That's a first.

In honor of the first draft I just finished, here's a blog.

This book was great fun to write, but interesting and challenging, too. I tried some new things this time around, and it turns out, I'm pretty pleased with the result. Here are some of the new and unique experiences I had while writing this book.

1. I wrote an outline. I know, I'm supposed to do that for all my books, right? Wellllllll....I'm more of a "pantser" as it's called. I've never made an outline before. I'm not even sure how it's done. But I saw an organizational chart a published writer had made after writing a book, and I thought, I could do that. I was so sucked in to the book I was writing that I didnt want to go do a chart for a book I'd already finished. So I did one for the chapters I'd written in this book. Then I went ahead and did it for the chapters I hadn't written. Scary, but pretty handy. I already knew what would happen, but it helped to have it all laid out in chronological order (that's how my brain works). Of course I had to tweak things, add and subtract characters, combine and expand scenes and chapters. But overall, it was a good experience. Will I do it on my next book? I'll get back to you on that. I don't really have anything waiting in the brainwaves begging to be written.

2. I wrote a young adult book that's actually appropriate for young adults. I think. I've written young adult books before, but they usually morph into adult books, as I just don't have a pure and innocent mind, haha. Usually between the sex, swearing, and violence that works its way in there, no one would ever let a young adult read my books (myself included). So I end up changing them to adult books. This one...pretty PG13.

3. I wrote an entire book where not one person smirked. Not once. I even did a "Find & Replace" search to make sure, after I read the first draft and noticed that my usual smirky, annoying guy was strangely absent. I did it. Really, really I did. Not one smirk to be found in a single character. Yes, the sky may be falling. Now if I could only write that book without a love story....

4. I had something else for right here, but I'm burned out from writing my first draft, so reason number four is cruelly forgotten in the wasteland of my post-drafting brain. Right now, not much is going on up there except visions of cupcakes dancing. It's true. After I crank out a first draft, I'm completely devoid of brainwaves for at least three days. I'm pretty sure a writer coined the term 'airhead.' 

Happy Monday, all!