Getting Past the Third Chapter

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I did it. I finally did it.

Earlier this month, I finally did something I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to do.

I completed the third chapter of my sequel.

Holy crap. I did it!

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I always felt the third chapter should be the springboard in a story. It certainly was with “The Dark Proposal”, and I wanted the same with its sequel. The first two chapters were like a gathering of information, an intro to what the book will be based on. The third chapter feels like it will build on all of that, and set off the rest of the book. But for a long time, every time I worked on the sequel, I just couldn’t get past the third chapter.

This was due to a lot of reasons. There were times where I wasn’t fully sure with what I wanted from my story and characters. It is tough to write a sequel because you have to improve on a lot of things from the first book. You have to delve deeper into the story, develop the main characters (and possibly other characters) more, and really improve on your storytelling skills. In other words, a sequel is a step up from the previous story in many ways.

Then came times when I wasn’t sure if I was really over the hurdle. Meaning, I would read over the third chapter again and again, revising and revising it, trying to make sure it was good enough. Was it as much of a springboard that it needed to be? Did it really prepare the reader for the rest of the book? Was the chapter strong enough for me to move on to the rest of the story?

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I felt that way. I felt my third chapter was satisfying enough for me to continue writing the story. The springboard had a bounce to it.

While it will obviously go through rewrites and revisions like the rest of the book, I felt it was good enough for me journey on. I had gotten past the hurdle.

And boy, what a relief that is.

 

 

The Joy of Writing About Vampires

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As I work on my sequel, I find myself overcome with excitement at times. Sometimes it is due to the thrill of a good scene, or feeling as though I’m on the right track. But other times, it is because I am creating a world filled with many possibilities.

I have often wondered what is the appeal about vampires, and the list can have a variety of appeals. Sometimes it’s the sexuality, the idea of being alive for centuries, being a night creature with supernatural abilities, and so on. But as I write the sequel to The Dark Proposal, I realize there’s a long list of why writing about vampires is so much fun. Aside from what I just mentioned, I think it also is because when an author writes about vampires, they are also writing about a whole different world.

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Vampires are not human, and don’t live like humans. Therefore, their world is entirely different from ours and their sense of self is equally different. That being said, an author would have to be very creative when coming up with a world unlike ours. It is one thing to write about vampires from the outside looking in, but when it is time to write about the vampire world from the inside, a lot of creativity and fun can come in.

Think about it. Vampires are their own specie, or even their own tribe. They have cultural norms different from human norms, and possibly even have a hierarchy or political system unlike most humans. Since vampires often live separately from humans, their world will not, and even cannot, be like ours. Imagine, as an author, what fun it can be to create a totally different world!

And ideas and angles to tackle! A vampire author could write about the political system of vampires, or the gender issues vampires face, if any. A writer could tell a story about the religious beliefs of vampires, if any. Or they could write about how vampires make money and become rich (or live simply) while not being too involved in the human world. A writer could write the complexities of being a new vampire, or a very old vampire. Or create a world where centuries-old ties and bonds create harmony or friction among the vampires. Imagine digging back hundreds of years to figure out what went wrong between a couple, or what has kept them going for so many long years.

The possibilities are endless – and its great!

There are so many different topics and angles to write about when it comes to vampires. More so than romance and love, though that can take on different angles in terms of gender, sexuality and longevity. The thing is, writing about vampires is so much fun because it allows an author to create a world on his or her terms, and it depends on what subject they want to tackle. And in the case of vampires, it could be any subject.

The one risk that comes up is getting too involved in this different world. There have been times when I had to take a step back and re-evaluate a couple of characters, scenes, notes and outlines. This is because I got in too deep with what I was exploring. For example, I was exploring the relationship between Daniel and his makers, Hilde and Michel. It started off being very exciting because I got a chance to go through history, the personalities of each character, the politics of the vampire world, and how it has dealt with human hunters over the years. Unfortunately, I got so wrapped up in this, I lost track of what I was doing, and had to stop and erase what I had done. It was disappointing. Writing about centuries-old creatures that have their own social norms is fun, but it can get too much fun, and then you’ll have to start over again.

Maybe, if necessary, novellas and short stories about certain characters may come in handy down the line. Kind of like how Anne Rice keeps writing about her vampires, years after she wrote Interview With The Vampire. She created a whole new world with colorful characters, and she built a career around them. From a business standpoint, that’s not a bad idea!

Anyway, writing about vampires is tons of fun, and for good reason. Imagine creating a world of blood-sucking night creatures that can do things humans cannot and can live forever. Imagine what its like to be one, and there’s others like you. Now imagine what that existence would be like, especially if that existence has been around for centuries or even millennia. Sounds amazing, right?

Now go ahead and write that down! Just maintain your focus and you’ll be on your way!