Doing Time
Where writing meets time travel, and deadlines meet determination
Hey everyone!
Time waits for no writer, and we've certainly been watching the clock! Let us explain...
What We're Doing
Piecing Together the Puzzle
We're deep into "Wolfe's Blood" now, juggling multiple story pieces. There's the original draft Angie wrote, David's notes and questions, and our new story outline. It's about unpacking all of that, cutting and pasting, and trying to make it all work without sacrificing the moments that make the writing special.
Every morning, we meet virtually—David focused on the screen while Angie makes breakfast in the background, discussing changes and solving story problems between sips of coffee. It's become our routine, this daily dance of building and rebuilding the story.
Time Travelers
The timeline has become one of our biggest challenges. We've had to dig through our previous books, hunting for every clue and stated detail to nail down our timeline. Because our books follow each other so tightly, all those past mentions of dates and events have locked us into a specific moment in time. With our writing delays and how closely the stories connect, we're essentially creating historical fiction!
Since we haven't written these characters in a while, and their stories are so closely connected, we've had to remember how and why they act certain ways. Sometimes we're even figuring out how characters we know would have acted years before we first met them. Some of this comes easily—when we go back and read our old books, we slip right back into their world. But other aspects have been more challenging, requiring extra time and work to get just right.
Looking Ahead
We aim to finish the first draft by July, but there's no guarantee. Some chapters come together quickly—we've been averaging a chapter a day—but others need more time.
Recently, we spent almost 10 days working on a single chapter, wrestling with all the elements: figuring out the scene, the characters' intentions, what information readers needed, and getting everyone's voice right. The story and characters swung back and forth as we tried to get their motivations down, especially when explaining years of backstory without it reading like an exposition dump.
The challenges are real, but we're staying consistent with our schedule and plan, ready for wherever the story takes us next. And if January's pace is any indication, 2025 will be gone in a blink!
Until next time, happy reading!
Angie & David
P.S. Time flies when you're plotting fun!