January 2016 – Round Robin Blog Hop topic - What are one (or two) writing projects you want to accomplish this year? What will be any obstacles you might encounter?

The first part of this month’s topic is harder to answer than the second because I have far more than one or two projects I want to accomplish. Should I tell you about the idea that’s been hibernating in my brain for some years waiting for me to get around to writing it? Or should I discuss the book written long ago that I absolutely love the idea of, but know it needs a lot of work that I’d like to revisit. Or a new novella to go with my series? Or the final edits for book 4 in my Tide’s Way series? Or a short story here and there? I want to accomplish ALL of these.

But since everyone loves a man in a kilt, I think I’ll share a little about The Piper, which is the story that’s been waiting patiently for me to write. Years ago when I was doing research for a different story I spent several days in a College library, comfortably ensconced at one of their big old oak desks with a pile of books around me. I was sitting there thinking how awesome it would be if I could read an old journal written by a man in the time period and place I was researching. From that random thought came the premise for my story.

The story is of an author who for one reason or another sets out to write a book about a legend, and in the process falls in love with a man from a bygone era. The Piper was a soldier with a Scottish regiment who bravely played the bagpipes to hearten his comrades, putting himself in harm’s way with no thought to his own safety. I know my ending, but I’m going to keep that a secret so once it’s written, perhaps you’ll want to buy it. A few days ago, my brainstorming group, the Sandy Scribblers, came together for our monthly meeting and I shared the bare bones and random ideas I’d mulled over for years. Lots of great new possibilities were explored, possible endings, possible reasons for the book this author was writing, intertwined relationships and totems, and how to pull off a love-affair that spanned more than a hundred years. So, now I’m really excited to write this story.

I will get the edits for Book 4 in the Tide’s Way done and I might complete the novella for that series. I know I’ll write more short stories which I offer my readers for free, either on Amazon and B&N or on my own website. But the biggest monkey wrenches in my writing plans are things that take me away from my library (my study) for weeks at a time. Even though my laptop goes with me, family comes first and not a lot of serious work gets done. I’ve already traveled twice this winter and in less than two weeks I fly north again to welcome my fifteenth grandchild. A mere month later I will again be in the air, this time to attend the confirmation of another grandchild and about 7 weeks after that yet another granddaughter is having her first holy communion. All important events Grammy must attend. There will also be another christening. (Thank heavens my grandson won’t graduate from college until 2017.) And that’s just this spring. Who knows what summer and fall will bring.

The reason these interruptions are truly obstacles is that as an author, I write best when I am totally emotionally connected with my characters and the events in their lives. Being with family divides that emotional connection and makes it harder to get my head back in the game when I get back to my writing. I often have to go back and re-read all or some of what I’ve already written to get myself immersed again and the muse starts cooking. Maybe if I were a plotter it would be different. I’d have a detailed outline I could follow and just pick up where I left off. But I’m a pantser and I write character driven stories, which means being IN my characters’ heads and hearts, living the events with them.

Same is true for me while writing a book.

Check out these other authors – see what they have planned for 2016.

Victoria Chatham http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca
Margaret Fieland http://margaretfieland.com/2016/01/23/writers-to-do-list-for-the-new-year/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Connie Vines http://connievines.blogspot.com/
Bob Rich  http://wp.me/p3Xihq-Bm
Rachael Kosinski http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Kay Sisk http://kaysisk.blogspot.com
Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Hollie Glover http://www.hollieglover.co.uk
Helena Fairfax  http://helenafairfax.com/2016/01/23/setting-goals-my-writing-projects-for-2016-and-some-advice-required/
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/