feline fun

It's July. Which means that here in Charleston it is very, very hot.

My neighborhood's stray cats know exactly how to stay cool:

Now if only they made those in human size.

why the second book is harder than the first

First of all, I must clarify that the "second book" in this subject heading does not refer to LUMINANCE HOUR 2, but to SouthernGothicNovel, which has given me much angst and cause for whining.

You would think that, like most learned skills (such as driving, riding a bike, reading...), writing books would get easier the more you do it. Like so:

Book 1 = daunted, confused, whiplashed, emotionally unstable author.
Book 2 = less daunted, a bit confused but mostly knows what they're doing author.
Book 3 = this is easy, peasy and better than German chocolate cake author!

This graph makes sense. Unfortunately, it does not reflect reality.

Reality looks more like this (for ALL THE BOOKS):

This is me, being tossed back and forth by writerly PMSage, thinking doom and generally black thoughts as to the future of this manuscript. And behind, in the distance, are my characters. Laughing. The one on the right is not fat. She's in a hoop skirt. (It's true).

The second manuscript sometimes feels like an ultimately evil practical joke. Secondary characters come across flat. Subplots get lost. Backstories become a load instead of the treasure trove of character depth I imagined they would be. I stare at my manuscript and wonder why, why it isn't working. And then I start wondering. Maybe my first book was a fluke. Maybe I really can't write and I somehow managed to deceive both my agent and my editor and the entire publishing company into thinking that I could.

However, discussions with many other debut writers in the Lucky 13s has helped me realize that these feelings of struggle, doom and suckage aren't signs of a poseur. They're normal. Every writer (or almost every writer) goes through this same process of struggling with book 2. And 3. And 4. And 5. Etc.

One super observant Lucky 13 brought up a very, very excellent point. One of the reasons writers get so frustrated with manuscript number 2 is because they expect a very unrealistic perfection. For months and months we've been working with highly polished manuscripts, giving them their final shine before they head off into the wide world. We've worked with these shiny projects for so long that we forget what they used to look like, the gnarled, warty first drafts they once were! So when we transition from flawless final draft to decrepit first/second/third draft, we start to lose heart. We forget that it will get better.

I think, because of this, the second book is actually harder than the first, because as writers we feel like we have to "live up" to these incredibly unrealistic expectations of producing a perfect first draft that's as good, if not better than our debut novel. And that, my friends, will never, ever happen.

So yeah, I'm working on giving myself grace with this manuscript. I can already see how it has such potential to shine. I just have to be patient and coax that out!

snapshots of savannah

Since I very recently posted an absurd amount of pictures of Charleston, I figured I'd let its sister city Savannah have a chance to shine. I just spent a lovely two days exploring her dozens of squares and feasting on all of the delicious goodness of her restaurants. Time and money very well spent!

Elegant brick storefronts.

The elegant storefronts also housed elegant stores. I wish I could say that this was my bedroom. Brick wall + Moroccan quilts and throw pillows = Awesome.

A storefront of glowing honey.

 This is just one of the many squares that was a part of the city's original layout. There are twenty-four of them throughout the city. Each of them has a different significant meaning (which you can look up on Wikipedia if you happen to be curious).

As you can see there are plenty of churches here as well. We wanted to peek inside the Cathedral (lower right), but a Bishop was being installed while we were there and it was closed to the public.

Is it bad that this sign made me giggle? (Probably) 

The city was all dressed up for fall. This is the entrance of a super-cute B&B.

 An incredible gargantuan pumpkin. How many pies do you think you could make out of this?

Why yes. I am peeking into someone's garden.

The riverfront at twilight.

 Colors in the fountain by the City Market.

This is what happens when I'm super hungry and husband wants me to pose for a picture.

As we were driving back we passed the sign for the Old Sheldon Church. I'd always heard that it was a sight worth stopping for, so we pulled onto a side road and went on the two-mile detour to go see it. The church was built once in the 1700s and then burned down by the British. It was rebuilt in the 1800s and lasted only 40 years before it was once again burned down by the Union Troops. Its ruins have stood there ever since: housing vandalizing teenagers and hordes of hungry mosquitoes. It was worth braving the latter for a look around.

sometimes revising makes me feel like this:

disclaimer: no knives or people were harmed in the creation of this picture.

you don't always need words...

Yesterday, as a fun break from the fifth circle of revision hell, the hubby and I broke out the Photobooth and had a goofy photo session.
Not every story needs words to communicate itself. Although words DO help give things context. Give it your best shot in the comments at interpreting the lovely scenario we're trying to convey. It should be incredibly simple since we're both such modeling pros. I guess that's what happens when you blitz through five seasons of America's Next Top model in a month (Er, not that we did that. No, not at all).
Have some fun with it!