Tell The Story The Way It Wants To Be Told

Such words of wisdom.

After stressing out whether I'm writing a chick/hen lit or romance, my friend Kathy comes along and says:

"Older women need romance, too. :) Tell the story the way it wants to be told."

You don't know how much that means to me to hear that (thanks Kathy!).

In my last blog post, and even people are talking about it in the chick lit group, too, I was contemplating about the thin line that exists between chick/hen lit vs. romantic fiction. And the reason behind my contemplation was the fact that I wanted to make sure it was one or the other for the simple fact that when I query an agent or publisher for this, I really would like to be able to put it in one or the other genre. I figure that by the time it is written, I will know.

It's coming along beautifully. I've gotten the word count up to almost 12,000 words - a big jump over day before yesterday's post of 5,967 words. I almost hated to even get into this book because I knew what my life was like writing the other books. Quite time-consuming - although to be truthful I love every minute of it - but more than that, I am like this other person.

I remember what it was like now that I've gotten into this and this is my book-writing mode. Everything gets put on the wayside because I am on such a freaking roll and I know that if I stop, the muse will quietly go away and I don't want that to happen. It's actually fun and I do feel productive. Makes you feel like you are working towards your goal and that can't be too bad.

Molly is such a cool character to work with. She confuses me sometimes, though, and I have to go back and read what she said earlier to make sure it's the same opinion she is saying now. Like her views on soul mates. They have to be consecutive. They have to be of one opinion and I found myself changing her opinion and something kicked in and I went, "Okay, Molly, I'll go back and make sure I don't change it." Wouldn't want to make her mad or confuse the reader, either. So, that's what I've been working on today. Making everything kosher.

Now, back to the chick/hen lit vs. romance thing. Molly has someone interested in her, I mean VERY interested in her but because he does not live up to her "opinion" on soul mates, she disses him. However, what she doesn't know is, he actually would be a good match for her. As I get further in the book, maybe I'll have a surprise or two for Molly. But, she is so damn defiant, she'll probably rewrite it when I'm asleep.

But, that's where that romance thing comes in again. Is it a romance or a chick/hen lit?

Arrrggg...

But, Kathy put it in a new light by saying, "Tell the story it wants to be told."

I like that. Stay tuned for tomorrow's installment...;o)