Thursday, April 11, 2013

Juggling



Juggling, and not bowling pins or fiery sticks, is not for those who aren’t organized. So you can imagine how difficult juggling is for me as a writer. I am not that well organized (yes, I should be) and so feel that each novel I write is, in essence, a juggling act. I try to be organized, which is why I do outlines. However, unlike John Grisham (I just found out from another A to Z blog http://lauramarcella.blogspot.com) who always uses, and sticks to, an outline, I use it primarily to keep my juggling act from falling apart. I do stray from the original often, but the outline keeps me steady on where I eventually “want to” end up.
Think of this, I have a storyline. I have my protagonist, perhaps more than one. I have the environment, which is really another character amongst the multitude, and time and time line to keep in their places, moving where they should be, when they should be. This is my juggling act. If I get to the end, and my readers like the story and the ending, then I’ve succeeded. I always consider this a miracle, and not a minor one. Because juggling, like writing, takes A LOT of practice, a lot of thinking and following/trusting your imagination. It is not an easy job. If my novel is easy for you, as my reader, to read, then the juggling is worth it because in the end, that’s what a performer’s job is. It’s also what keeps us, as performers, coming back for more. Here is a “blurb” for my current work in progress, which can give an idea of this particular juggling act:

London. Three people; a killer, a writer, and a cop. Their destinies are about to collide and change them forever.

On a cold white before-Christmas day, an assassin completes a job only to be pursued by police. Dodging through bustling city streets, the assassin nabs a young woman out of a crowd for cover.

Celia Wight, a reclusive American writer, is shopping in her spare time during a book tour. When a knife presses against her back and a stranger takes charge of her carefully controlled life, horrific memories surface and force her to fight for her life, again.

Assigned to the homicide, Detective Alban Thain of the Metropolitan Police, suspects the murderer is in fact an assassin he calls the Wraith. The problem is Thain is the only one who believes the assassin exists. Disregarding his coworker’s ridicule, Thain means to exploit the Wraith’s first-and-only-mistake; the kidnapping of an innocent bystander- if she is innocent. Thain will do whatever it takes to prove the existence of the Wraith, and bring him to justice.

One might find redemption, one release, and one may find love is more important than being right.
©2011
Images from:

14 comments:

  1. Hi Lisa, we both chose juggling today! Although different aspects of it. (Mine focusing on juggling lots of writing projects and yours more focused on the juggling involved in each project itself.) Planning a novel is definitely a is juggling act, I end up writing more words in planning than the whole of the first chapter usually!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, I can't believe we both did that! Great minds...!

      Delete
  2. Juggling is not only a prerequisite for writing. It's needed for living too!

    Rosalind Adam is Writing in the Rain

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Lisa! Your post is wonderful thank you! I reckon there has to be an art to juggling and keeping those balls in the air. Perhaps catching them from time to time. IYou should see my desk - it looks as if a bomb has hit it - papers everywhere, notebooks, notes ... in other aspects of my life I am organised; I have to be.
    Your blurb sounds great and sounds as if it has all the necessary juggling ingredients for a successful crime novel. Do let me know when it comes out - I would love to buy it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Will do! Thanks so much. I've just downloaded In Praise of Lilith, Eve & the Serpent in the Garden of Eden & Other Stories.' Can't wait to get started...

      Delete
  4. Love it! I'm not the most organized person in the world, but I am a juggler. Not technically that good, but I have made a living doing it in my past. I wrote about juggling today as well.

    Now following your blog.

    Lee
    An A to Z Co-Host
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sorry to sound like a star struck fan, but OMG, Arlee is following my blog!!! You are so wonderful to have started this challenge for us. I hope you know how much this opportunity touches lives. I started doing this last year. It helps keep me focused on my writing, and the others out there who are my sisters/brothers with the pen and/or their art. Thanks for commenting!

      Delete
    2. Yes you did! And so did WRITERachael, who commented above! You know, like I said, great minds...!

      Delete
    3. Thank you for your kind and sweet words. The success of A to Z depends on the wonderful participants like yourself. Thank you for being a part of Blogging from A to Z.

      Lee
      An A to Z Co-Host
      Tossing It Out

      Delete
  5. so sorry I posted twice - I thought the first one disappeared ... arrrghhh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No worries! I deleted the first one!

      Delete
  6. :) :) :) :) :) .... and more smiles for you!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Lisa .. glad Lee got here - his history re juggling is fascinating to read about ... and I love your postings here ... it's interesting to see the different approaches ..

    Cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for commenting on my blog. I may not always be able to respond to the comments you leave, however, I appreciate you dropping by and will do my best to visit your blog as well, if you have one!