My new writing mindset has done wonders for my psyche. I'm enjoying writing again, unlike days when I dreaded it. Writing is rarely easy, and writers who claim they approach each session with breathless anticipation are lying. For me, it was often a matter of not knowing where to go next, yet knowing if I didn't put words to paper (metaphorically) I'd never work my way out of that jam. Also, "bridge" passages were boring, but sometimes had to be written. I'd do my best to liven them up, but they often felt like a necessary evil.
With my new approach, I'm writing whatever strikes my fancy. I have no goal, per se, except to ultimately finish, but when that will be, I don't know and right now I don't care. While there are some elements that have to be included for cohesiveness, those are my least favorite to write. I'm enjoying the new.
If you've been following along, my main character has jumped impulsively into a world she really didn't want, but at the moment she feels it's the only path open to her. This leads to a series of encounters that do not go well. These are tons of fun to write. Everyone around her accepts that this is how their world operates, and she feels like the only one who finds their practices bizarre. While she dutifully goes along with the program, she absolutely hates it.
Granted, as someone involved with music (from a safe distance) I have plenty of biases about the current music industry, but these make for terrific fodder for my story. I've rarely inserted myself into a story, choosing to view it as a separate entity, but if you've got it, why not use it? What little I know about how things actually work in that world comes from watching the TV series, Nashville, and face it, that was a few years back, but I have an overall (hazy) picture, and I'm writing fiction, after all. Probably no one will read it, least of all fact-checkers.
So, my MC is meeting an array of personalities, from songwriting teams to as yet unwritten musicians and other peripheral characters. I loved writing her meeting with the two highly successful writers her label has arranged. The scene is close to perfect. One of the guys is clearly striving to appear avant-garde, when in truth he's just as buttoned down as every other industry shill. All the people she meets won't be sycophants, though. The label has hired a guitarist to accompany her at her local showcase, and I think he'll be world-weary and will most likely offer her a few nuggets of wisdom.
Lots of characters? You bet. I just have to remind myself to keep her tethered (from afar) to her old world, too. She can't just forget about it, but her label is keeping her so busy, she doesn't have time to ruminate much. Which is how she likes it.
I took a big leap in having her actually sign her recording contract. I wasn't sure I wanted her tied down ~ there was always the possibility she'd wise up and run back home. I even researched whether there's a cooling off period for someone to change their mind after signing. Apparently there isn't one. Plus she's on the hook for her advance, and if she bows out, it's a lot of money she'd need to pay back. So, she's committed.
I wouldn't say this story will be "sprawling". I write short, but hopefully meaty. It's not going to turn into a full-length novel. That said, I have no parameters.
For me, the joy of writing is the discovery. I'm pretty cool with what I've discovered so far.
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