But there's this other idea...it takes place in Italy...it has archaeologists...immortals...cool amulets...ITALY! Ugh. Why can't I put my brain on pause? So I'm trying to just let that one percolate (hehe I love finding ways to use that word) while I finish this other book. Then I could start the second one while leaving the first one to sit. Then go back and edit the first when I get to a standstill with the second. Yadda yadda. Start a great cycle.
But...ITALY!!!
Are any of you facing that problem? Have you unearthed an ancient secret on how to work through it? Or does chocolate help?
- - -
Now I'm going to talk a bit about my trip. :) Sorry if this is a long post...I'm usually a short poster. The weirdest feelings were associated with the trip. Every couple of days, I'd step out of my flat to walk to the restaurant for dinner and think - "wow, I'm in Italy." That was especially prominent when we were in Old Town Gravina because it's full of narrow, cobblestone streets.
I had another odd feeling when I returned to my apartment here, the first night. I was looking for something to wear to work the next day, a familiar routine, and it felt like I had never left. That Italy was a dream. Fortunately, I have the pictures to prove it wasn't. And the memories. And the friends. I'm most thankful that I met three girls who will likely be close friends for life. It's so wonderful to automatically click with people like that.
The other fabulous part of the trip was the archaeological experience and learning that it is something I want to do. I was worried that I'd get there and hate it. But I learned that archaeology of excavating buildings and kilns doesn't interest me. But grave archaeology does. And it's not just bones, I need the grave goods. It's nice to know that.
As for places, I must say the Amalfi Coast is beyond spectacular. While staying in Pompei for the weekend, we spent the day in Sorrento. We started off with a double decker bus ride, something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember. It took us through Sorrento and the hills in the nearby towns. I'm definitely spending a weekend there next year! It was gorgeous.
Rome had some beautiful monuments and locations. But the city was a bit too big for me. We saw this amazing place. It was a crypt with the remains of friars of the cemetery of the Franciscan
Capuchin Friars. Below the church, there is a small area with several rooms. Inside of the rooms there are, well, monuments (it's hard to find the right word) that are elaborate displays of the friars' bones into designs or images. We couldn't take photos, but here's a
link (click on the crypt link at the top) with a few. It was very moving. It's creepy because there are so many bones and a few mummified friars, but also a touching display. That was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. It's difficult to tell on that link, but everything you see on those photos is bone.
We also saw the Colosseum, Roman Forum (my fave!!) and Trevi Fountain. A highlight of our two half-days in Rome was definitely the Hard Rock Cafe on our last day. We'd been eating Italian food for five weeks, and I didn't like much of the food (northern Italian food is what most people think of when they drool over Italian food, southern is different...). I'm also finicky and weird, I'll admit it.
I've changed my pronunciations of some things too. People keep correcting me, haha! Like in Italy, bruschetta isn't pronounced brew-shet-ta. It's brew-sket-ta. And the island of Capri isn't ca-pree. It's cap-ree. And focaccia is pronounced with hard c's. Fo-cach-a. Then the whole biscuit vs. cookie thing. And chips, crisps, fries debacle.
Mmm bruschetta. I've made it three times since I got home. Mmmmm. I'll have to bring some to the meeting! Hope y'all don't mind a little garlic ;)
5 comments:
Lisa -- I went to the web site and all I can say is -- well, wow. I had no idea. It's a little creepy.
Your pictures are wonderful. I'm so glad you made friends that way!!! It looks as though you had a wonderful time and the towns, cities and scenery are all amazing. I'm also glad you discovered more about what it is you like about archaeological digs. Good to know! I vote yes on the garlic, btw.
Okay as for your dilemma, I vote on the side of finishing the book you are working on. The desire you have to start the new book may be the very catalyst you need. It will require discipline, in and of itself a good thing when it comes to writing, but it sounds to me as though you need to know you can finish a book. That knowledge will help you when it comes to the next book (the one emitting that Italian siren song right now) and when inevitably you hit the middle of that book and it seems to lose its charms, you'll know it's worthwhile to keep going.
The reward of finishing a book is the take away knowledge that most books have stages. There's the exciting beginning, the first flush of love, the I-can't-wait-to-see-him-again feeling. Then there's the getting to know you stage, then the I'm-so-comfortable-with-him stage and so on and so on. Eventually, you get to the if-I-hear-that-same-lame-joke-one-more-time-I'll-kill-him phase and at that very point it is oh so easy to walk away and start something new with someone else. But if you stick it through, then the relationship (the book) begins to mature and re-ignite and all of a sudden the silly romantic metaphors are gone because you are reaching the climax of the story and for better or worse, you have told the entire thing without quitting.
And that's why I hope you finish your WIP so that when you start the next book, you will not only know you can do it, you will expect yourself to do it.
In hopes that makes some kind of sense....
That Capuchin Friar tomb squicks me out. But I love it! Talk about story fodder for the macabre brain. Bwahahaha...
What a fabulous trip you had, Lisa. And you get to go again next year! How wonderful. I'm adopted, but my adoptive family are all Italian, so I'm used to all the Italian dishes, north and south. Love both! And man, do Italians love to eat. At least my family did.
I agree with Alice regarding getting that first book completed before starting a new one. You said this is the farthest you've ever come to completing a book, so why not go all the way? I know how you feel, though, when that new book comes knocking on your brain-door. I've got two of them playing tug-of-war for my attention and it's driving me nuts; one is the sequel to the book on submission, the other a first book in a new series. So I sympathize.
Can you just jot down some notes on the new book to get it to stop driving you crazy?
Lisa, Welcome back! Those are great pics and looks like some wonderful new friends. My cousin's daughter spent a college term in Italy and loved it! She kept a blog running while she was there with some great photos. And my SIL and her husband rented Harleys last year and traveled around Europe. They enjoyed Italy and have some great photos. Between their trips and yours I'm really wanting to go there and I've never really been an Italy fannatic! LOL
As for the book. You need to finish . It is something every writer has to do to solidify in their mind that you can do it. And like Karen says, while finishing the first one jot down ideas and scenes for the second one, but don't let it take over. Finish the one you're on. And I've found the longer I let a book 'percolate' the faster it is to write because I know the story and characters much better when I start.
Hey, Lisa!
Loved your post! It's like traveling in Italy with you. Your enthusiasm and love for the whole adventure shines so bright!
As for whether to write the new book idea or finish the old one, I'm going to offer my usual advice: "Listen to your gut instinct, grasshopper." However, you might list the pros and cons of finishing one vs. starting another and your motives for doing one or the other.
You may want to break an old pattern of not finishing a book. However, were those books that totally captured your heart and soul as this new one seems to? Were you trying to force yourself to write something just to write? Or did you feel that same magic when you started them as you do with the new one?
If you felt that same magic and it waned (as Alice so beautifully captured that falling in love cycle), then perhaps finishing the current WIP is best.
However, if you've never felt quite the same way about a book as the one that's bouncing around in your head -- that this is THE ONE -- perhaps you should start on the new one and set specific goals to really finish it. Perhaps join in a book in a month online group or book in a week or whatever works for you so that you truly feel accountable for finishing the book.
Like others have said, definitely take notes about this new idea so that when you sit down to write it, you recapture the magic that is so obvious in your post. To add to Alice's analogy, maybe you've only been dating other books, but the new one is THE ONE you want to marry. Of course, then you'll have to have offspring when your book is a mega-bestselling novel and all your fans are clamoring for an encore!
Whatever your choice, you might consider joining a book in a week/month group if that's a motivator for you. In the end, the choice is yours: "Follow your gut instinct, grasshopper!" LOL!
Alice, I agree. I think finishing it is of top priority. I need to know I can do it. I lose interest by a certain point, like many new writers. With this one I did minimal plotting, hoping that I wouldn't get tired of the story by knowing what happened. Personally, I think I don't finish books because I don't want to have to edit them ;) I loathe editing. Thank you for your advice, I've taken it to heart.
Karen, ooooh! You must have some yummy family get-togethers! Good luck with your internal tug-of-war! I've been jotting a few things down and it's been helping :) Thank goodness!
Paty, Harley's around Europe!! Awesome!!! I wanted to rent a scooter sooooo badly, but I was too scared. Next year I'm going to tool around on a pink one! I think you're right on the letting it sit. I hope that it works because I have a tendency to start with the plot and think of characters later. Which doesn't seem to work too well lol.
Genene, haha grasshopper! Love it! I had strong feelings about my current WIP when I began working on it. I didn't necessarily think it would sell, but I got the gut feeling that it would be a book that would definitely help me to become a better writer. I need to finish it for that reason alone. I haven't had that "the one" instinct about an idea yet. But as I write more books I'm hoping I'll be able to distinguish those feelings.
Thank you all so much for your advice!
I have to say that the idea for the new book came up in a funny way. It was just a couple of days left of the trip and I was complaining that I hadn't had my "Italy story idea" yet. Then one of the girls jokingly says "you should write a story about an archaeologist excavating her long-lost love from another life's bones." I proceeded to call her a genius as my mind started altering the idea into something more romantic and less creepy. Haha! She didn't know what to do.
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