A Tale of Two Stories

I am not a multi-tasker. I generally like to work on one project at a time. So the idea I'd willingly assign myself the task of writing two stories at once—both of which need to be finished by the end of the year—seems farfetched. And yet...

It all started with the Common Elements Romance Project (more about that HERE). The idea appealed to me, the lead time was luxurious, and I had several story ideas that could easily be modified to include the “common elements” ie a lightning storm, lost keys, a haunted house (really haunted or rumored to be), a stack of thick books, and a person named Max.

Easy enough, right?

The first story I fixed on was Lightning in a Bottle, a steampunk story I’d had in the back of my mind for years. True, it was originally slated to be the third story in the as-yet-unwritten Winter Hearts quadrilogy, but with the addition of a short prologue, it works even better as book number one. Given the story, the characters and the set-up, it was a no-brainer adding most of the elements. Although I may have stretched the idea of what constitutes a person. 

A robotic dog totally counts…doesn’t it?

So, I settled down to work, interrupted by the occasional necessity to re-release some of my previously published books whose rights had reverted to me, and by the pressing need for an updated website.  And, yes, I knew going in that my non-multi-tasking muse would not be happy with me, but what I didn’t expect was that the witch would seek revenge by planting an irresistible plot bunny square in my path. 

I really should have known better.

It happened while I was editing Going To The Chapel, and making notes for the sequel, Going Up The Country. It occurred to me that I already had a lightning storm and haunted house built right into the flashback scenes. That lost keys would be a perfect goad to increase my heroine’s frustration as she attempts to storm off following a major blow-out with the hero, and there was even a minor character named Max (he and his wife keep trying to insist I call him Maxwell, but I’m not listening). All I need to add are some books.

Umm…yeah, that’ll be hard.

The clincher was that the book was set between Halloween and Thanksgiving—exactly when the Common Elements books are set to release.

How could I not write this book now?

So here I am, juggling two books at once and wondering if I haven’t bitten off more than I can chew. Theoretically, I should be able to finish both books in time, but life has an annoying way of not going according to plan.

To be continued…