No one tells you just how hard it can be to go from an inspired idea to reality. One day you wake up with this idea in your head screaming to be let out. This goes for any idea. Got an idea how to perfectly decorate your room? Great, it will take lots of time and energy to find all the pieces to make the room complete. Did you suddenly you decide that you are the next great chef and have the perfect recipe? That means hours in the kitchen modifying your dish that you know is just almost there.
Well folks, let me tell you... waking up one day having eight characters screaming to have their stories told is a little daunting and a whole lot distracting. It started with a notebook that described each character that soon turned into a town map and encyclopedia of secondary characters. I began writing like a woman possessed. I just wanted to get the story on paper. Artists will often tell you that the canvas will tell you what it wants to be, whether you are painting or sculpting. The more I kept writing these characters and giving them life, the more they didn't do what I originally intended. They took on a life of their own. One primary example is that the couple that I thought would be the next story (Ariel and Kyle) ended up being the third story because the other couple (Dixie and Chase) were forcing their way to the front while writing the first book.
After I wrote Tyler and Zoey's story I had to research what all is involved in self publishing on different platforms. What did I learn? I knew nothing. Absolutely nothing. My motivation level to complete and publish the book got to a new low. I had to read, watch informational videos and revisit my work several times to move forward with a positive attitude all while still working my "regular" job. Now I am here planning to share with you (whoever your are) my growing pains and hopefully some triumphs until release day.
Here's to finding the motivation to keep going to make my inspiration a reality.
Kate