Playing Writer Catch-up: starting a series from the beginning

A friend posted a blog today about a book series by author Kate Wilhelm that she recently found. Which got me to thinking about authors that have made it onto my reading list simply because they write a series. Janet Evanovich is the first that comes to mind. There is also Nelson DeMille  and his John Corey series: Debbie Macomber writes about the residents of Cedar Cove, WA.; Catherine Coulter writes both a contemporary FBI series as well as a historical set, and Suzanne Brockmann pays tribute to the Navy with her Seal Team Sixteen and Troubleshooters, Inc series.

I could go on and on and on. I just started a new series this Memorial Day weekend after finding a bag of books I had picked up at my town library's annual book sale a few years ago. Since I switched to a Kindle two years ago, I've hardly ever hold an actual book in my hand, but I was cleaning out my closet and found this bag. Not only did I fortuitously buy the first six books of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, which I look forward to reading since she is ending the series with #8, but I found two books by Lara Adrian, Kiss of Midnight and Kiss of Crimson.

Adrian invites her readers into the world of the Midnight Breed, a race of vampires that are descended from ancient aliens. The main characters of the series are warrior vampires known as The Order who are tasked with eliminating the Rogue vampires who have become addicted to blood and threaten the entire race's secret existence. Each book deals with a member of the Order and how they found their Breedmates, specially marked human females that hold the key to unlock their warrior hearts. 

I enjoy reading a book series because it gives me a chance to really get to know the characters; to see them learn and grow as they overcome obstacles and deal with everyday lift. There are the inside jokes that make me laugh out loud. Sure, one book can have the same things, but a series allows the writer to flesh out the characters and make them realistic.

These are just some of the series that I enjoy. What about you?

Searching for discipline

Blogging scares me. 

There, I've said it. Can I give any rational reasons for my fear? Probably not, but then I've never really thought about it before now.

I think the fear stems from the fact that blogging is such a personal endeavor, almost like writing in a diary, which you share with anyone who happens upon your words. I was never very good at keeping a diary when I was younger. Except in fifth grade, when Mrs. Willman handed out those black and white composition books on the third day of class and informed us that we would be writing in them every week. The kicker was, she would respond to us. It would be like having a pen pal but saving a boatload of money on postage stamps.

I remember the first thing I wrote, an embellished story of my summer vacation spent at my aunt's house. The embellishment: her house was a mansion on the coast with a private beach and a speedboat. The reality: the house was a goldenrod yellow Cape with an in-ground pool and an awesome cabana. My cousin Amanda and I spent so much time in the pool her normally shiny blonde hair turned wicked-witch green. 

My journaling for the rest of the year followed the same routine. I don't know if Mrs. Willman believed everything I wrote, or if she suspected that I wasn't nearly as cool as I wanted her to think and just didn't say anything. I do know that I never journaled again after fifth grade, even though I would create characters and story lines in my head.

Losing the scant discipline that journaling instilled in me has affected me to this day. I have a difficult time getting the stories out of my head. I can tell you, from start to finish, exactly what my story is about, but once I get ten or fifteen pages written, I fizzle.

Then, when I go back to the project, I’m too worked up about what has already been created that I have to perfect it before I can move on. I end up changing things too much that it no longer resembles my original thoughts.

This is my downfall. I get stuck on perfecting each little piece instead of waiting for the whole project to take shape.

I hope that I can use this blog to create some discipline in my writing life. If that discipline wants to help me elsewhere, so be it. But I need to find it and hang on tight.