I know of writers who have every scene laid out before they ever start working on a novel—they’re called Plotters. Then there are others who fly completely by the seat of their pants. I bet you can guess what they’re called. Just in case you don’t get it (or just don’t want to play the game), let me tell you—Pantsers. I fall somewhere between the two. I need to at least have the critical scenes plotted out, and the rest is up for grabs.
Writing a novel is a process that starts in my head weeks before I do anything tangible. I get my best ideas while laying wide awake in the middle of the night or outside working in the yard. Neither of these times are conducive to taking notes. Since my husband could single-handedly keep the developers of Post-It Notes in the green, it drives him nuts that I don’t jotting down every idea. But there’s a reason.
Things change.
The real-life story that inspired Shadow Dancing doesn’t resemble the final product at all. I get an idea, and then God changes it up. Happens every time. If I took notes on every thought that crossed my mind about an upcoming novel, I’d have a million slips of paper all over my office—then I’d be the one financing the Post-It people. Aside from the core marital issue I’d intended for Shadow Dancing, other things changed as well.
I wanted Bekah to eventually start an equine therapy program, but after weeks of research, that got shifted. Because Shelbyville is horse country, I wanted to at least bring horses into the mix. I know enough about them to fill the head of a pin. Fortunately for me, my sister-in-law and best friend has been a horse-girl most of her life. I needed to at least ride a horse. As you can see from the pictures in this post, I did. Do I look nervous? Because I was.
Diane and me
This wasn’t my first time on a horse. About six years ago, Chris and I went on a horseback riding jaunt (four hours that felt like ten) with his good friend and horse expert. We were with experienced riders, so we hit some challenging terrain. I felt pretty good about myself until my horse stepped into a beehive and did a jig that nearly had me flying from my saddle. Ever since then, I’ve been a little hesitant to ride again. So, kudos for me for getting right back up on that horse—even if it took six years!
My sweet husband, Chris!
Another aspect I wanted to bring into this book was farming. There are a lot of hay farmers here, and it just so happens my Sunday School partner’s family has one. Pam invited me over while her husband and son were cutting hay, and I was able to ride in the baler and see how it’s done. It’s not a big part of the story, but I wanted to at least experience a small dose of farming before I put it in the book.
Aside from actually writing the book, research is one of my favorite aspects. When I got it into my head that I wanted to do a prequel for the short story bonus, I spent a couple of days just researching what epic events transpired around the time Bekah’s parents would’ve met. I came across the Waverly train derailment that took me into a rabbit trail of research on trains. Wouldn’t you know it, one of our closest friends just happened to work for the railroad throughout his entire career—and he knew more about that particular derailment than I’d found on the Internet. Only a small portion of that made the story (after all, it’s a short story), but it was so fun to get lost in the past for a time. By the way, that story is called Heart Shadows, and you can receive it as a bonus for preordering Shadow Dancing.
To do so, click the link here, and choose whether you want the ebook (for $2.99) or the paperback for 30% off and free shipping. Heart Shadows is included in the paperback version, but if you choose the ebook version, you need to fill out the form so my publisher can send it to you. Scroll down to the bottom of the webpage and follow the links. Easy peasy!
Comments 2
Love your picture of you and your sister in law, but especially the look on her horse! Needs a caption!! ❤️
Author
It does, I’m sure. What would you suggest?