I like formulas. I like them in math and I like them in writing...not exactly as a plot device, but structurally, I like them. For instance, in the Raina Kirkland series every book is 40 chapters. Some have prologues and some have epilogues, but they all have a solid 40 chapters. All Raina Kirkland novels take place in exactly 7 days. And, all Raina Kirkland novels have two word titles, word one means death or mortality, and word two describes Raina in some way; what she's doing or what's happening to her.
Fatal Retribution (Raina is getting revenge...and so is Adia in a way)
Mortal Sentry (Raina is guarding Katie, Nick and many others)
Grave Omen (Raina is overwhelmed by drama and tragedy, so much so that she's missing the obvious and ominous)
Deadly Encounters (Raina is literally encountering tons of death! Living dead, millions of people die, her loved ones die and she is also technically dead)
Then we have the last book in the 5 book series, Toxic...one word? I've been having such a hard time writing this book. Party because it's the last of the Raina Kirkland novels and finishing it is saying goodbye. Having been sickly pregnant most of last year put a damper on things as well...and now, I have a new born and toddler to look after, a house to refinance and then hopefully sell in order to get my daughter into a better school before she turns 5 years old...but maybe it's the title of the book too.
When I get writer's block it's always because I'm doing something wrong. I just have to figure it out. Maybe the title is distracting me...IDK. Sometimes I feel like writers are as superstitious as baseball players. We wear certain clothes, listen to certain music, drink certain drinks, because we're sure as heck that these things help our creativity. For me it's having a certain formula to things. I aim for 40 chapters, I make sure the book has 7 days in it, and the title...up until now, always had two words... It was Toxic Bliss at first, but I've never been a great fan of the word Bliss...sounds too much like Piss or Miss...And now Toxic is starting to sound off. The final book is about war, war between mankind and war between gods, and war between mankind and gods...it's about compassion and hate, death and rebirth, and Raina is in the middle of all that. She's trying to find herself, because knowing herself, is knowing how to defeat her enemy.
Eternal War...
Hostile Host...
Corporal Combat...
Impious Purpose...
...The struggle continues...
Fatal Retribution (Raina is getting revenge...and so is Adia in a way)
Mortal Sentry (Raina is guarding Katie, Nick and many others)
Grave Omen (Raina is overwhelmed by drama and tragedy, so much so that she's missing the obvious and ominous)
Deadly Encounters (Raina is literally encountering tons of death! Living dead, millions of people die, her loved ones die and she is also technically dead)
Then we have the last book in the 5 book series, Toxic...one word? I've been having such a hard time writing this book. Party because it's the last of the Raina Kirkland novels and finishing it is saying goodbye. Having been sickly pregnant most of last year put a damper on things as well...and now, I have a new born and toddler to look after, a house to refinance and then hopefully sell in order to get my daughter into a better school before she turns 5 years old...but maybe it's the title of the book too.
When I get writer's block it's always because I'm doing something wrong. I just have to figure it out. Maybe the title is distracting me...IDK. Sometimes I feel like writers are as superstitious as baseball players. We wear certain clothes, listen to certain music, drink certain drinks, because we're sure as heck that these things help our creativity. For me it's having a certain formula to things. I aim for 40 chapters, I make sure the book has 7 days in it, and the title...up until now, always had two words... It was Toxic Bliss at first, but I've never been a great fan of the word Bliss...sounds too much like Piss or Miss...And now Toxic is starting to sound off. The final book is about war, war between mankind and war between gods, and war between mankind and gods...it's about compassion and hate, death and rebirth, and Raina is in the middle of all that. She's trying to find herself, because knowing herself, is knowing how to defeat her enemy.
Eternal War...
Hostile Host...
Corporal Combat...
Impious Purpose...
...The struggle continues...
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