The Thrill of the Shiny and New--Rachel Harris

Beginnings rock.

Seriously, my absolute favorite part of this writing gig is the beginning. I mean yeah, typing “The End” is a time for celebration (preferably one involving chocolate), but even though I’m a plotter and know exactly where each story is going, it’s always the ending that causes me the most struggle. It’s as if my brain stops working in the hopes of holding onto these characters just a little longer. Endings make me emotional and sappy and question my decisions…but in the beginning? Nothing but excitement.

The thrill of a clean word document, the bazillion different ways you can present the story and introduce your characters to the world—it’s addictive.

This year, I have four books to write on deadline, on top of the one I just submitted. I’m not gonna lie; that totally stresses me out when I stop and think about it. But then, I look at each story. I imagine the characters in their particular story worlds, living out the plot I created for each synopsis, and that stress transforms into eagerness. When I remember to take it one book at a time, the joy far outweighs any anxiety I have because each one is a chance to begin again. To see if I’ve grown as a writer from my last book. To take an idea that didn’t work in one book and see if it can work in another. To try on different voices, live in different places, experience different eras.

The world of possibility lives inside each new beginning. And for me, exploring those possibilities is what makes me passionate about the written word. And it’s what keeps me sane when those nasty deadline things approach.