I know, y’all just had an update not too long ago. Thing is, things are getting good. They’re getting done. They’re getting, well, you know. Out there.
So, earlier today I had a tiny emo moment on the FB NOLA Swarm Group page. It went something like this:
“Feeling a bit stressed as I sit to write today. Wrenched my back earlier which makes sitting . . . or standing . . . or walking . . . or breathing . . . uncomfortable. It’s the third time in a month this has happened, so I know today isn’t debilitating. But it surely is distracting.
I’ve been taking my mind off things by watching my NOLA-based shows: Nightwatch, NCIS, Double Jeopardy, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. (Big surprise on that last one, right?). I’ve been thinking about my proposal and the compare/contrast section. Been thinking about my new day job and the budget and traveling to see family and friends next year.
Does it even make sense to anyone-ANYONE-that right now I want to box NOLA up and tuck it into a dark corner of the farthest away closet I can find?
What if it’s not as good as I think it is? What if I didn’t just miss the mark, but missed the entire target? What if the end doesn’t justify the means?
What if all this soul bleeding means nothing in the end except over five years of wasted time and attention and energy?
So I hope you understand when I say as wonderful as this is, being so close to finished, today I just want to crawl back into bed and cry. Getting ready to say goodbye to my baby is so hard.
But here’s the thing about writing: I can’t *not* do it. I can’t have NOLA sit around, going nowhere. Do I want it to stop? No. But there’s another journey for NOLA when the first draft is done. I call it the firefly aspect. It’s where I let my little larvae grow wings and glow its way to my alpha readers, my editor, and my agent; then, hopefully, into the hearts of others like you and so many more.
And then I’ll talk all y’all with me to CENTRAL, where you’ll meet Nick and Serenity. And then to KEYS with Anastasia and Littleman. And then FLINT, and HI, and PORT, and STRIP, and TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES. And more.
But know this: no matter how much I write, how many cities are in this series, NOLA will always be my first, and greatest love.
And, I hope, yours too.
I love you all for being on this journey with me and keeping me grounded.
With much adoration and appreciation,
~Molly Jo”
But after that, I hunkered down, said a few prayers, and started. I took my little Post-It notes, my little scraps of paper, and I processed. Every. Single. One.
And I closed out the day with 2,131 new words. I have less than 8,000 to go to my desired word goal. And I have a plan.
In addition to writing end material, I’ve been adding clues throughout. Hints of this and that. Why does this character do these things? If it’s important, they need to do it often. If not, they need to do it less. What about the weather? Yes, I’m from California. The desert, no less. But really. If you’re reading a book set in New Orleans, how often can I mention the humidity before y’all are rolling your eyes and saying, “Okay, we get it!”?
And I’m keeping notes. On the manuscript. On paper. Because I’m also writing what comes next. I can’t wait to write those two words when it’s finished. Nope, I’m not even gonna write them here. Because when I’m ready, like really ready, I want them to be authentic. Official. Not practiced, not sampled, not automatic.
Those two final words at the end of the first draft . . . They’re coming, my friend.
Stay tuned.
Oh, and here’s a new meme to get all y’all’s attention.
So, my girl Paige and I have been coming up with some great, and I mean great class ideas, on the chance we win the lotto and get to open our much-dreamed-about writers’ cafe. Or more likely, work our tails off and earn it. Oh, you don’t know about that? Well, we have plans. And SuperGirl‘s our baker. But all that’s for another post.
One of the class topics I threw out was my love for animal symbolism. I mean, all y’all already know my affinity for bees and frogs and zebras, am I right? Hulloh, annoyingteasingnoticing everyone with my Bee pen at Blue Ridge two years ago? Priceless. And the Dazzling Zebra theme on social media? It’s just fun.
So now I’d like to introduce you to the newest member of the New Inklings Press Media Menagerie. Ladies and Gentlemen (and lions and tigers and bears), I give you Bruce Allen.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Meet Bruce Allen
Bruce has been around for a while. As long as Nippers, actually. I’m a bear collector. For realz. I mean, how could I not be? My dad had to kill a bear to survive when I was a baby. It was in all the papers. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t all that dramatic, but I grew up with this story. He really did shoot a bear. And now the rug is in my cedar chest. [Read: The Bear Rug ~ A Heritage Story.] I still have the teddy bear my mom gave me for Christmas when I was nine months old. So, yup. I’ve been collecting bears since I was born. At last count, I have over a hundred, although most are in storage.
Thankfully, Bruce Allen (B.A. for short) stayed in the house. And he’s turned into a growly great reminder:
He reminds me that it’s okay to forage my way through the forest.
He reminds me that even when I’m not exactly sure what’s coming next, I just need to know whatever I need will be there.
He reminds me to slow down when I need to, give the body a rest.
He also reminds me it’s okay to bare my soul, to expose those vulnerable parts of me or my characters, that my audience can connect with.
And he reminds me to not be afraid to make some noise.
I mean, people and bears. Not always a good mix. Am I right? But B.A., he’s adorbs. Who doesn’t want his cute little mug around saying, “Go for it!”
And here’s another thing. Remember the A-Team? I’m talking the original TV series created by Stephen J. Cannell, (although the movie was pretty decent, too) and the character B.A. Baracas. Now there was a bear of a guy, but at heart, really just a teddy. Yeah. That’s another reason my bear is named B.A. [read: Why I Write. Every Day.] When I was a nobody, Stephen took my inquiry and made it something. He reached out, and through example on social media, helped me gain courage to claim the title Writer. He networked with me before I knew what networking was, and I was lucky enough to meet and talk with him a few months before he passed.
Frankly, My Dear . . .: Meeting Stephen J Cannell
That was really a foraging moment for me. I knew what I wanted and needed, and I found a way to get there and make it happen. He was the first famous person to call me “Molly Jo”. #suchatreasure
So here’s a little video advice from Stephen to every aspiring writer:
And here’s a little more advice from Bruce Allen: Take the word “aspiring” out of your vocabulary. As soon as you’ve put pen to paper or finger to keys, you are a writer. What you do with it, well that’s your journey through the forest.
My question to you is, what does your foraging look like?
After a broken engagement and the death of her beloved uncle, Penny escapes her nightmares by flying into New Orleans. She finds herself struggling to embrace a new future. Does that mean letting go of her past? What about her new friends ~ the ones accused of murder? In search of something she can’t identify, she discovers things aren’t always as they seem. Somewhere between the French Quarter and the bayous, she finds the answers she’s looking for . . .
And some she’s not.
Now she must uncover the truth between the lies.
New Orleans turns 300 next year. And I may or may not be planning a trip a la book signing.
Josie’s world is almost ready for you. In a few weeks, I’ll have the first draft of NOLA sent off to alpha readers, my editors, and a potential agent or two. Talk about exciting. Of course, I don’t know that the book will be published in time for the NOLA Anniversary, but do you honestly think that will stop me from going? Please, Sugar. That’s like saying tea shouldn’t have, well, sugar.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Laissez les bon temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!)
It’s so great, y’all, that my accent is kicking in at the day job. Yup, that’s right. I was drinking sweet tea and calling them “y’all”, and ~ get this! ~ no one flinched. I mean, it’s like they heard me when I told them I was a creative.
It’s pretty fabulous.
This week I hit a milestone. I reached 79,000 words on the manuscript. Can you imagine? Seventy-nine-thousand. By the time you read this, I may even be over eighty. Them’s a whole lotta words, let me tell you. I can see the finish line. I’m dreaming up marketing. (You’ll help me spread the word, won’tcha?) And I’m feelin’ a little bittersweet. Because once NOLA is written, this relationship I’ve had with these characters for the better part of five years is going to change.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : NOLA research
So I thought I’d take today to look back and embrace the changes.
NOLA was originally going to be a short story about a young woman named Nola who had certain supernatural abilities. The more I toyed with the idea, the more I realized my subconscious had already turned the Crescent City into a character, and it couldn’t possibly be a short story. NOLA, the novel, was born.
The main character was renamed Penny Jo Embers. My original plot had her destitute and using all her savings to run away to New Orleans and buy a haunted typewriter. She was going to rent a room in an old house and tell her story. In my mind, it was a very black and white story. She also used a camera to document everything. But it soon became tedious for her to use both a typewriter and a camera. And, like I said, it was very black and white. I had the suspense, except I didn’t know what the suspense story was. So the camera, the haunting, the old house, they all went bye-bye. And Josie went through about eight dynamic changes before I found her story that stuck.
About this time, my friend Lisa told me about a woman in New Orleans who was selling cookbooks she had curated from family recipes. Since I had done the same, I reached out to this woman to see about ordering one of hers. That was the start of a very wonderful friendship with Ms. New Orleans 2014, Lindsay Reine.
Frankly, My Dear . . . Lindsay Reine’s Cookbook
In the last three years, Lindsay has become my technical advisor, and at times, spiritual. She has always been available by email, phone call, Facebook, or text to let me know if something works or doesn’t work. And in true New Orleans fashion, she’s often answered my questions before I ask them. You’ll definitely find Lindsay’s influence throughout NOLA. We’re pretty much the real-life equivalents of Josie and Toni.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Toni (#NOLA)
Y’all have seen the bits and pieces I’ve thrown out. And y’all aren’t stupid. I mean, it’s New Orleans, and I’m writing a mystery. There’s Voodoo, dysfunction, Rougarous, drinking, crime . . .
Frankly, My Dear . . . Truth is Relative (#NOLA)
But there’s also friendship and . . . Well I can’t tell you what else because I don’t want to ruin it. Just know that as far as my NOLA research goes, Lindsay has been invaluable.
Now, the characters. Whew. Where to start? Well, I wanted the story to be Josie’s, and it is. But it’s also the story of her new friends Toni, Rain, and Rain’s older brother, Lou. There’s a cousin who’s also a cop. And a few other secondary peeps in the show. And by secondary, I don’t mean less important.
If you’ve followed me on Instagram, Twitter, or joined my NOLA Swarm on Facebook, you’ve no doubt seen some of the memes I’ve created. That’s a thrill, a joy, I get when I’m able to share parts of the book with you.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : The Mississippi River calls (#NOLA)
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Momma Tristan (#NOLA)
Music is also super important. Rain plays melancholy Jazz on the piano when he’s trying to figure things out. Josie still listens to the Strumbellas and Sideshow. Of course, everyone loves Sinatra. And, since the story takes place in October, there’s the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival.
Visit New Orleans will also get a huge shout out of thanks in the acknowledgements but they deserve it here, too. From the very beginning, they have kept the conversation going with helpful links, plenty of information, and just all around support. NOLA wouldn’t be NOLA without NOLA. Bonus: they follow me on Twitter. How stupidcrazyawesomehumbling is that?!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Visit New Orleans
Have I forgotten anything? I think so! Can we take a minute and talk about the food? Hulloh, this is New Orleans! At every corner Josie’s discovering debris and muffaletta and maque choux and chicory and coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde (no surprise there, folks!) and bananas foster and po’boys at Johnny’s and Hurricanes and so much more. [Note to self: Finish curating recipes for the NOLA Companion Cookbook.]
Frankly, My Dear . . . : No Blackened Salmon (#NOLA)
But I’m at a place now where I have to keep my mouth shut and write the ending. Which means ain’t nobody getting any new memes for a while. Well, at least not too many.
NOLA, like New Orleans, is rich with character, setting, ambiance, failures, successes, fear, love, hate, denial, acceptance, monsters. But there’s plenty of good times, too. And so much more.
Truth be told, the main character of NOLA is New Orleans itself.
Frankly, My Dear . . .: Nippers, Bruno, and Molly Jo Realy
I worked on NOLA this weekend. Like, a lot. Of course, along with writing comes being creative in other ways. Like creating this cover for my Facebook Group:
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Excerpt from NOLA by Molly Jo Realy (work in progress)
And that got me thinking about the other memes and designs I’ve created. So I wanted to let y’all know the monthly PDF is now available at MollyJoRealy.com. This month I designed a fun inspirational wallpaper for your computer or mobile device. Feel free to download and share! (Sorry, no NOLA memes yet. Be patient!)
I also put up a sub-link so y’all can do the same with all the Frankly, On Faith memes. Yup, they’re now available as a PDF download or computer wallpaper.
Keep an eye on the libraries throughout the month as new PDFs may be added through individual posts.
I mean, it’s autumn, right? Oh, shush. I got my Pumpkin Spice Latte. That makes it autumn in my book!
I’m thinking soup recipes, autumn pics, just a whole lotta leafy fun.
Anyway, it’s late and there’s a thing happening in New Orleans I need to finish writing.
So, with a lot of wallpaper and a waiting protagonist,
Happy Everything,
~Molly Jo
Firsts in Fiction co-hosts Aaron and Al Gansky, and their photobombing producer (that would be me.)
So this was us a year and a half ago [has it really been that long?!] at Blue Ridge. They’re celebrating awards and I’m celebrating the fact I could jump in high heels.
Ahh, good times.
So, next week we’re doing a slightly different podcast, which y’all may have surmised from the title of this post.
Everything you wanted to know about writing but were afraid to ask.
This is where you come in. As with any creative endeavor, we want to do it right. And while the hosts and moi have our ideas and questions to ask each other, we know it’s you, the audience, whom we do this for. So leave your questions in the comments, and we’ll see if we can add them to the mix.
