Long Beach Island

It’s Sunday night again and lightning is flashing all around town. I’d hate for the electricity to go out, as it always seems to do whenever a gentle wind blows through my development or someone sneezes too hard.

It’s okay though. I’ve been working on Recurring all day and this early evening storm is inspiring. If the computer goes down and my work hasn’t yet hit the moment when it is automatically saved, I’m out of luck. Hopefully that won’t happen. More challenging than the lack of electricity is the way I’m trying to write this book. I began telling the story in the third person – which is fine, normal, and average, though I generally write in the first person. The challenging part comes in because I’m going back and changing it to first person/present.

I like telling the story this way. It’s more immediate and while reading it, it feels more compelling. The thing is, I’m limited by what I can and cannot show and tell. For instance, writing about the past in such a tense is a tricky proposition. It can be done, but it doesn’t read as smoothly as the rest of the manuscript, thereby coming across as the dreaded “background information” trap we writers fall into. Also odd is the protagonist’s thought process – which generally falls into the past tense. I’m trying to figure it all out, and maybe because I did promise myself I’d have this first draft completed by the end June, this might not be my brightest undertaking. I’ve never written anything in first person/present. I’m sure I’ll get it sorted out in my head so I’ll be able to write this way with a natural flow, but I have to learn quickly before I miss my self-imposed deadline.

Food for Thought, the third book in the Jersey Girl Cozy Mystery series, is coming along nicely. I just have to get a few things in order. I’m also feeling so sorry for Ken Rhodes, yet I’m almost duty-bound to make it worse for the poor, gorgeous guy!

There’s another LBI pic above. It’s warm and muggy outside and we all need to look at the ocean to cool ourselves down! So until next Sunday, or sooner if something wonderful happens in the meantime, have terrific week everyone!