Book 2, Almost Persuaded, now complete and thoughts on writing

One of the true benefits of semi-retirement is mental time. I find that I spend far less time reading and more time writing than I could have imagined. Right now, I have four books in progress and have just completed publishing book number two at www.dwiggie.com, The Derbyshire Writers' Guild. They are such a fun, supportive community. I have appreciated their support and comments as I've been publishing this book.

If you are interested in reading Almost Persuaded, you can find it at http://www.dwiggie.com/derby/shannag2.htm. My name on the site is ShannaG.

When I was a child, I indulged in what is now called Fan Fiction, but not by writing down my stories. Instead, I would read a book, and then create a way for my friends and I to relive or adapt the book into an afternoon of play. Once I was reading regularly, many of the books I read served as a framework for such games. 

The discovery of Fan Fiction has been wonderful for me. For years, I would re-read my favorite books because I enjoyed the characters. Now, with fan fiction, I can revisit the characters in different scenarios. That is even better. Some of the authors at this site are truly great. All are quite creative. I have read so many wonderful stories. A side benefit of this is that I am not spending quite as much money on books as I have in the past. Since our budget this year is limited, that is a wonderful benefit.

Creating the story out of imagination is so satisfying. Sometimes, I start with some general ideas and build from there. Other times, I start with the idea of interesting pairings, usually when I am crating a mash-up of more than one Jane Austen novel. For my non-Austen work, I spend a lot of time day dreaming the story before actually getting it written. I do that with the Austen too, but if I am following her general plot, I do not have to work all of that out at first as I do non-Austen stories.

I now wish I had told my daughter more stories of my own when she was younger. Practice would have been a good thing. However, I am getting that practice now.