Saturday 4 July 2015

I'm stalling on my latest book. Rat Run is the third in the trilogy which is Lenny's story - Lenny Dixon being the bad-boy we were introduced to in the first trilogy. I was fascinated by him and wanted to explore him further to find out what makes him tick. It's been a bumpy ride with several surprises along the way, but the end of this story will be the right time to say goodbye. And I'm sad. This isn't fantasy, and I'm not leaving a world behind, but I'm leaving my world - my little fictional bubble I created over 20 years ago when I first heard Michael's story in my head.

Will I go back again? I don't know. Whilst I've written series books, they're not police procedurals and there's no cop with a different case to solve in each book. I enjoy reading them, but that's not how I write. And I refuse to churn out rehashed plots over and over again, so this really is likely to be the last visit I make to this world.

It's funny how we get to know characters as real people, isn't it? Both writing and reading - the people come alive in a good story and you start wondering where they go and what they do when they wander off the page. Or am I just weird?

So nearly 30,000 words into this latest book and I think I've got a plot now. I hope. I just have to talk myself into finishing it. Saying goodbye is hard and I wonder if that's why my subconscious is playing all sorts of games with me and refusing to co-operate.

3 comments:

Misha Gerrick said...

I always stall at the end of any book, even when I will be returning to the world later.

I guess it's because I'm so used to "working" with one set of characters that I don't want to stop.

Maybe you will go back to your characters later, even if you (correctly) refuse to rehash. I just think it's possible that time might bring you some new inspiration.

Debbie Bennett said...

Quite possibly... it has been known to happen! :-)

M. A. McRae said...

It's been a great series. You must be proud of it. And they do get to be real characters. My own Shuki series - well, he died in Book 4, so there'll be no going back. At least I made him about the nicest death I could manage.