Kristin Butcher... has novel ideas

We writers are idea people. As we stumble through life we are continuously having revelations about the things we experience -- big things, little things, odd things, normal things, a sound, a sight, a smell -- there's no predicting what will strike a chord and set our imaginations in motion.

Having ideas is a wondrous thing in itself, but the absolute best part is when you realize that one of those ideas is the seed for a story. Like tumblers in a combination lock, the pieces fall into place in your mind, and a prickle of anticipation and excitement sets you on edge (in a good way). You can't wait to write.

Of course, you have to do lots more thinking first-- planning, plotting (literally), chatting with your characters, and exploring all the possibilities. That's the only way you can really find the story. Your first ideas aren't generally the best ones, nor the ones you end up going with, but they're the ones that lead the way. This is the delicious phase of a story. Anything is possible, and you're positive you are about to pen the best book ever.

Then comes the actual writing. For me, the introductory chapters practically write themselves. Some people have difficulty getting started, but I just jump in. A story can begin a million different ways. I go with the one that's foremost in my mind, and I can honestly say I seldom change it.

Somewhere around 2/3 of the way through the writing I bog down. My goals aren't as clear, my confidence is shaky, and I am tempted to abandon the project. But I have too much time and effort invested, so I plod on and eventually get to the end. Once more I feel the flutter of excitement. I'm done!

Now all I have to do is sell the story. That can take weeks or years -- or never happen. Sometimes I tweak the story between submissions, and sometimes I just pack the manuscript into a new envelope and send it to the next lucky publisher on the list.

When a contract is finally offered, that's when I realize I've been holding my breath for months, waiting to hear that my story has found a home. I can finally relax, and even the rewriting that follows can't dampen my spirits now.

When that's done, and the rest of the book process is in the hands of the publisher, I sink into a sort of daze. I know it will be months before the book is actually printed, and the waiting game begins again. My part is done, and the book becomes an intangible commodity -- it's there, but not really.

Then a day like today arrives, bringing with it the publisher's catalogue of next season's books, and there on page 9 is mine, complete with description, title, cover, ISBN, and the author's name -- that's me, and my stomach gets wiggly and jiggly all over again. This book really is going to happen.