Bitter Secrets Flashbacks
First of all, I wanted to let you guys know I'm doing an Easter Sale on Bitter Heat so share away in groups or your pages! Sale lasts from April 2 - 5!
Ebook:Amazon, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, Nook, Vivlio
Flashbacks
This week, I've been working on flashbacks for Bitter Secrets. Initially, I was rushing through the book, just trying to finish it, so I only had time to write one flashback. Now that I have more breathing room, I've been digging a bit and uncovered some really interesting scenes that I think the readers will appreciate. I wrote 10 pages longhand the other day as dialogue, setting, and other things started surfacing. When I wrote Bitter Heat, I had an idea of how they met and the progression of their relationship--just enough to write that book. I knew that in Bitter Secrets I would find out more. And I have. I learn about their history like the reader, through dialogue. In book one, they didn't discuss it much because everything happened so rapidly, but in Bitter Secrets, Jasmine can't help but look back, not only to search for clues about what Maximus had on Roth, but to discover if what she had with him was genuine or calculated from the start.
I asked my patrons what flashbacks they would like to see. If they aren't shown in the books, I may do the most popular one as a bonus scene or something in future. I think I'm going to include 2 or 3 flashbacks for Roth and Jasmine that lays the foundation of their relationship and shows their progression as a couple in a long distance relationship. I have to say, it's bizarre writing Jasmine in the present who sees Roth as this merciless asshole and then traveling back six or seven years to a time when she loved him more than life. It's jarring, heartbreaking, and fascinating. These flashbacks are definitely going to send some readers for a loop. It did for me.
He didn't nod or smile as she rambled, he just watched her with an intensity that made her feel anxious and excited. She wasn't sure why. There was a strange flutter in her belly, the same sensation she had during lift off. Even though she knew she was talking nonsense, she couldn't stop. It was only when his mouth twitched in amusement that she found the strength to rein herself in. She pinched her thigh as she stumbled to an awkward halt. To cover her embarrassment, she gave him a bright smile and waited.
He didn't try to fill the silence with inane small talk. He didn't do anything, he just watched her with an expression she couldn't interpret. As the moment stretched, her cheeks flushed. She hoped they weren't as bright as they felt. She was dimly aware of the music and voices around them, but she couldn't tear her eyes from his. Her palms dampened with sweat and her heart thudded in her ears. She had the simultaneous urge to turn around and walk away or move closer to see if his eyes really were liquid black with no hint of brown.
Draft of Bitter Secrets © 2021 Mia Knight
If you want me to spam the fuck out of you about this book, join my Patreon. We just did our first Q & A and it was a blast! It was supposed to be an hour, but it went on for almost 3! I honestly thought I was going to be talking to myself, but a bunch of people showed! I can't wait for this month's chat.
For Patreon, you can come and go as you please or strategically choose which months you want to be there based on which stage of my writing or publishing process I'm in. Right now I'm still in the first draft stage. The Bigger Baddie and Super Baddie tiers will get to read my revised version of Bitter Secrets while the book is with the editor so they will have access before the general public (this is similar to what I did with part one of book 5 in the Crime Lord Series). Before the end of the month, I let the patrons know which stage I'm in and give an updated calendar so they can choose what they want to do the following month.
These are the steps to publishing Bitter Secrets:
Complete first draft
Let story marinate (2 weeks where I try to mentally distance myself as much as possible so when I come back, the story is fresh)
Revise/edit
Ship off to editor
Final polish
Publish
My goal is to finish the first draft of Bitter Secrets this month and then revise and edit in May. After that, the manuscript will be sent off to my editor. My tentative release date is late June. I post weekly so I will mention if I go over my projected dates and when I've switched to the next stage in case you're interested in getting early access.
Question of the Week
One of my patrons, Michelle, asked this question: How do you get into the head space for writing? Especially when it’s old stories that you started but never finished.
That is quite the question since I have close to two dozen unfinished stories. Maybe I'm strange because I'm excited to write every single one. When I write something, I usually write a beginning (an intro for the character and their world) and then I write highlights of the story. This could be the initial meeting between the main characters and then snippets of the progression of their relationship--climax, maybe some sex scenes to show their chemistry and sometimes the decline of that relationship as well. When I come back years later, the framework is already there, so it's not that hard for me to fill in the gaps. I also write an outline so I have a guide. I usually mention what inspired me whether that was a YouTube video, book, movie, or song. Usually, by listening/watching or just reading what I've already written, I get the vibe and can fall back into that story. A story usually begins on a burst of inspiration so when I come back to it, there's usually a spark of something still there, enough for me to get started.
As for getting into the headspace on a daily basis, you just have to write even though you don't want to. Write nonsense. A lot of times, writing feels like a waste of time because what you've written isn't any good, but I see it all as practice. Every book I write is practice and I do rewrites to improve it and hope I get better as I continue. Read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield where he talks about daily writing and the resistance that will never go away. I found this book really inspirational.
I hope this helped!