Saturday 6 December 2014

My Wattpad Experiment

This month I find myself gloriously between books. I'm fairly regimented with my writing regime, and now that I'm having to book my editor months in advance, it means I have to stick to my writing plans come hell or high water. The good thing is with this, is that if I finish a project early, it leaves me with a little play time.

So, I'd had an idea for a story for a while now, one I'd written the title for, together with a couple of character profiles, and a brief outline, and then shelved because it wasn't one of my series books and I didn't have time to write it.

Then a couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me a link to an article about Wattpad. I've been a member of Wattpad for several years now, but haven't really used it.

I tend to write my first draft in a big, old, funky mess. I write out of sequence, and I skip scenes that aren't quite working for me at the time, and I leave myself comments in places I need to do research. The result of  this is that I'm able to write a first draft fairly quickly, but when it comes to rewrites and edits, it takes me twice as long and is a real headache.

So I wanted to see if I could write something that would be decent enough for people to read along as I wrote it. I realise this is essentially still a first draft, and edits and rewrites would need to be done before actual publication, but I figured it wouldn't be anywhere near the sort of headache it normally is.
The thing I was worried about was that I would lose my momentum by having to go back through each chapter, and that my pacing would be off. I also worried (and still do) that something will need to happen in the plot line where I would normally go back and fill in the event. I guess that's the trouble with being a pantser instead of a plotter!

I'm now five chapters into my new work, 'Cut Too Deep'.  It's a romantic thriller, with a couple of twists thrown in. Here's the blurb:

Guys like Ryker Russo don't notice girls like Jenna Armstrong.
Constantly on the move, Jenna doesn't want to settle down anywhere. As long as her latest motel room has a television, wi-fi, and a vending machine, she will make do. It isn't just Jenna's curves that make her self conscious. Beneath her clothes she hides a secret, one that she is running from.

But when her car breaks down, leaving her without a mode of transport to get to the next town, mechanic Ryker seems to show an interest in her. With his muscles, tattoos, and piercings, Ryker has trouble literally written all over him. Jenna can't understand why he would want to be seen with a fat girl like her, and besides, she needs to keep moving. Time is running out and she's terrified if she stays in one place, her past will catch up to her.

I hope you'll come and read along on Wattpad. I haven't lost any of my momentum so far, and am posting around a chapter a day! It's great fun, and I'm enjoying feeling motivated and inspired by Jenna and Ryker's story. I can't wait to find out what happens!