I debated what to call this blog post, then decided New Beginning was the way to go. Last week I revisited a series I’d wanted to write for several years, opened a new word doc, set it up and started writing.

But what of my other current WIPs?

Lou Sylvre and I have finished the first draft of our Scottish historical fantasy, The Harp and the Sea and are now editing, and heading toward second draft. I must admit I got sniffly when I was reading the epilogue, especially after everything our lads have gone through to get there.

Forgotten in Fire is sitting at 58K, which by my reckoning is well over half way, if not a little more, through the story.

However, as there might be a chance to pitch another story/series in August, I’d told myself I’d put my dragons on pause come March, and aim to write at least the first 100 pages of what has recently been renamed as Kiwi Psi. Thanks, Naomi Aoki for the title! I’ve been hunting for a title for that one ever since the bunny hopped into my brain and refused to leave. Naomi also suggested an alternative title of Rosebound for the first story which is growing on me, so I’ll see how a feel once A Wind of Roses which is its current working title, is finished.

I dug out my typewritten notes with the idea of adding in all the handwritten notes and brainstorming I’d done with one of my beta readers when she’d come to stay last year. Eight pages later I had a series outline, which was quite a bit longer than I’d intended, and included an extra book in an already outlined three book—with potential for ongoing—series.

Not sure how that happened, but I blame the characters. They’ve been waiting their turn for literally years, and now they’re ‘it’ they’re going for it.

The photo is of the cable car in Wellington. It runs from Kelburn to the city with stops in between including Victoria University, so this is a common view for the characters in A Wind of Roses.

As an amusing side note, and to show how long it was since I’d originally outlined this series… A good friend I met last year, when she started work at the library, and I swapped cat stories at the time and I thought one of her cat names sounded very familiar. It was the cat’s name in the first story A Wind of Roses. I checked with her before using it, and she’s quite chuffed that her Catsby has a role in the story.

With the cat all sorted—it’s important to line up essential characters after all—I pulled up a new shiny word doc and headed it up with the title. I always have mixed emotions when I start a new story. On one hand I’m excited to tell the story, but there’s always a moment’s panic of wondering things like “how is this story going to be long enough” and “what if it sucks” and all the self-doubt stuff we writers excel at. I think of it as performance nerves, and I’ve always been a firm believer that if you go on stage without those, you’re setting yourself up for a fall.

But, as the first chapter of A Wind of Roses introduced two characters who weren’t in the outline and will tie the series together, and added an extra degree of tension, I have a feeling it’s going to be fine… I hope.

Although of course they’ll have to work hard for their happy ending. A writer has to have some fun with the story, right?