I love talking about writing. I don’t know why. I guess it’s a tangent of the creative process, a way of analysis. However, more times than not, talking about writing is more akin to trying to demystify the brain. In other words, it’s smoke and mirrors because writing is not an analytical sport, it’s a metaphysical mish-mesh of hail marys and lightning strikes.

If that first paragraph makes no sense, simply ignore. Here’s the relevant part: I just wrote the first chapter and the first 300 words of my next novel.

I wrote a post not too long ago where I outlined the options of my next project. Since then, I still hadn’t written anything or even concluded on which avenue I would chose until, that is, the lightning struck.

It struck earlier this week and it was fast and furious after that. In a moment, I could visualize it in front of me, and I started pecking at the keys with all the various strands that came to me like a sudden, overwhelming summer storm. I jotted down people and places and situations and plot twists. Those moments of sheer creative joy are the most fun part of writing for me. It’s exploratory, it’s surprising, it’s rewarding. Think about that. I’m doing the thinking, yet I’m the one who is surprised. How does that even work? This fully shows just how bizarre the creative process is for me.

This morning, a few days after the lightning had passed, I finally typed out the first 300 words. Funny thing, however, these first 300 weren’t even in the original revelation of the other night. Another surprise. And on a further note, this first chapter has a wonderful cliff-hanger. Someone shows up. Someone whom others had been waiting on. You know what? I don’t even know who it is yet! That’s the exciting part! The quest is on. I am on a jaunt of discovery to find out who that person is. It’s a long meandering puzzle that only I can put together.

Does anyone else get this excited about writing?

A few details of what I’m working on. It’s a sequel of sorts to the novel I’ll be releasing on April 1, 2020. That one is called A DIAMOND FOR HER: Myths and Tales of the Winasook Iron Horses. The new one? Let’s give it a working title. How about Iowa She Said? That will work for now.

And the cover reveal for A Diamond for Her will be soon!

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