonist, male or female, who is TSTL. They get three strikes. If I still want to hit them upside the head, I’m out.
I’m excited. I was excited for the novel anyway, but now that I know you’re happy writing it again I’m overjoyed.
Also it has given me some piece of mind in my own writing projects. It’s inspiring to know a professional runs into these problems too, and that they’re fixable.
Cool!
I’m glad that the joy to work on that book returns 😉
Happy for you!
Reminds me of one awful morning, when I’d had maybe an hours sleep in two days. I was clinging to a cup of coffee and staring into space when Hubby asked me what I was thinking about.
I said “How did people figure out that crunchy things taste good?”
He said “They ate bugs, honey.”
. . . .soooo yeah. Feel for you guys. Looking forward to Ruby Fever.
I’m so glad I’m not the only person who struggles with these kinds of thoughts. Like, who decided it was a good idea to put knives on your feet to skate on ice? Who??
Sometimes you are too close to the problem. I work in IT and I’ve worked on issues for days only to set it aside and wake up at 3am 2 weeks later with the perfect solution that is obvious and so easy. Just have to let your brain rest “up top” and deep down the processors are still running working it all out.
+1
Sometimes I’ve been working on an issue so hard, have been so focused, that I can’t look further than the paths I’ve already tried and that lead nowhere.
I need to concentrate on something else for a while to forget a bit. I need time to let go of everything that should have worked and to get out of the mindset I’ve locked myself in.
Anyway, kudos to HA on managing it: the deeper I’m involved, the harder I’m finding it to let go and take a step back, and the longer it takes to start fresh.
It must have been really hard to do, with all of the emotional, financial – and time -commitment involved in writing a book.
Oh, I’m so glad to hear this. Sometimes the hardest problem to see is the one that’s right in front of you nose, but when you do, what a relief.
Yay for having fun doing what you love!
I don’t know how many times I have been looking for something and looked in the same place over and over and going crazy because it is just not there. Then when I look again there it is. I just didn’t see it. I am glad you found the glitch that made it hard to write the rest of the book.
I love you guys …..
Yay!!! I don’t care why or how, but yay!!! Super yay!
I’m so glad you’re feeling good about the book again. Sometimes you need to step away to see what’s wrong.
Yay!
The book was always going to be wonderful. I am so glad that it’s finally fun for you two.
No need to beat yourselves up over the “oops”. The best place to hide something is in plain sight. You know that – it was a great plot device in “Sapphire Flames”. (All those pictures on the wall…)
Thank you for the insight into the process. As always, it was fascinating.
Yay! The joy is back! Blame pandemic/ice storm/world crisis brain.
Yay!! We are happy when yall are happy.
I’m so excited that the book is fun for y’all again! And I just finished my reread of the series so I’m excited to see where we end up!
So happy for the book and you two!
I’m glad y’all figured out what y’all needed to figure out. I can’t wait for this book!
You were meant not to figure it out till now for whatever reason.
Yay, we knew you could do it HA! Keep it up! Your BDH is super excited for the big finish. 🙂 <3
I’m so glad to hear this! I’ve been looking forward to the book and have been worried because you’ve seemed to have such a hard time writing it… I was afraid it was horribly sad or mad or something.
I have a book sitting here from one of my favorite story tellers but I haven’t read it yet because I know it’s sad and I just can’t put myself into that mind space.
I really didn’t want to leave one of your books sitting here for months unread.
HOORAY!!!!! Everyone wins!! You have fun and the BDH will get fed. Best news 🙂
Yay!! So glad that it is fun again. You both rock!
You are not dumb, just overly stressed and emotionally exhausted from everything else going on. And on. And on …
It’s a testament to your skills that you were able to figure out where you went wrong, and to fix it with relatively little effort.
Hurray for your insight! And for the book being fun to write again.
It’s weird how sometimes we get blind spots until that “OHHHH!” moment and then it all works from there. Glad you had that moment and things are rolling along now.
3 cords of wood. I have woodpile envy now. Especially since our form of heating in the new house is wood-fired via the fireplace and some nifty heating mechanism I don’t understand. Here’s to someone else cutting all that wood and splitting it.
I’m so excited!!!!!
So happy that Ruby Fever is fun to write again!! Looking forward to reading the finished book ????❤????
Not dumb, sometimes it’s really hard to see what’s hiding in plain sight. Hooray for it being fun again! Hooray for being able to read it someday!!
Yay! Fun again! Glad it was a relatively fast fix! *waves pompoms*
So happy for you guys! And just happy in general that one of my favorite couples is not giving you any more trouble (it felt like my two best friends were not getting along- so stressful.) I can’t wait for Ruby Fever!!!
I’m glad that your revelation came and that the “awful book” is fun again. Can’t wait to read it!
Woohoo! Sometimes we take a step back and the one thing that was keeping us from moving forward becomes so clear…then we fix it or remove the obstacle or whatever needs to be done and the path again becomes clear and off we go.
Can’t wait to see what you both have in store for all of us with the book!
That is pretty amazing that you both carry the series bible in your head. So glad you fixed the issue that was making the book not fun for you both. Cool be ready for Winter!
I’m very happy that you guys finally got through this block. I’m sorry it took so long. These last years have been so bad with the brain mush on everyone. Hope you have a lot of fun finishing this story.
I don’t mean to contradict, but….dumb, you are not. Even a teensy bit. I’m thrilled you solved your character situation, and you once again love your book. I can say even at this early date, I love it too. I didn’t believe it was possible to like Catalina and Alessandro as much as Nevada and Rogan. But, it’s true. ????????
What a relief! I thought you had bought 3 cords of wood for a funeral pyre for all things Hidden Legacy. As l love this series I would have been devastated.
So happy for you that you are feeling the relief joy! After I’ve been stressed or sick or miserable about something and then it improves, I say I have “recovery euphoria.” Definitely an emotional experience to savor.
Thank you so much for catching that moment and not letting Catalina act out of character. One of my favorite things about your writing is how the characters are always true to themselves.
Someday, I hope you’ll tell us what the change was. 🙂
It must feel liberating!
I really appreciate the work you both put into your books. Not rushing through just to get the book out.
Congratulations! I am very happy you guys found the bit that caused the cog in the wheel! And cut yourselves some slack. It is your baby. You are emotionally close to it. It can often be very difficult to see stuff that close to us. Yeah to fun!
<3 <3 <3
Phew! Glad you able to identify the problem and fix it. One of the best things about my teammates at work is they help when I’m stuck because I’m not seeing things beyond beyond being stuck.
Oh phew!!!
You’ve told us all about how this book hasn’t been fun for you for (what feels like?) a very long time.
Hope it’s fast and fun from here on!
Yay! Go have fun! ????
Yaaay! So glad things are looking fun again!
I love when magical moments like that happen! Yay for the two of you. I think its great you are such a good team that you can work together to fix something that seemed unfixable. Not to compare, because we aren’t bestselling authors, but my husband and I have moments like that and then we get to spend the next two years congratulating ourselves!
It’s the equivalent of losing something and being omg where the heck is it… only to find it weeks later in some random pocket of some coat or in some weird place where you remember you made a mental note that said “I will put there because of [xyz]” and promptly forget about it. I’m glad you found the thing you lost! Sometimes it takes awhile for something to be found, even if the location is glaringly obvious.
So happy you figured it out.
Forest for the trees and being too close to the situation and all that rot, I’m sure.
Just so glad you’ve got it all out of he way so you can now have fun with wrapping it all up.
Thank you for being so good at your craft that you refuse to give all of us less than your very bedt.
So looking forward to your next book…
and every single one after that.
man, being a writer sounds hard.
But glad its fun again! 🙂
LOVELOVELOVE
Bravo!!!
I can’t wait for the book, I’m so glad you’re loving it again!
Hey,listen, it took Brahms 20 years to write his 1st symphony bc he was locked into a block trying to write something he thought was in line w Beethoven…realized it wouldn’t work, and was able to write it and then 3 others relatively quickly.
I have run into that, when doing my own dribbles at writing, where I get stuck bc I don’t like what the character is doing but seem to have no choice, then realize s simple thing could fix it….. As a reader if I can’t connect w what the characters are doing I can’t read it, evil or good, has to be something there.
Writing is like fixing an Alfa Romeo, it is a touchy business and you assume the worst and are shocked when it is something trivial.
Fantastic! Congratulations…. I think ???? not that you are stoooopid really.
Excited more than ever now ????
It can also be frustrating as a reader or audience when you read or see something that doesn’t quite work and you know how to fix it, but of course can’t. There was a musical, Chess, that was mostly great and had a squib ending,it sucked ( basically was like a swedish movie, nothing ended up happy). I conceived an ending that gave some hope to some of the main characters,a possible new hope/happy ever after along with some snarky humor…..and of course 35 yrs later it is still there, unless I run into Tim Rice and force him to rewrite it *evil grin*
I agree. While “One Night in Bangkok” is a great club dance number, the rest of “Chess” is uneven. (Although it has given a lot of actors and actresses a great opportunity to give angsty and dramatic performances…!) ????????
Yay! Looking forward to this!
Also, maybe you can snark up the bad part for your outtakes files. ???? now I’m curious and agog as to what bad choices the characters could have made….
Wow! Thank you for sharing! And congratulations on figuring it out!
I love reading your creative processes. I completely feel for you needing to figure out where it went wrong and having the experience to pull yourselves back and fix it.
I am so excited for Ruby Fever now!
Just going to look on my old e reader , my paperbacks and kindle to make sure I have all 27 books . I think so ☺
I’m so incredibly selfishly happy to hear that HL is fun for you again.
I am so glad that y’all have found the joy and excitement again in the writing of Ruby Fever.
Love you guys, for both your fiction and what you share. Makes me happy knowing that suddenly the aha moment hit and life got a bit better.
Yay! Congrats, you guys. ???? This is my favorite part of editing, when the book finally comes together and you’re excited to see what happens next. Can’t wait to read it!
Sounds like your brains are so full of…
Well, life.
So not dumb! I can’t understand dealing with more than one world, my brain would explode. Congratulations and thank you. Just love your books
Yay! I am so glad the book is fun for you again and I can’t wait to read it!
Huzzah!
I’m glad you feel able to complain to us here sometimes, so that we know a little about your struggles with this novel.
Which also puts us in a position to cheer when you break out of the mire! Woo!
LOUD CHEERS AND GREAT REJOICING!!!!
I’m so happy the rest of it will be fun for you! Can’t wait for the notice I can pre-order!
I’m so happy to hear you’ve found the fun again!
Wishing you the best, can’t wait! ❤
At least you figured it out! I had this happen recently as well. It contributed to me having to cancel the preorder to a book that had the most preorders I’d ever had. (To be fair, serious health issues were also a huge factor, but still. The book would have already been done had it been going better to begin with.) I cried. And then when I figured out why I was struggling so hard, I couldn’t believe how dumb I had been to not see it. It was so OBVIOUS. But sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees.
Excited and happily writing Ilona is the best version I could hope for ????
Yes, the stupid does burn. Sit by me, ????.
It happens to us all, I think, from time to time, particularly when stress from other things is high. I do this sometimes at work, trying to figure out how to make spreadsheets work, making these really complex, convoluted paths that aren’t getting me what I want, and then BAM! stupid, simple solution is right in front of my face.
At least you are excited now, so that’s fun!
This makes me so very, very happy!
Yippie! Happy you are happy again!
I am so happy to read this. I was so very much looking forward to reading the book, and knowing, that it gives you so much trouble made me really unhappy.
Yay to you!
The sunk cost fallacy comes for us all, lol.
Love to hear your joy again! Congrats on solving the problem.
Yes! And the fans rejoice!!!
Yay!!! So glad you get to enjoy this project now instead of dreading it. (And yay for the firewood. Did they stack it or do you get that fun chore?)
Big difference between “dumb” and “stuck.” Dumb, there’s usually not much help fot it. Stuck, lots of ways around it and all sorts of help can be done. And usually one who is dumb doesn’t ever realize it… hence a battle of wits with the unarmed never turns out well.
Delighted the unstuck has occurred and can’t wait to read it!!! So happy!!! Hoping the firewood serves a wonderful winter!!
So glad you figured out what was wrong!
Wheeeeeee! Thanks so much for linking the blog to Twitter
So glad that Catalina is no longer on strike! And that she has reached an agreement with authorial management.
She is such a stubborn woman.
So thrilled for you both! Wonderful that you have each other to bang your head against, lol!! I’m so glad to hear the writing is fun again..Can’t wait to read it ????????
Glad you figured out the issue and are now having fun with the book again.
Of course, now you have 3 cords of wood you have to cut into manageable pieces. Or was that part of the service? I remember my dad buy multiple cords at once and then he or my brothers had to take an axe to them. Mostly my brothers, and I don’t think they were happy to go through 3 or maybe even 5 cords of wood.
What wonderful news! I’m dumb too, I’ll spare you the details. Looking forward to this even more now.
YES! I really, really hate when I do stuff like that. I feel that lightening bolt of something that is suddenly OBVIOUS and I’ve spent hours\days\weeks trying to puzzle out only to have a sudden realization and fix the underlying problem. For me it’s coding, not plot though LOL. But seriously – been there. And SO GLAD this book is now fun for you guys.
I can’t wait to read it!
????????????
Yay! Relax the mind, think about something else, and look what happens. Been there. You are not alone. ????
We all have those duh! moments. Glad the book is fun again and can’t wait to read it.
You probably already know this. When I am writing (and I write data reports and definitions not fiction novels) sometimes I know that something I’ve written doesn’t work, but if I continue to try to work on it I can’t see it I’m too close. Sometimes I need a break before I can see and fix the “wrongness”; sometimes I need a second set of eyes to look at it. You are not dumb- you were just in it and didn’t have the distance from the material to see the fix.
I still think you guys are brilliant!!!!
No your not dumb, just lost your way lol ????! So glad you found your way back!! I love to hear it’s coming together, I’m excited for whatever you two write, because I know how awesome it will be!! You go guys,you got this!!!! The wait for us BDH is so worth it!!
Everyone does a dumb sometimes. It’s better when at least two people are both responsible because then at least you share the embarrassment.
One of my favorites of mine was when I was in high school and planning a party for the weekend. This was slightly pre-ubiquitous cell phones, so I had the numbers for two friends written down (I had everyone else’s numbers memorized). I called Friend #1. “Hello, is friend #1 there?”
“Yes, this is Friend#1.”
I invited her to the party, said goodbye and hung up. Then picked up my paper, dialed again.
“Hello, is Friend#2 there?”
“No she is not, can I take a message?”
I left a detailed message inviting her to the party, hung up, and again looked at my paper.
Wait.
Something wasn’t right. One of the numbers on the paper had never been dialed. I considered a moment and called Friend#1 again. “Hello, is Friend#1 there?”
“This is Friend#1.”
“…did I just call you to invite Friend#2 over this weekend?”
“…yes…”
“…and you took a message.”
“…yes…”
“Even though you’re not going to see her until tomorrow morning at the same time I do.”
We laughed so hard at ourselves. Well, at least if we’re going to be idiots, we can be idiots together!
Tangentially…
lol
Aww, this makes me so happy. I think there’s an extra flavor to books when you can tell the writers enjoy the story. I’ve been sad hearing this one was such a slog for you guys to get through. Despite the duh moment, I hope this book ends up being a favorite of yours. Much Love and Happy Writing!
I am so pleased for you both…um, not because you’re both dumb but, uh…
Oye. This went wrong. I’ll just stop here.
Sound like software programming. Been there, done that. Sometimes fixing one action fixes so much else that wasn’t working / was totally a hack.
Better now than after shipping, though, right?
I’m so glad you found the sticking point and got out of it! Sometimes, we all miss the obvious thing and smack ourselves for it 🙂
This is wonderful! Thank you
This is why we love your writing SO much. Can’t wait! In the meantime I’m enjoying yet another re-read of Jessie Mihalik’s Consortium Rebellion series. Hope the rest of the writing is a blast and things go smoothly going forward.
Yay!!!! Ruby Fever is a go!!!
Pleased to hear it. Very much looking forward to Book 3.
Nice! Hopefully it will be smooth sailing from now on. I must confess to an incredible curiosity on what was the stumbling block…
Would you consider maybe realeasing the deleted scene after the whole thing is done or is this the kind of thing that is never seeing the light of the sun?
Can’t wait for the next book!
I wouldn’t call you dumb. More like you were too close to the project to see what you had done. A lot of times when we’re so focused on getting to the end of a thing, we realize a mistake. And that mistake may be so asinine that we don’t realize how we made it. It’s like baking a cake. You think you’ve cooked the cake properly and it’s cooling but you see a hole in the middle of the cake. You were so focused on finishing the cake that you remember that you forgot to sift the flour and because of that, the cake didn’t leaven out correctly. But then you realize that if you make a fruit coolie and put it in the middle of the divot and put like a whipped cream buttercream around it, you can then finish your cake and no one would notice. I am so happy to have seen the progress of the story and I will be sad to see it end but I am so happy to be on this journey with you. Keep on doing what you’re doing.
As my mom always said, “Good Job! I knew you could do it.”
Yay! ✨ Y’all are magic.
Yeah!
*dances around in circles like a maniac cat*
That’s the best news of months! So deeply glad you finally find the point of enjoying your Story. It’s yours, after all. And you 2 are making is happy up to the moon with it.
The more fun you have with your Characters and Stories, the more fun we have as the BDH, the better for you. (Or at least, I hope so bc we are devouring your books and Stories).
Have a snugly, cuddly, enjoy full day of adventure with your World and it’s characters. We will wait until we can eat your books <3
The Pic that not Loaded …. (Source: Google)
Yeah!
So good to hear that you figure out what went wrong for you guys in writing THAT book. And no, not dumb: as someone who does coding for research, it happens more than you think: the little “stupid” mistakes / “silly” errors can throw you out for a loop for quite a while until one day you see it 🙂 because you have taken a step back!
so congrats to having fun on finishing THAT book and finding your characters again.
Congrats on figuring out the problem!
I am so happy that you are finding your joy in this book!
Very glad that you found & fixed the issue. Knowing that it is no longer a struggle for you will make it truly enjoyable to read. And such things are really elusive, so actually a feat to have caught it!
You’re splendid! Glad you discovered the heavy lifting you’d already done! The light after the tunnel is near!!
YAY!
I’m so glad y’all are happy about the book again. It’s been hard because I love the HL world and want more, but also felt bad y’all were suffering through the writing process.
Yay! This is so exciting!
Also, not dumb. It’s hard to see a problem when you’re staring at it so consistently. It almost literally becomes invisible to you. Sometimes it just takes time <3
You are not dumb. You may have been too close to see the issue.
I’m so glad the book is fun again!
Back in the day, I wrote code to write, collect and report data from a database. One process wasn’t working and I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying, and failing, to determine why nothing was happening.
Finally I was desperate enough to show it to a coworker. She glanced at the code and casually remarked “When I use a subroutine I find it works better if I use a statement that executes it. You know, instead of just naming it and leaving it there.”
When I roughed in the process, I identified the exterior process I needed and just typed the name in the right place so I wouldn’t forget it. And from that point on, my eyes saw what they expected to see – not what was actually there. It’s a human thing!
Glad to hear you can both enjoy Catalina again. I know, absolutely, that I will LOVE her story ❤❤❤
I have experienced a sweet taste of victory over a hard problem at work twisted tightly with the sour bite of realizing I had missed something quite simple. It’s a … special … feeling combo.
Very glad for you and looking forward to the story.
Aww! The subconscious mind or “muse” can be so much smarter than the conscious one, due to how there’s always a disconnect there.
Congrats on figuring it out!
Yay! I hated the thought of people writing a book they hated. Glad you don’t hate it anymore. My best friend is reading the Innkeeper series (and loving it) it’s all I can do not to call her hourly to see where she is and ask her what she thinks:)
I’m delighted to read this post. Delighted.
I should have been more clear. I’m not delighted that you think you’re dumb. I’m delighted that you were able to think through the issue and get it solved.
Yaaayyy!
Because we, the Book Devouring Horde, can tell when you are happy with what you put into your books!
So glad you’re enjoying it now
You are not dumb, you have lived through two very VERY dumb years in American history.
yey…… finally…. the awful book is not so awful to write anymore hehehe
looking forward to Ruby Fever
The magic of a back porch!! Good place to sit and sort out your thoughts!!
Yay!! for the breakthrough and resolution!! Looking forward to this next adventure with Catalina and the Baylor family!! ????????????
Congratulations! What a relief. I’m glad there was an identifiable reason and that the book doesn’t have to forever remain the terrible book.
So glad your stress is over now you’ve found and fixed the problem.
This post makes my day! I am looking forward to reading Ruby Fever even more now!
I am so glad you are excited for this book now!
At least the mistake was noticed and rectified. And now it’s become enjoyable to write so all the better ???? But still take time for yourselves so it doesn’t get bothersome again.
After the book is published I hope you can tell us what you had Catalina do that caused your subconscious to keep trying to throw on the breaks.
Glad you resolved the problem in the end x
Yay! Very happy to hear that the painful drudgery of writing Ruby is gone! Well done!
I am so happy for you. It must really feel lousy when things go wrong and you can’t put your finger on why or what. I am so pleased that you feel that you can carry on and enjoy the story. Yeah ! Well done????????
I am so looking forward to hearing Catalina’s story. I am loving the Baylor’s. Looking forward to everything you write.
Thank you.
Congratulations! I am so happy you two figured it out and are enjoying the book again. I love the family dynamics in this series!
So happy for you both! I can feel you are energised. It must have really been a drudge until now. Enjoy the ride and, of course, we will reap the benefits.
Hooray!
Perhaps months after the book release we can hear the story of How House Andrews Got Their Mojo Back.
^o^
PS- Brain farts are real.
I too need this story.
Yay! Delicious anticipation! And I’m truly happy for you guys. I love Catalina so am really extra glad.
Yay!!!!
Eureka! So glad you figured out what you needed.
I made a dumb too. I somehow convinced myself that Fated Blades was coming out today. I was so psyched. I reread Silver Shark. Then I found Naomi Novik’s new book on my Kindle … wait, what!?
Now, I am not an ingrate a I am happy to have a new book from one of my favorite authors, and I look forward to November 23. I just need some time to adjust to the reality that today is not the day I get to read a new book by you. 🙁
Happy writing.
So it is no longer The Awful Book? I am glad, but still think that would have made a fantastic title.
YAY!!!! Congrats on the breakthrough!
And we won’t say you guys are dumb. Let’s just call it a brain fart.
So happy you got past the problem. Really looking forward to reading Catalina’s new book when it’s available. Rock on!
So glad for you! And for me and the rest of the BDH!
Will you tell us someday what you had Catalina doing that made it go awry?
Glad the terrible books, didn’t take a huge edit to fix…am extremely excited to know, that it has moved to we want to do this now. As for being dumb, I can’t think of a 10th of what you both put into a single book, and you’ve done 27, plus blogs, snippets and having a life. I do want to thank Ruby Fire, for giving you fits, cause we got Fated Blades, if I’m wrong, oh well. As usual, thanks again for your hard work, that I have repeatedly enjoy
Yay!!!
????
So excited to read it!
So glad it’s going well!
Oh Yay! I’m so glad its fun again! <3 And that it was a simple fix (once recognized)! May the rest of the book be an absolute joy to write!
It is an artistic process. Sometimes you are too close to the work. You have to step back and see it from a different POV. I was actually worried for you because this books was dragging you down so much. Worried for the future of the series.. if there is one. I think you ha e to enjoy what you do. So, much happy news this week! Fated Blades! Yeah TEAM Andrews and unblocked Ruby Fever! Life is good!
Sometimes you just need some distance and the courage to make the changes. I just can’t wait!
You were not dumb, most likely you were simply too close to it.
I’m not at all surprised you figured it out. However, now I’m incredibly curious what she did that was so out of character . . .
Great news! Looking forward to Ruby Fever, especially since you find it fun again!
Thanks!
I do that all the time, here’s the thing to remember you are not dumb, you just had a dumb moment. hehe
Don’t know if this will work, so….
via GIPHY
For those who don’t want to click the link…
Yay! I’m glad the book is fun again!
Hurrah! Glad you got it worked out. Thanks for sharing.
Congratulations! So glad it will now be fun to work on and finish this project.
Yay!!
Not because you owe me another book, but because you have a great, creative job and it’s so great when you can do what you love.
So now do you have the date because I need to play the reread.
Oh, I am SO glad to hear this! And so glad that your instincts (intuition? writer’s sense? heh) were so in tune with the book that it kept dragging you until you found the problem.
I’m looking forward to the book! Thank you again for all you do.
Rose
Best news ever that you are liking the book again.
So glad you are finally enjoying this book! Makes the anticipation that much more sweet for us! I knew you could do it! Congratulations! So excited …….!! Hope all your children and fur children are doing well!
Good work. In so many things, if it doesn’t ‘flow’, you need to set it aside and eventually all becomes clear…although on a deadline you don’t always have the luxury of that time. I am so glad that my favorite and most flexibly inventive author(?s) found the answer, and then the joy to complete your awaited masterpiece– or at least a great read!
This makes me soooooo happy! I love hidden Legacy so much and it hurt me that this book was making my fave authorlords unhappy.
Whoaa, congratulations for figuring it out!^^
So happy to hear that the book is fun to write for you guys again. From what you mentioned in this blog post, I found some silver linings for myself too. Thank you 🙂
Can’t wait.
Yayyyyy!!!
So looking forward to this one. I say blame it on Corina virus , works for me
“POP!” Celebrating here! That was the champagne cork.
It is difficult but rewarding to wait for the next finished book release. A few bubbles from time to time make waiting more tolerable.
Hooray for the gifts of House Andrews. And, for our good fortune in being able to enjoy them. You know the book is very good when you settle in to read it yet again and are anticipating revisiting the tale and characters in the future as well. Your works are things to savor like fine chocolates except not consumed but available as needed!
And we should also remember the old Chinese curse about living in “Interesting Times”.
So happy you overcame your Sword of Damocles, sometimes it just fills your vision and hides the answer. It is after all very sharp and Shiny. Happy writers mean a good book
Awesome.
Sometimes you gotta take steps back. Look at it. And do the “duh!” And slap yourself on the forehead. Then you can go forward.
Often in my field it happens to me.
Sometimes you only see things when you’re ready to see them. I honestly think you guys needed a mental break from all the stress.
Now get back in there and have fun with it!
(Ps: Really glad it wasn’t a snake! ????
It will be sensational, as always. Thank you for working so hard to entertain us. Oh, and more Luther. Pretty please, with pop rocks and gummy bears on top.
Oh, I don’t know, there might be just a few little problems in the world that distracted you a bit.
I think all of us have experienced our brains overloading and dropping things out that should have been obvious at the time.
I’m so glad you’re able to enjoy writing the book now. I knew I’d enjoy it and I’d feel guilty for doing so if it was such an awful slog for you guys.
Woo hoo! So so happy! So darn excited the book is now a happier place for y’all! Go House Andrews!
I recall the adage “couldn’t see the forest for the trees in my way”. Sometimes you can’t spot the object of your search because it has morphed into something else. So glad that’s over and you’re happy again. Hope it’s pure joy from now and onward.
Super happy for you guys!!
Love this story, it REALLY speaks to me right now ????
Take care and have all the fun
Wonderful. Can’t wait to read this book. So glad it’s working out.
It is a relief to hear that!
Rooting for you guys…
I am glad it came together for you. There was no doubt in my mind that you would write a Ruby Fever that would satisfy the BDH. Now it satisfies you. Thank you very much.
Congratulations on working through it!!! ????
An “Ah ha!” moment always leaves people feeling stupid but you shouldn’t. You’re brilliant authors and have so much to keep track of. I love the series and have hated that it’s been so painful for you to write this book. Can’t wait to read more! ❤️
The BDH isn’t happy if HA isn’t happy.
Glad you worked it out and are excited about it now because that makes for a better book for us! ????
I knew if you guys had a chance to look from a different perspective you would find it!!! Nice job!
Perspective….it’s a wonderful thing!
Yay! I glad that the book is ‘fun’ again… really looking forward to reading it!
YAY! We love the way you guys will not release anything but top notch material to us. This is why we all immediately pre-order your books, whether the cover has been released or not. Whether Amazon is marketing it yet or not. We have faith, and you always deliver. Thank you. ❤️
All right BDH, can I get a ‘HALLELUJAH!’
Oh yeah…hallelujah!!
So glad you’ve found the fun ????
That’s something that I try to remember but my wife always has to remind me. If the writing is hard, something is wrong. You made a wrong choice somewhere. You were contrary to the character’s nature, you zigged instead of zagged. Backtrack, find where you were enjoying the process, and start again. So happy you are filled with joy for your book again!!
Thank goodness! Sometimes it is there right in front of you the whole time. I’m sorry it was such a bear to write, but I am looking forward to reading it.
i’m so glad the book will (hopefully) be less hard to write!!!
I’m not sure you can fully comprehend how happy this makes me, to hear this, as an ardent fan of the Hidden Legacy universe. It was hurting my heart to think of you forcing yourselves to write the story that I am so anxious to read.
I’m so glad you found your fun again!
I am so glad you have regained the ability to even! WOOOO!
Wooohoo! Love this! And so glad you are loving what you write in this universe again ????
Yaay! I am so happy for you! And for me as well, as now I have RF to look forward to!
Yeah that the book is fun now!
You had a case of creative brain freeze. I am glad you found your spark to thaw the ice and return to the warmth and joy of writing. Thank you for all that you do.
Love the image!
I’m so happy for you !! I knew the book was going to be awesome, but It was kind of sad for me that you two find no fun in writing it….
Very happy for you that you get to finally like the process ….
Delighted to hear the good news! Looking forward to this one ????
Snippet or it didn’t happen. Hehe
+1 very excited for the book. So glad you figured out the block. Sometimes we are too close to see. May the rest be fun????
Yaaaaaaaaaay! So glad it’s fun again!
I am so happy that you figured out your roadblock. “Happy days are here again”.
Yay, glad you guys are having fun with it now. We at BDH Central all love everything you write, but it makes it even better when we know that you guys are enjoying it again 🙂
Love the news that the project is back on track.
YAY!!! I’m so happy for you guys
So happy to see you all excited for this book! Makes the anticipation even sweeter!
Yay! I’m so happy you can enjoy writing again! I’m so imp0ressed at how you guys carried on writing even though the tough times, and hope you can at least feel pride that you wrote something awesome even though you weren’t feeling it at the time.
😀
Ooh! I love seeing your excitement again. It was sad seeing you guys sad over this book. It’s not worth doing something if you’re not loving it, as you’ve said, and I love to see you loving your writing again. You guys are awesome, and I can’t wait for the newest book.
We’ve all had those “derp” moments as I call them. I get them rather frequently. So, no worries. 🙂
So…… the “Terrible book” not so “terrible” anymore?
Yay!!! Oh my dear, you just brought joy to my heart!!!
I am so glad you found the conflict in the story. Now is the time for you guys to have fun with it. Maybe make a parody? After the trauma is gone, tho. I know the whole thing was tramatic for you.
So happy for you!! The relief must feel … words fail.
now I want to know what that scene was.
That is really the stumble point of so many seemingly unsolvable problems in life–getting stuck in looking at it a certain way…
Sooo happy for you that it is fun again.
Peace,
Sechat
Yay I’m so excited. I can’t wait to read Ruby Fever!
Yay! Good for you. And it’s now cool out! Enjoy!
Wonderful!! We love what you write and want you to be happy writing it, seriously relieved that you have worked past the nasties, and if you never made a mistake, then you just wouldn’t be as good as you both are at this!
Why resist? Call Jeanine ????
(Now, every pivotal scene in Ruby Fever will have me ???? Was this the one? What did they had Catalina do in the first draft?)
(Precision: this pondering will happen during a reread, because the first read I’ll tear through too fast for any of that slow pondering stuff.)
Well, there you have it. Keeping the characters in character would seem to be important, but sometimes one thing flows into another and things get muddled. I’ve been hoping something would remove the tedium of writing this book, and you found it. Hurray!
Out of curiosity, would y’all be open in the post-book credits giving a little blurb about what the out of character chaos was or which scene had the problem? It’d be interesting to the BDH!!!
I am happy to hear that the writing is fun again. It is great when a fix pops into your brain and sets you off and running. Everything can be fixed, except for waking up dead.
I am. Ot a writer but I am a creative. There is nothing like that lightbulb moment when everything makes sense.
I’m so thrilled for the two of you. ????
I’m so happy you’ve figured it out.
Congratulations to the both of you! It’s so wonderful that you’ve cracked the problem and writing the book is finally enjoyable. I hope the feeling stays around for a long while. Lots of love!
Amazing! Yeah! Can’t wait!
No, you are not dumb, attention exhaustion is real, especially if one’s subconscious has a better idea/solution. Whether one is serious or not, the subconscious has no sense of irony and takes the negative self talk as reality.
It’s very easy to overlook something if one has been immersed in the topic for an extended period of time.
It’s the cognitive equivalent of olfactory fatigue or exposure to ionone.
From the Gizmodo article “How Violets Steal Your Smell”
“Violets get their scent from ionone. It’s an extremely sweet scent that many people describe as also being dry. “Powdery” is the word that’s usually used. Another word is “ethereal,” or “ephemeral.” After stimulating scent receptors, ionone binds to them and temporarily shuts them off completely. This substance cannot be smelled for more than a few moments at a time. After that, people go anosmic to it. Then, after a few breaths, the scent pops up again. Because the brain hasn’t registered it in the preceding few moments, it registers as a new stimulus. Although plenty of people don’t like the scent of violets, they don’t constantly overpower people, and they don’t fade out. They just disappear and come back, like magic.”
So glad that this book is fun for you again!!
Well, Happy Birthday to me. I enjoyed your snippet as my gift . Hee Hee. Regarding stupidity, of course you are not, you are creative and your creativity requires change, thought, reaction, more change and nuance. This surely wasn’t the first time and you know it won’t be the last that you have to use the eraser on your pencil or delete on your computer. Always love the end result, thank you for your hard work.
Hooray! Can’t wait for this book!
Yeah!!! Congratulations!!! Sometimes all it takes is stepping away from a project in order to gain perspective. I’m so happy for you!
I think this is my favorite post you have ever put up. My reaction to it was immediate, but I couldn’t really put my finger on it for a bit. Thank you for being so honest and showing all of us that this is life. Thank you for being human.
It’s never fun to realize you’ve been dumb…but the RELIEF of realizing there is a simple solution to a problem that has been dragging you down is so sweet. Congratulations on the epiphany!
Terrific news!! Catalina’s arc so far is one of my very favourites because it always feels genuine without being predictable. I can only imagine there are many ways to take a wrong turn with someone as real and complex as she is.
I am very happy for you, and us, that you had the lightbulb (kindling?) moment and I can’t wait for the finale fireworks!!
I have my own “the dumb, it burns” story from a few days ago. My hubs and I traded vehicles for the drive home. He was stopping somewhere and I was going straight home.
The work van he’d been driving no longer had the garage door opener. I knew this as I got in it, but we have an app that lets us open it from our phones. I wasn’t until I was in the driveway that I realized I’d left my phone at home.
I was sitting waiting for him when I thought to go up to the doorbell camera so it would active. I know he gets alerts, so I figured he would look to see who was there and then speak with me through the doorbell. Then I would tell him to use the app and open the garage door. Ta-daa!!
As I was dancing around in front of the camera (don’t ask me why), I looked right at the doorknob and realized I had my damn house keys in my purse. The video clearly shows me dancing like a loon and then freezing with realization of the dumb.
????????
Oh, so happy to hear this! Ive been looking forward to this book but sad that it was such a struggle for y’all. Glad it was easily fixed! Thank you for sharing that you’re enjoying it again!
Yay!! So glad to see you excited for this book! I know We are all looking forward to it and I hope as kind of bummed it was such a struggle for you both. I love, love, love the Baylor family! Kate’s world will always be my first love, but this family is a hoot!
Thanks for the snippet!!
Darn spellcheck!!
*I was
Oh frabjous day!!!
And now the guilt for craving Ruby Fever is lifted from the BDH
So excited for the positive turn for Ruby Fever! Honestly cannot wait for it!
???? Thrilled for you. Excited for those of us in the BDH!
These books make us all so happy that it really made me sad that it was such a slog for you. So glad to hear you fixed it and are excited about it again. ????
Been there, done that. Just couldn’t get the book done because I knew deep down it sucked. Had an epiphany 2 weeks before my deadline, rewrote the outline, and managed to get the novel finished on time.
I’m glad you’re happier with the book ???????????????????????? We were gonna love it anyway, as we love all of them, but better if you are happy too.
Life is good. You got your wood, you fixed the book and you’re happy writing again! As always, looking forward to the release????
I’m going to blame it on the fact that what we thought was a temporary pandemic in 2019 became a new way of life in 2020. It threw everyone off their game. Everyone I know has been in a creative funk!
So glad you are enjoying the book now!!
Oh yay! I read the tiny snippet post first and was only a little sorry you guys were have a hard time because I love the snippets so much. You turned the corner and now it’s fun? You are rubbing your hands together eager to finish? That is amazing!
Yea!
Go HA !!!
Been there, sometimes you just can’t at first see through the fog of frustration to what turns out to be a simple solution… glad to hear it’s been worked out and Ruby is fun again!
Glad to hear you like it now. Sometimes best to walk away and it lends a new perspective.
Congrats on the “Eurika” moment! Hopefully smooth sailing from now on.
YAYYYY!!! Congratulations!????????????????
Yay yay yay! I often have the “if it was a snake” experience in calculus. I am a champion overthinker, so I sympathize with the plight you described– and I’m super glad you’ve gotten to a more fun place. I often have to resist the urge to jump up and down when I think about Ruby Fever and how I’ll be able to read it one day!
Congrats on getting past what was blocking you! I am so excited to see this book!
Hooray! So glad you don’t have to hate writing Ruby Fever any more!
I’m so pleased you are excited to write again. Thank God.
Glad you worked it out. Don’t call Jeannie, she’ll torment you ????
So glad you guys are feeling it now!
I hated that you were struggling so much.Not dumb, just sometimes you just can’t see the forest for the trees!
YAY! I’m so happy to hear you are excited and enjoying the book~
I am so happy for you guys!! This has been like a 1,000 pound boulder sitting on your shoulders! It’s like you found joy in writing again ????
Super excited for the book! I think the Hidden Legacy series is my favorite.
I remember talking about writing with a friend of mine. I told her if a chapter didn’t really have a clear focus, my characters ended up in a meeting. She told me that her characters get stuck in a cave. In one story, she wrote her characters into a cave and then had no idea how to get them out. We both found that hilarious.
Not sure what happened to those characters…
Oh yay that you’ve got your groove back!!!! As most people in the Industrialised West know, including your good selves, it’s no fun having to show up every day to do something you’re not enjoying. I mean, we’ll enjoy doing the reading no matter what, but there’ll be no guilt about for us if we know you’ve also re-found your joy in writing. Thank you for sharing.
Hugs. I’m glad it is fun for you both again. It’s weird how something you/I have been agonizing about for months, one day just clicks and then the words flow. I write reports which isn’t the same, but …….
I’m so happy to read this!
I’ve just finished a reread of Hidden Legacy and it made me sad that writing Ruby Fever wasn’t enjoyable for you because I enjoy Catalina’s story so much.
Here’s to lots of fun writing!
Best. Post. Ever.
Not much beats feeling the energy shift to enthusiastic writing. Ok, maybe being one of the horde, knowing you are feeling that is better.
Nope. Gonna let you guys have this one. Totally psyched!
I just love you both. And I’m very very happy that you’re excited again – yay!! The end.
I’m so happy for you.
There isn’t a person on the planet who hasn’t missed the obvious and felt completely stupid.
Hopefully the rest of the book continues to be fun
What Helen Hock said.
Yay! I’m so glad that you enjoy the book now!!
This makes me so happy. I know writing is a process and it can’t always be fun, but I want my authors to enjoy their process so they keep wanting to do it. You guys being excited to dive back in makes me smile and makes me excited to read the story you are writing. Enjoy! (And congrats on the wood delivery! )
I’m soooooo happy to read that the book is fun for you again! ????
This has happened to me SO many times. So many. If a book dies on me, I’ve learned it’s always something like this. I’m trying to make the characters do something wrong for the book. Then my psychotic muse, Tinkerbell, tells me to get stuffed. Can’t write a word until I figure it out.
Cha-Ching! (sound of money collecting in the piggy bank) Needless to say the bank is ready for the anticipated new book about Catalina. (The audible credit is also ready … heh heh heh)
Love to see where the magic happens!! And this was magic!
I love this. Everything it says about writing. And it’s wonderful when sometimes the edit turns out to be a small one. I have sometimes made things too difficult by holding on to something that’s out of character, and oh the joy when I realize I don’t have to hold on to the original plan but I can fix it. I need to remember this when I’m writing. Don’t stay stuck, look at the characters.
And yay! as a reader I’m so, so happy that you’re doing the best work you can, that you’re not stuck in some formulae, that Ruby Fever will eventually be finished and that you’re feeling good about writing now so it will probably be finished earlier.
I also am a bit jealous that you write together, so you can talk things out together, too.
Hooray!!
Whoop!!
congratulations on finding the problem and fixing it!
Omg so glad you are having fun writing Catalina’s story again. I always think it makes a difference when the authors or creators are enjoying the process and I can’t wait to see the output!!
Glad to hear you’re enjoying the story again!
So glad for you guys!! Yeah for us! I’m really happy now that I don’t have to read the book knowing you hated it……..
Great! I’m happy the book is fun for you again at last
We live. We learn. No matter the level of experience ????????♀️… I‘m glad you could remedy the problem and came back to loving Catalina and the book ????
So happy for you! Can’t wait to read the book!
This resonates with me, both on an art and a relationship level. Knowing when to stop and back up is so important. Thanks for the insight into your wonderful humanity!
Congrats!!! That’s so amazing you guys figured out the issue. Don’t antagonize about why you didn’t see it before, just enjoy the win! I’m excited for you guys that the book is fun to write again.
Perhaps much later after the book is released, is there any chance you will share that problematic scene that killed Catalina’s character arc? So very curious now…
Yay! Writing life is fun again!
YAY!!!! So THAT was the issue! Goodness gracious, that IS awful to have to deal with! You shouldn’t beat yourselves up, though… I mean… sometimes I look for my glasses when they are literally already on my nose… so THAT’S a thing! lololololololol!!!
Yay!!!! I am so glad you like the book again!