Last week I finished the extremely messy first draft of The Falls, my 2015 rural romance release. Much slurping of pink champagne followed, but so did that horrible, hollow feeling that comes with leaving characters behind; what I’ve come to think of as my book hangover.
It doesn’t seem to matter that I’ll be playing with them again in a week, when I knuckle down to the second draft. Writing The End still brings on a sense of loss and yearning. It happens with every book and I can’t help finding it odd. I mean, by the time the book is through its final edit I’ll be well and truly sick of it. Yet at this point, without fail, all I ever want to do is dive back into my characters’ lives and fall in love with them all over again.
I miss them. Badly. Like this…
I think that’s why we adore serial fiction so much. It keeps us connected with people we’ve been through a great deal with and fallen in love with; that have become part of our world. Which is why I’ve planned three, maybe four loosely linked books to follow on from my upcoming May release, Rocking Horse Hill.
Emily Wallace-Jones, the heroine of Rocking Horse Hill, has two best friends, Jasmine and Teagan. The Falls is Teagan’s story, Admella Beach will be Jasmine’s and there’s a possibility of a fourth with another character. Plus a novella I’ve already half completed called Summer and the Groomsman.
I have to say it was hugely satisfying being able to include Emily and Josh in The Falls, even if only in a minor way. I look forward to doing the same for Teagan and Lucas in the other books I have planned.
Now, if there were only more hours in the day to write these stories…
I love series too! I never want to say goodbye to characters I’ve fallen in love with. Can’t wait to read you series Cathryn.
I think we all love series. It’s like being able to cuddle up in an adored story over and over again. I’m not sure if my books can be called a series though. They’re more linked, really. But it is nice to be able to revisit past characters.
LOL, it can feel a bit like that. But nice that there will be a lovely series to get stuck into!
I’ve been so bereft, Louise, that I’ve been listening to the same soppy song over and over again. It’s becoming pathetic!
I know EXACTLY what you mean, although strangely I didn’t feel that for the book I’ve just finished. Maybe cos I think it still needs an epilogue!!
You wait, Rach, once you have that prologue done you’ll be feeling as sooky as me!
Sitting here, nodding my head. Yes, yes, yes.
Maybe this is why I’m writing book 4 so slowly; I can’t bear to give these characters up.
It never ceases to amaze me how attached we get, Ebony. It’s like they’re real.
I can understand why you wouldn’t want to give up Ondine though. They’re so gorgeous. And there’s a ferret!
It’s like you reach into my head and pull out what I want to read!
Ha! If only!