Earlier today, I shared with you about Sophie's Encore, and the end of the Rock Star Romance Triology by Nicky Wells! I am happy to share with you now a wonderful guest post from her about writing the end of the series! ENJOY!
The End:
Happy, exhilarated, bereft. Or: how it feels to finish a Trilogy.
It’s done. My third book, Sophie’s Encore, has hit the virtual shelves. The long-awaited conclusion to the epic romance between my girl-next-door, Sophie, and rock star extraordinaire, Dan, is written and published for the world to see. I’m not saying how it’s gonna end but… You wanted to know how it feels to get to The End. Well, let me see….
The beginning of the end: the writing of Sophie’s Encore
Monday, 8 October 2012. 9:30 am.
Cup of tea—check.
Laptop at the ready—check.
Plotline tacked to the wall—check.
I start typing. “So how is Dan?”
To my great surprise, I find that my hands are shaking. This is it. I’m going to bring the story to an end. I’m starting on the last leg of the journey, and I’m frightened. I know where I’m going, of course, but what will I do when I get there?
Sophie, Dan and me: Long-time friends
For eight years now, Sophie and Dan have lived in my head. For the past two years, they’ve been my and my family’s constant companion. Between us, we have talked about them as though they were real persons. But when I’m done, I’ll have to say goodbye. I hate goodbyes.
Still, there’s nothing for it but to forge ahead, so I start writing fast and furiously. As I’m working my way
through my meticulous plan, I make some astounding discoveries.
The devil and the detail and all that…
First of all, chronology matters. Doh, right? Evidently I’ve planned the Trilogy in great detail, and still things trip me up. Ages, mostly. Sophie was 28 when the Trilogy started, and Dan was 38. They had birthdays ‘in between’ books and also quite prominently in Sophie’s Run, when Sophie celebrates her 30th birthday with astounding consequences, and Dan his 40th with ditto.
But time’s moved on. More birthdays have been had and other life-changing events have transpired. I find myself referring back to Sophie and Dan’s early romance as having been seven years ago. Oh, hang on, wasn’t it eight? Or maybe nine?
*Cue nail-biting*
Turns out that counting back in years yields a slightly different answer than counting back in ages.
My solution? More planning. I make a large table with twelve columns for months and several rows for years passed. I mark birthdays. I make the start and end of each book. I mark key events. I figure it out.
Next up, I’ve grown. My outlook has changed, and my perspective on Sophie and Dan’s fate has changed. Moreover, narrated time between books has passed, so Sophie herself has grown. I decide to tackle that issue head-on by having Sophie, Dan and Rachel reflect on how things are different for them, now.
I get so involved in fine-tuning these last details that I completely forget about the pain of goodbye as I feverishly approach the finishing line.
Done, done, done!
It’s end of January 2013 by the time I finish Sophie’s Encore. While I don’t exactly write the words, “The
End”, I definitely know that this is the end, and do you know what? I shed a little tear or three. Happy
tears, I hasten to add. And proud tears. I feel bereft and exhilarated at the same time.
Onwards and upwards
To stem the floods, I move on immediately. I start planning book 4; a new book, a new story, new characters, a fresh start. I mock up a cover for Sophie’s Encore. I launch Sophie’s Run. I conceive of a
completely unscheduled mini-project that gets planned, written and completed in the space of four or
five weeks. I edit Sophie’s Encore. I start writing book 4. See? There’s no standing still here, the only way is forward. I’ve dried those tears and launched myself headlong into new adventures.
So watch out, here I come! I have a surprise for you later this year, and my fourth full-length book,
Fallen For Rock, is scheduled for release in the summer of 2014. Meanwhile, happy reading of Sophie’s
Encore! I’d love to hear what you think!!
ROCK ON!
About the Author:
Nicky Wells is your ultimate rock chick author. Signed to US Publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, Nicky
writes Romance That Rocks Your World, featuring the rock star and the girl next door. Nicky’s books offer glitzy, glamorous contemporary romance with a rock theme ~ imagine Bridget Jones ROCKS Notting Hill!
Born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993 and currently lives in Lincoln. In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C. Like her leading lady, Sophie, Nicky loves listening to rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When she’s not writing, she’s a wife, mother, occasional knitter, and regular contributor to The Midweek Drive show on Lincoln’s Siren 107.3 FM. Rock on!
Visit my blog; follow me on Twitter , good reads and Pinterest (be sure to check out Dan' s secret playlist for Sophie Board!), or find me on Facebook.
Be sure to enter the Sophie's Encore large Gift Pack Giveaway on our earlier post today!
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