I mentioned in my last post that I was going to have to spend significant time this summer writing. Just last week I signed a three-book deal for a new legal, romantic suspense series in addition to the WWII novellas I’d also signed contracts to write. It’s a process for me to restart the writing race when I’ve gotten out of practice. Today, I thought I’d take you behind the scenes. All good things start with coffee…including a writing sprint. Then there’s my research board. I catpure much of my research online, but there are certain things that I want to have ready access to at a glance. This is also where I’ll fill in post-its that represent each chapter. This book has a pretty thorough synopsis that I’ve put at the beginning of each chapter in my document, but this gives me another quick reference to see if it’s coming together the way I thought it would. I also keep motivation from my prior books close at hand. It’s nice to be able to glance over and realize that even if this story feels like a mess, these other books did too, and people still liked them at the end of hte process. No matter how many books I write, I still need the reminder that the draft can become a beautiful story. This image may not feel like it fits, but when I’m struggling to get going, or letting myself get sidetracked by research — so easy to do! — a timer for 20 minutes of writing makes a daunting task feel very doable. I don’t have to write for two hours. I only have to create for 20 minutes. Invariably, I write longer than that. Or I give myself permission to get up and do something else for five minutes and then get back at it. Earlier this week I did three of these in a row…and… This was the result. I wrote 1477 words in an hour. That’s my sweet spot, and it let me know that I had finely done enough of the initial research to be able to focus on the story. It doesn’t mean I won’t have more to research…I will. But I can now write without the distraction of not knowing enough detail to plant myself or readers in the location. There may have been some happy dancing when I hit this milestone, because now I know I can tell myself to focus on words on page. Woot! I’ve also had research books coming in this week, because I’m thinking about the next novella and how it ties into book two in the legal suspense series, even as I’m on the Outer Banks. This is the pull and push of writing. I’m usually marketing one book, while writing another, while also dreaming and research the next. It’s the never ending cycle. The book I’ve been finalizing and marketing when I just couldn’t get traction writing is this one: It’s been in development off and on for eighteen months, so I’m delighted to release it to the world. If you’re a writer, this book may help you add layers to your characters. The process has certainly helped me. Any thoughts on what my next novella will include?