If I had thought that the cult of the wannabe was an overblown myth then I’ve learnt to think again. In Southern California you can guarantee that any party of five or more that you find yourself socializing in, at least two or three are in the ‘biz’ or trying to break into it. I’ve met a screenwriter, a theatre production director, a gospel singer, a handful of actors and actresses and a million writers. OK, not a million, but at least a dozen and I’ve only been here three months. The whole vibe is an artistic one and no-one is in awe of you or thinks you are self indulgent. It’s the opposite. You are expected to explore and develop your talent; after all, this is the land of opportunity.
With this kind of nurturing and positive environment you’d think having the amount of time on my hands that I have, my writing would have flourished and I’d have half of my next novel flowing out as I sat at Crystal Cove listening to the waves crash. Wrong. Life just doesn’t work like that. My narrative flow has ground to a shuddering halt. I don’t know whether it’s the newness of everything that I find overwhelming, or the realization that I am a tiny grain of sand on a beach-full of aspiring authors. It has taken time, longer than I thought to find my bearings and allow Newport Beach to get under my skin. I wanted the setting of my latest novel to have an American feel but this couldn’t happen over night. Californian culture takes time to soak up and I still haven’t really gotten into their take on how life is. I’ve only just scratched the surface, which doesn’t make for a scintillating read. Characters need depth, contradictions and secrets that ring true to their environment and this can only be nailed through time and a whole lot of people watching and listening. Thankfully, being an introvert, I’m just the woman for the job.
So, I’m ten thousand words in after three months hard labour but have now pulled in for a pit-stop. But all is not lost. I’ve been studying hard and thrown all my efforts into characterization and plot development. I’m wrestling with my story worthy problem and battering into submission every section’s chapter worthy issue that moves the story forward. This is not easy especially when you have three voices to perfect. To keep my sanity, I’ve read some amazing books on the theory of novel writing and get regular issues of Writer’s Digest which is a fantastic information source for all budding writers. In another positive twist, my overwriting has calmed into the odd burst of over exuberance and my use of similes and description mainly match the tone of the book. Hurray for that.
My hunt for a critique group that matches the quality of the one I left behind, alas, has fallen on stony ground. Californians are protective of their work and sensitive to any kind of criticism, which doesn’t make for the most productive of meetings. So, on I must plod, alone, through this sticky patch until the plot shows itself to me and the strands of my character’s wants somehow mesh and mean something. Thank goodness for Starbucks and Sunshine; my two newest best friends.
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