Gaping Plot Holes

Time flies when you’re having fun. Or as I like to say, time’s fun when you’re having flies- that’s what a frog says. It’s been five months since I’ve last checked in. Time really does fly…

Since my last check in, I’ve written another book so give me a break, okay? It’s not like I’ve been lazy! But I had a rude awakening while writing this book. Things were very different this time around the block but I’ll get to that later…

Here’s the run down folks. Last October and November I rough drafted the next installment of Camilla’s story, which I’ve titled, The Bear Gap Rebels. This is the third book in my Camilla Crim series– wahoo!

I banged out that rough draft with fiery fingers! Then December rolled around and I realized that The Bear Gap Rebels was just… terrible. Okay, maybe not terrible. I promise I’m not trying to be self deprecating, but it needed a lot of work. My plot was a disaster. I even struggled to submit portions for critique to my writer’s group because it just was such a mess.

For a few weeks I stressed and wept (not really), and whined about my terrible plot. I had a few GAPING plot holes and I had no idea on how to fix them.

So I had to set it all aside and forget that I was a writer. For the first three weeks of January I forced myself not to open my manuscript. Of course I cheated a couple of times but I basically did no writing.

Finally at the end of January I re-opened my manuscript with great trepidation. It was still a little scary, but I decided just to face it. I realized after a few more days of agonizing, that writing this book was going to be a lot different than writing my last two books. You see, with The Sacrifice of One, I rough drafted it, then sat down and worked out the details of the plot in one sitting. Then I went through and worked on the second draft. I expected to be able to do that same process with The Bear Gap Rebels. But that was a no go.

I wasn’t going to be able to fix these gaping plot holes until I got in there knee deep with the words and waded my way through. So I just started working on the second draft- plot holes still intact.

Eventually I worked my way through and overcame the issues, one agonizing chapter at a time. As of last Sunday night I actually finished my second draft!! Yippee! It was a finish line I wasn’t sure I was going to cross.

I submitted my manuscript to my editor for its first round of edits. It will be a number of weeks until I get it back. Until then, I will have to try and find meaning in my life..

If you’re interested in what the final product of this book is going to look like, check out my sneak peak page for The Bear Gap Rebels which is set to be released this summer!

Hey before you go, I have a special offer for you. From now until March 31^st if you leave a review on Amazon for either The Faintly Beating Heart or The Sacrifice of One, I will give you a free digital copy of the next book in the series.

So what exactly does that mean? If you leave a review on Amazon for The Faintly Beating Heart, I will send you a free digital copy of The Sacrifice of One. If you leave a review on Amazon for The Sacrifice of One, I will send you a free digital copy of The Bear Gap Rebels when it releases later this year.

The rules are, you have to leave the review on Amazon. It has to be done on or before March 31^st and all you have to do is take a screen shot of your review and email it to me at emily@emilyfortney.com and I will send you your free book!