Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Deep In Plotting Mode

Since I don't currently have much promotion to do, my first set of edits are complete for Sweet Redemption and I've finished proofreading Angel of My Dreams, my Civil War anthology story, I decided to immerse myself in the plot of my brand new book.

This story follows the characters of my out of print young adult historical, Under the Guns. It's now five years later, the Civil War is over and my happily ever after couple have split up because the hero, George Masters, feels Cassidy Stuart, the heroine, doesn't deserve to be saddled for life with a loser like him.

So, they both go their own ways--she starts to pursue her dream of being a physician, while he wallows in despair for awhile, then starts a career as a professional gambler in New York City.

My new story is about how the two find their way back to each other and the obstacles that get in their way as they reunite.

It's fun revisiting characters I've lived with while creating the original story. I've completed the basic outline and am now embellishing scene by scene, which will make it easier when I start to write the first draft.

My plan is to start that draft in June and complete it by summer's end. Wish me luck.

Do any of you think about revisiting any of your characters after a story's complete?

5 comments:

Isabel Roman said...

Sounds great, Susan! I look forward to reading it. :)

Nicole McCaffrey said...

All the time, Susan. I still get ideas for my characters or stories that are completed, and every so often I'll pull out one of those old MS I've stuffed in a drawer (because they're so desperately in need of being cleaned up, but who has the time) and look them over, just to sort of revisit those characters.

It's like spending time with old friends.

Susan Macatee said...

Thanks, Isabel! And I agree, Nicole, it is like visiting old friends and it's fascinating to me to see how these characters mature over the course of this second story even though I'm just working on the outline. I can't wait to start the first draft, but I'm going to contain myself until June. Then I'll be off to the races.

L.A. Mitchell said...

The theme of finding the way back to each other is one of my favorites in romances, too. Sounds like you have the seeds of a great story. Good luck with your summer goals :)

Susan Macatee said...

Thanks, L.A.! I loved getting these two characters together the first time around and think it will be a lot of fun doing it all over again.