Back in March 2017, I began work on the fifth book in the Journey of the Freighter Lola series. Today I finished the rough draft. This one took longer than the four that preceded it and for good reason. I did a lot of research into the technology in the book.
While I prefer my work to be more about the characters than the tech I do have to include some tech to make it science fiction. I want my tech to be based on facts. For instance, there really are Carbonado diamonds. They really are created when two astral bodies collide. They’re known as the hardest of all types of diamonds. Green diamonds occur when diamonds are exposed to intense radiation. Yes, I do use some literary license with the facts, but I try to keep near the truth. I want my tech to be believable, not magic.
I had reached points in the story where I didn’t know how to move on. I had to wait for my characters to tell me where the story was going. I think most fiction authors will have had similar issues. I often go to bed thinking about my storyline working out ideas and hoping for my dreams to help me. It may not have helped my story but it has helped me sleep.
Now I proofread, edit, edit, edit, proofread, allow my editor a shot or two at it and edit it again. In the past, I probably went through the book at least nine times before I felt it was ready to go to the publisher. Oh, let’s not forget I need a cover and even more importantly I need a title. Right now, I am using the working title Lola 5.
I still have a lot of work ahead of me but the worrisome part of not knowing if I have a book in me is past. I hope to have this book ready for Christmas release.
