Groove is in the heart

I really wish I could pull off this outfit. Then again,
where would I wear velveteen shorts?

If you read my entry last week you know I'm trying to get my writing groove back after months of being away from it. After opening and reading through several pieces of manuscripts, I felt lost. Adrift on a sea of words that no longer recognized as my own. I couldn't connect with the character nor could I hear them whispering in my head, nudging the plot forward. So much for picking up where I left off, but what to do now?

Start something new.

As soon as the idea occurred to me, I was sure I'd lost my mind. After all, I'm trying to get a COMPLETED manuscript in my editor's inbox as quickly as possible. Two of the partials I read were at least half finished, if not more so. Surely it would be wise to finish one of those novels first. Starting from scratch sounded insane. Then, a recent conversation with my mother played in my head:

"Have you started the next book in your pirate series yet?" she asked. Yes, my mom reads my work and particularly enjoys the Pirates at Heart series.

"No," I admitted guiltily. Even my editor had inquired about the ETA of Nate's story.

Still, could I really start and finish a whole new book in a month? Granted, I'd done it before, but that was when I had been adhering to a disciplined writing schedule. That being said, both SMUGGLER'S BLUES and SAILOR'S KNOT practically wrote themselves. Could be because Pirates at Heart is a series I thoroughly enjoy writing. I know the characters inside and out and the world is already built. When I thought about RED SKY AT NIGHT in those terms, the hardest work on the project was already done so I dove in.

I wrote 3000 words the very first day. I'm only one week in and the manuscript has already hit 10,000 words. Apparently--to quote Deee-Lite--groove is in the heart. I love the Logan family, they feel like part of my family. It seems no matter how long I'm away from them, Brett, Kate, Marcus, Amelie, Nate and Ruby are all more than willing to chat with this struggling writer. Writing about my futuristic pirates was like coming home.

I'm off to rack up more word count. I'll leave you with a little Deee-Lite to brighten your day.
Sing it, baby!

Cheers,
Cindy
http://cindyjacks.com/