I’m a visual person.
When I write books, I like to watch the scene play out in my mind before I ever type a single word. Expressions. Curtains. Clothing. Sunlight. I see it all–or if I can’t, I daydream away until I have it.
Then I write.
Often I’ll go looking on the internet for photos that capture the mood, feel, or character I’m looking for. Those are the fun days. Guess what. Today is one of those days. :)
I’ve placed a few of my favorite pictures on a new Pinterest board I’ve created for Augustina, sequel to Sadie. Pinterest was created for visual people. I love it!
Check out Augustina’s board here for a sneak peek of what’s coming.
I’ll definitely be adding pictures as I finish up the novel.
For now, I have to say, I’m loving where Sadie’s story goes. I know, I know. I’m the author. I’m supposed to be in charge of where the story goes, right?
Wrong.
I make outlines and plot like crazy, yet sometimes the characters take over. They do what they’re gonna do, and occasionally that’s in direct opposition to what I want them to do. It’s like Frankenstein. I might be the mastermind of the creation, but once it comes to life, it has a mind of its own.
Thankfully, I like where Sadie headed. She’s awesome!
(Yes, I’m fully aware that I’m insane. She’s not real. She’s not real! Keep telling me that.)
I still feel horribly guilty for all the garbage I’ve thrown Sadie’s way. She comes to a dark place in her mind in book 2. It was hard to write it–very hard to let her hurt inside so badly. I think one of the biggest mistakes authors make is protecting their characters. I knew this going into the book, yet I still wanted to protect her emotionally. But that’s not life. In fact, that’s not even good fiction. The best stories are about people who hit bottom and rise to the top. I’m hoping that you as a reader will hang in there with Sadie. She goes pretty low. Hopefully you’ll forgive me for it. She has. And she comes through it stronger and better for it. I think.
(Yep. You’re ready to call the insane asylum on me. I know it. Well, you can’t call until I finish the book. Sorry. After that, go ahead. Quite frankly, I could use a break. If it makes you less worried, I’m laughing as I type. Or does that worry you more? It’s like Shannon Hale says, “Becoming a writer sounds more like a mental illness than a professional choice.” So, so true.Oh man. I need more sleep. Okay. Take a breath. Now I’m ready. *putting professional hat back on*)
The first book took place near Whitefish, Montana.
My husband and I visited Whitefish (near Kalispell) awhile back, and I fell in love with the area. It’s so gorgeous with its crisp mountain air, unending pines, and amazingly blue skies.
One of the things you’ll notice in the Pinterest board are a lot of pictures of Tennessee. Not Montana. That’s ’cause book 2 takes a turn. A turn southeast.
Back in ’04, my husband and I took our three (at the time) kids, and traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee.
We went to watch the filming of my dad’s movie, The Work and the Glory, which was filmed close to Knoxville. What an experience that was–one for another post. But here are a few pics:
In a few short days, I fell in love with Tennessee. It’s so picturesque. We spent a morning in the Smoky Mountains hiking and exploring waterfalls. Gorgeous. And the people were so open and friendly. Very welcoming. Very southern. If Sadie and Josh couldn’t be in Montana, it only seemed fair to send them somewhere just as amazing.
Side note: spelling Tennessee over and over and over again has been the bane of my existence this last year. For the life of me, I can’t get it right. Is it two ‘E’s or two ‘S’s, or both, or neither? And what about the ‘N’s? Ugh. What would I do without spell check?
Alright. Enough rambling. This was supposed to be a quick post. Of course they all start that way in my mind: “Oh, I know. I’ll just write a quick post about…” 1,000 words later. Ugh. Sorry. :)
The gist
Check out Augustina on Pinterest here, and tell me what you think. Hopefully, I’ll have a release date for it soon!!!
Have a great one!
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Comment here.
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Loved your rambling post…and I’m very excited for your 2nd book. Your Pinterest board is awesome. Tennessee looks so pretty. That was fun to see Nathan Steed with your kids. How cool would that be? Glad you’re having fun writing.
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Thanks–me, too! Meeting the cast was fun, but seeing how a movie set works was amazing. It’s less glamorous and more complex than I’d imagined. Those poor actors have to say and do the same thing over and over and over again until the director’s happy. Actually, that’s not too far off of writing, only instead of trying to make a director happy, it’s an editor, publisher, reader, or just yourself. :)
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That’s how I imagined behind the scenes of a movie to be–very boring with the repeats. I like how you liken that to writing. So true (except it isn’t boring when it’s your baby)
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How fun! My hubby and I also traveled to New Zealand and Rarotonga in 2000 while they were filming the movie of my dad’s book. It was great to meet the actors but I likewise was struck with the repetitive nature of it all. We got to be “extras” in one little scene. The costume/make-up/and STANDING there as they re-filmed it over and over and over again took nearly all afternoon for what ended up being about 2.5 seconds of the actual movie. It made me grateful for the job I have. I could NEVER be an ‘extra’ or an actress for that matter!
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Umm…I think I’d take New Zealand and Rarotonga over Tennessee, no offense to TN, but wow! How fun! I didn’t realize you were extras in that movie. I saw your dad there at the end. Which scene were you in? And I completely agree on the never wanting to be an actress. Yikes. Not quite as glamorous as it seems. By the way, Other Side of Heaven is one of our family favorites. Awesome movie!
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