There were a few places where after getting my notes, my co-creator suggested a whole different approach to a chapter or a completely new chapter.  And she was right – the story needed those things. I was worried two brains working on one story would be messy, but it’s like a improv skit – I said yes to her changes and it triggered ideas of my own – yes, and….!

Weeks went on, and more chapters were added.  We paused at chapter 5 to make sure we were both ok with our current direction and enjoying what we were doing.  It seemed like we fell into a well matched partnership.  My Co-creator asked probing questions to help me flush out the story, she added details to characters that I never would have thought of and absolutely killed the dialogue!  We were off to a great start!

I provided some feedback to chapter 1 and some notes for chapters 2 and 3 and again, later that day, I had a second chapter!  Each one kept getting better.  My co-creator instantly got all of my characters and their motivations.  My initial synopsis had a quick character description, but still, we were completely on the same page (pun intended).

With the premise for my story in the hands of a collaborator, I began putting together some detailed notes for the first few chapters.  I included a scene name, the characters involved, the location, who’s POV it was written in, and to keep our story timeline accurate, the date for the scene.  Then I typed the story in my choppy disjointed writing, with notes in parenthesis.  I included some descriptions and some dialogue but left ‘finding the words’ to my co-creator.  What did I get back later that day?  A first chapter that told my story perfectly!.  I will admit I cried when I reading it.  I was so excited to see my story on paper. 

On facebook of all places is where I found my co-writer! After I read some of her work and decided her voice would work, she asked if I wanted it ghost-written, in otherwords she just writes from my notes, or a collaboration, where she has feedback and ideas too. Seeing as I didn’t know what I was doing, I said Collaborate! Let’s work together. We jumped right in and I sent the premise for my story. Eeeek!

What do to about my inability to write? Well as a 40 something, I turned to the place we all turn. Facebook. I joined some groups for writers and then finally worked up the courage to post a question? Sometimes, did ‘author’s acutally just provide the outline for the books and hirer someone to ghost write for them? And I got a few answers that would surprise you. James Patterson, Tom Clancy, and Danielle Steel all have used ghost writers…interesting maybe I am not out of the game yet.

So with stories in my head and having read 200 plus romance novels, I decided to try writing my own stories down. At first it was just bit and pieces of scenes, then it was characters, then it was whole storylines. But I had a problem – every time I tried to actually put prose down on paper (ok I typed them), I found that it was awkward and stilted and not at all anything I would want to read. So I had a problem – I had stories but no way to express them. I didn’t give up though…

Gather around all and listen to the tale I have to tell you. It’s of a young woman (ok a middle aged woman) who had a career hiccup, leaving her with some extra time to think. She picked up reading again and entered into the Romance World. Growing up she always made up her own little romance stories in her head, usually staring herself and a crush. Suddenly she had stories in her head again.