Weak knees, shortness of breath, heart pounding, palms sweating, unable to concentrate... Must be love, and I'm falling hard and fast.
As opposed to tall, dark, and handsome, the object of my affection is short, light, and nondescript. It's unpredictable, mysterious, and intriguing; frustrating yet invigorating, peaceful yet thrilling. It's convoluted and clear-eyed, and it's sweeping me off my feet.
So, who's this secret lover who has rocked my world and made me feel like a teenager again? You guessed it. I've fallen in love with my new WIP.
Although my previous paramour - the one AA is reviewing - is YA, my new lover is women's fiction. Older, wiser, more mature, and better in bed.
In order for women's fiction to be captivating, a beguiling heroine is mandatory. It's here I feel I've struck the jackpot. What's so striking about my new leading lady? Her dark hair, brown
eyes, and alluring body, of course, but mostly her mind. She's kind, sarcastic, wounded, frail, funny, and vulnerable. She's on a journey of self-discovery; of redefining who she is and what her life's about. I have a feeling she'll stick it to the characters in her story who've wronged her, and, really, what's more attractive than a powerful, sexy woman beating the crap out of past demons? (I mean, besides Ashton Kutcher with his shirt partially unbuttoned?)
Where was I? Oh, yes. Writing is magical. There's no rhyme or reason to where the ideas come from. When we writers sit down at the computer each day, we have no idea what, if anything, will appear on the intimidating blank page. And, yet, we somehow know if we give ourselves over to the power of our art - and not try to "understand" or "force" it - magic happens.
Right now, for me the magic is one of the greatest in the world: I've fallen in love again. Life imitates art imitates life imitates art...
In the wise words of Lenny Kravitz, "Let love rule."
So, tell me: who/what are you in love with these days? What's your favorite thing about being/falling in love?
