Revisiting The Backlist (as opposed to the Blacklist)

While I’m proof-listening to the audiobook THE MIRROR, I’m remembering bits and pieces of the story that I DIDN'T write. Backstory that changed along the way. Did Nick get married while he was away? Was Sandra's "first time" with Garth, or did she venture out of town to hook up? I almost feel like I'm reading/listening to the story for the first time.

I don't remember every detail of every story I wrote, which makes it that much stranger when I then remember what was in the first draft that changed as the book progressed. Someone recently read THE MIRROR and told me how much they loved the cat. 

The cat?

After she reminded me, I remembered that I'd borrowed a Breakfast at Tiffany's moment designed to help characterize my hero, Garth. 

After more than twenty books, sometimes it's difficult to remember the details. My imagination has always jumped into random scenes with random people I've made up, even as a kid. I used to envision what it would be like to live somewhere else, be someone else. How do they think? Where do they live? What do they do?

Funny fact: When I was young, I randomly bought myself a kids' drum kit. I had a few extra dollars, and I liked to order from the JC Penney catalog - there was a pick-up location within walking distance from my house. I never learned to play the drums, can't tell you what motivated me to buy a drum kit, but I can tell you I pretended I could play (usually when no one else was home because... drums). I'd sit there, banging away, and imagine stories. Yes, I've always had an overactive imagination. Funny thing, those drums never appeared in any of my stories, not even back then. 

Or maybe the drums did feature in one of those early stories, and I just don't remember. 

The devil's in the details.

Out and About

While I was out and about this week, I visited a pumpkin farm with my little pumpkins. We had a beautiful fall day, and the older girls roamed the field looking for the perfect pumpkin. We also had apple cider donuts and taffy apples and lots of walking in the sunshine. Cute pictures with all the babies and the moms and dads. Wow. MY kids are the moms and dads, now! I always enjoy time with my family, and I love getting outside when the weather is so nice.

Back to listening to progress on the audiobook and editing the upcoming release.

Saturday, I'll be doing an author event at one of the local libraries. These events are always fun ways to connect with readers and other authors. If you're in the area, stop in to say hello!

Click for more information

Coming Soon in Audio!

I'm working toward the finish line with the new book - BREAKING THE MOLD - tediously working to remove unnecessary words and phrases from the manuscript, polishing my writing, checking for those dangling modifiers and passive voice and run-on sentences. (Yes, that's a perfect example of a run-on sentence.)

I'm taking breaks to listen to chapters from the new audiobook! THE MIRROR (Epitaph 3) should be ready by the end of the year (fingers crossed!) and BREAKING THE MOLD (yes, the new book!) should be ready when the book is ready. Both narrated by the talented Vicki Pierce.

 Want a hear a sample?

Karla Brandenburg · MIRROR - RetailAudioSample - A

History repeats itself

Every time I finish a book, it's the same thing. History repeating itself.

This post might get a little rambly, so apologies in advance. 

The good news - I've finished the first draft of my next book (due out next year. Watch this space for more information). I have a date with the editor and I've contacted my cover artist. 

The bad news - this is when the real work starts. My editor doesn't want a sloppy first draft. She wants a "clean" version, which means the self-editing begins in earnest. The usual passes for continuity, filler words, overused words and phrases. Also keeping a sharp eye out for comma splices and dangling participles.

Finishing the writing part means I feel less guilty about taking reading breaks, and I have several books sitting in my TBR pile that I'm falling behind on. One series in particular has three books waiting for me. So I dug into the first one.

And here's some of that rambling. As an author, I've struggled a bit during the last year and a half thanks to the news cycles and isolation, as have many other authors that I've spoken with. Somehow, I'd like to believe the big names aren't having issues with lockdowns and social issues since they continue to produce, but based on the book I just read, that doesn't appear to be the case. As I enter my own self-editing phase, I am more aware of structure and format, and generally I try to turn that editor off when I read for leisure. 

The book I just finished reading, by one of my favorite authors, has again proven that rules are meant to be broken--rules that I don't want to break myself. I guess the reason I'm making this point of reference is because in seeing what she's done "wrong," I sympathize with the struggles we all go through as we put our stories together for consumption. The writing clearly reflects the same lack of focus we're all struggling with right now. She can get away with a lot more because she is a "big name," but along with the hiccups that might jar, she gets all the details right, which makes the story more grounded. Both of these things are lessons to carry with me into my editing process. Stick to the rules (except where it makes sense to break them, and don't be lazy) and pay attention to the details. 

So off I go to clean up the story I've created! 

Tell me, what books are you reading right now?