Has it really been that long since I last posted here?

It’s been a pretty mad time – work and deadlines wise. My presentation for the session I’m doing at Romance Writer’s Conference next month was due on Monday (tick), and I’m working hard to fill in the gaps to get I Want You Back off for structural editing next week (on track). I’m committing to have Book 2 (still as yet untitled) in this mini trilogy ready for a structural look-see by the end of August, and Book 3 by the end of November. I know the things are tight, but because I’m working with the same three characters, over the same time-frame, I think it’s doable.

As for I Want You Back? It’s been a long haul getting this book done – partly because of the chaos of the first three months, but also partly because I just couldn’t hear my character clearly – she’s a Cancer, you see, and I suspect she was just a tad too far inside her shell for much of the time. We’ve gotten to know each other now, and every day she’s showing me more about herself. And yes, I suppose that it is weird talking about my characters as if they are real people, but in a way they are. As an aside, the session I’m delivering for RWA is about knowing your characters through astrology.

Part of the reason I’ve struggled is I’m distracted by some shiny new ideas that I’m refusing to allow myself to work on until these 3 books are out of the picture. Way back when I wrote Baby, It’s You, I had plans for these. What I hadn’t planned on was the idea for Wish You Were Here jumping on in at number 3. In the meantime I’m indulging myself with copious notes.

Behind it all, work in my day job has been pretty full-on. I’d like to say that I’m seeing the light in that particular tunnel, but I have the feeling something else will come along and obscure it again shortly.

In the meantime, I’ve been to my first belly dancing class in almost 10 years. It was really like going to my first belly dancing class ever. Aside from being 10 years older, I’m also 15 kilos heavier – most of which is around my belly.

I was worried that I’d feel like the oldest and the fattest in the room – and I definitely was the fattest – but everything was so comfortable that I very soon forgot all about that.

The idea of going back came to me a month or so ago when I decided that Callie, my protagonist in I Want You Back would begin attending a dance class. I wanted to use the dance as a sort of tracker for her progress, so it had to be something that would bring her out of the shelter she’d erected for herself. But what sort of dance would do it? The answer was simple – the sign of Cancer rules the belly, therefore it had to be belly dancing. I did mention that the session I’m delivering for RWA is about knowing your characters through astrology – didn’t I?

And, if I was sending Callie off to belly dance, there was no excuse for me not to go back too. So I added it to my winter bucket list, found my coin belt and scarf, and off I went. And I had a fabulous time. As did, spoiler alert, Callie.

Have you ever done something because you’d written it into a story? What about doing something because you wanted to write it into a story?