Tuesday, January 8, 2013

That Feeling.

You know the one. When you're so in love and invested in your new idea that you have a really hard time focusing on anything else in your life. Like changing out of your pajamas every day. Or feeding the kids... Totally kidding. Sort of... ;)

That's happening to me right now.

I love this book. Love it. I don't know why. It's nothing special, but I love it just the same. I haven't loved a book as much since I wrote my fairytale. Which is a good thing.

I love my MC. Her name is Oakley. She's very fragile and shy. She lost her brother to cancer, and is having a really hard time dealing with it. She's distant and super awkward, and I'm loving where the story is going with her love interest. I can't wait to see him break down all of her walls and help her heal.

And you guys, the setting. I LOVE the setting. The story is set in Huntington Beach, California, and seeing how it's been like 7 degrees here the past few nights, I'm really wishing I lived there as well!

Mix the setting and characters with some surfing, guitars, first kisses and unwanted challenges and there's my book in a nutshell. I'm dying to finish it. I wish I had more time to write.

This book has been challenging for me, but not in the way you'd think. I don't write contemporary. Ever. And this has no magic at all. It's weird and foreign to me, which is silly, since it's like real life, but I'm so used to making up worlds and magic systems, that it's been interesting to write something without those things.

Maybe that's why I love this book. Because it's a challenge for me to capture my characters strengths and weaknesses more. To show how much emotion they're actually feeling. To watch them grow and change. We'll see how it goes.

Anyway, that's what I've been doing. Have you ever written something totally out of your comfort zone? You should try it. It feels good. And scary. And awesome. :)

23 comments:

Jenna Cooper said...

My grandparents live in Huntington Beach--that is a beautiful setting! I wish I were there right now as well. :)
It's always so awesome to find that idea that you love. Happy writing!

Anonymous said...

How fun that you are so totally absorbed by your own story-- isn't that how it should be? My guess is this passion will translate into a fantastic book.

Chandler said...

Love that feeling! Sounds like you're enjoying the process, which always shines through in writing. I saw your post below about working on not being so critical of yourself etc. This is something I'm working on, too--need to let loose and love what I'm doing!

ilima said...

I love that feeling. I live for that feeling...it's what makes writing worth it to me. I wrote a contemporary once and will probably never do it again, but I love my characters in that book so much, it will always have a special spot in my heart. :)

Kyra Lennon said...

This sounds like a great book!

I love that feeling too. Sadly, I seem to have lost my own buzz somewhere - I hope it returns soon!

S.P. Bowers said...

Love that feeling.

I've got the start of a contemporary. Like you, that's completely out of my usual area. Oddly enough it's a bout a girl loosing her mother to cancer. But it has to wait it's turn.

Fida Islaih said...

Thank you for your post! I loved it, it inspired me! Btw, the book sounds interesting, I want to read it!

Meredith said...

Yay for contemporary! That's what I'm writing, too, and I love it. I also love writing summer books during the winter. :)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

If you're in love, keep writing! I enjoyed writing my contemporary series. Funny, when I tried my hand at non-fiction, I discovered I loved that just as much.

Stephanie McGee said...

I've done it twice. Both times I wrote a straight-up romance. As in, the main plot is "Get character A with Character B". It was fun. It also left me more refreshed to jump into writing the fantasy stuff again. it's nice to take the break once in a while and not have to keep so much straight in the course of writing a book.

Stephanie McGee said...

I've done it twice. Both times I wrote a straight-up romance. As in, the main plot is "Get character A with Character B". It was fun. It also left me more refreshed to jump into writing the fantasy stuff again. it's nice to take the break once in a while and not have to keep so much straight in the course of writing a book.

Nick Wilford said...

I'm glad you're stretching yourself in your writing and you've taken to it well! The book sounds great. Yeah, that feeling... I don't get it all the time, but it is nice!

Michelle D. Argyle said...

Contemporary is my favorite, so I'm very excited you're doing this! If you ever need a reader ... :)

Brooke R. Busse said...

While I like contemporary topics and occasionally write them into my stories, but, like with you, it is just too weird feeling not to have magic or something. However, maybe if you can do it, I can?

Unknown said...

It sounds amazing...can't wait to hear about the journey of creating it!

Elizabeth Seckman said...

Your enthusiasm is contagious! (and what is it with kids and food? Too bad they can't be like the dog...pour kibble in her bowl in the morning and she's done till the next day! Just joking, I'm not saying I want to treat my kids like dogs...geesh.)

Patti said...

I love that name (Oakley). It's so good to love your book. Makes it much easier to write. Good luck with it.

Jessie Humphries said...

Umm. why havent you sent me your other one?!

Nicole said...

I love the feeling you describe! I'm about to jump to an MG piece after working on a rather gritty space opera for the last year...I think I see a challenge in my future. Totally different writing styles and characters and such, but I'm SO excited to start. ;)

Emily R. King said...

I love a challenge too. Keep it up, Chantele!

Anonymous said...

Ah, it sounds awesome! I especially love that it's set in Huntington Beach, not only because Emblem3 on the XFactor came from there (teenage fangirl thing. . .) but I'm a sucker for any book that takes place on the beach. Mostly because it's not here. ;) Good luck finishing it!

Angela Cothran said...

You are very good at magic. I'm sure you are awesome at contemp too :) They are all about relationships.

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