Sunday, August 16, 2009

GUEST AUTHOR: Diane Craver

My Next Projects

I need your help!

J.K. gave me great topic choices for today's blog post, and I decided to use her suggestion to write about my next projects. The problem is I haven't started my new writing project because I have several stories I want to write next. I'd like to focus on one. I have worked on more than one story at a time before, but want to get busy on my next big single project, and want it to be longer than my last completed manuscript. It's a short romance that's being considered by an editor. Now I'm at loose ends.

I'll give you the stories I want to write. I have jotted down character descriptions for each one, big scenes I can see happening, and have an ending in mind for each possible novel. Of course, my endings might change because my characters seem to like to take over while I'm writing. You tell me which story idea you like the best.

Okay, you ready…here's the first one:

No Title yet Genre: Contemporary Romance
The main character, Dr. Lindsay Anderson is a heart surgeon. Her best friend Allie since kindergarten needs emergency heart surgery and Lindsay has to operate on her. When her friend dies, Lindsay feels so much guilt. She's always been in love with Allie's husband. Lindsay keeps going over in her mind if she did everything possible to save Allie. And Lindsay never married because she couldn't settle for anyone else. Allie's husband Troy falls in love with Lindsay.

Second possible story to work on next:

Title: Journey Home Genre: Contemporary Inspirational Romance with a mainstream appeal.

It's what I call my movie star book. Emma Woods is an actress with a young son. She left home when her minister father caught her in the barn with boyfriend Nick. Her father is a farmer and a minister of a small church. He calls her a whore and says she is just like her mother. Emma's mother had left them when she was 4 years old but planned on returning. She left to become an actress but was killed in an automobile accident. Emma's mother had always been faithful to her husband, but he thought she was having an affair. A church member planted the lie in his head. Emma becomes ill and decides to return to the farm. She wants to repair her damaged relationship with her father. Emma also tells Nick, the only man she's ever loved that her child is really his son. There is a lot more to this story with many twists so it will be a longer book.

Third one:

No title yet Genre: Women's Fiction
Family of 4 – Son is deaf and his disability causes the father to be very bitter. He hates that his son is deaf and he adores his daughter. The father can't overlook his son's disability long enough to see the wonderful child he has. The mother loves both her children equally. The daughter loves her dad but hates that he's having an affair with another woman. She doesn't tell her mother. When a tragic accident occurs, the mother doesn't have enough time to save both children. She can only save one. Can you imagine how heart breaking this would be?

There is a mystery I'd like to write about a missing couple, but I haven't thought about it enough yet. But here is what I have so far. The couple is older and enjoys driving the countryside looking for a place to build their retirement home. One day they never return from their road trip, and their daughter becomes alarmed when they don't answer their cell phones.

Which story do you think I should write first?

Whitney in Charge:

Whitney Benson is tired of her older sisters’ attempts to fix her up with every single male they meet. Shannon and Regan cross the line when they arrange for her to go skydiving with the simple excuse that more guys like to float in the air than women. Whitney needs to find something else to keep them busy.

When she suggests that the three of them start a family business, the fun begins in their small town. And she thought being a TV producer in New York had been exciting.

Without going skydiving, Whitney meets two eligible bachelors, Jack and Ben, who constantly battle for her affection. Which one will she choose? Both men make Whitney realize, even a heart shattered by her husband’s death, can once again be made whole.

But did she have to fall off a cliff to learn that?

JK Coi: Thanks for visiting Diane. And to all of YOU, as an added bonus today, Diane will be putting the names of all the commenters from each blog she's visited this week into a draw. Good luck!

22 comments:

Dru said...

I like "The Journey Home" and because you already have a title and I want to know more - start this one.

Diane Craver said...

Hi J.K.,

Thank you so much for having me here on this beautiful Sunday! Anyhow it's gorgeous weather where I'm at. :)

Diane Craver said...

Hi Dru,

Nice to see you here. I do have a good feeling about "Journey Home" -thanks for your help!

Have a great day!

HockeyVampiress said...

I am just aspiring to write.... right now I am reviewing which is getting the muses flowing and I have been plotting a few new ideas around.... I just have no confidence to jump in ... thanks for the visit Have a great day...

J.K. Coi said...

Hi Diane, welcome to the blog. I'm MIA this weekend, up at the lake, but I've stolen internet for a few brief moments to check in (shhhhh, don't tell)

Your contemporary romance sounds interesting. I'm all for a story with TONS of guilt and emotional angst :) Good luck writing.

Renee said...

Diane, I can see your dilemma. I would have a hard time choosing too, but I think it sounds like you know exactly where you want to go with Journey Home. The others don't sound like you know for sure what you want.

Good luck with choosing.

Jemi Fraser said...

Hi Diane - I think the contemporary romance about the doctor is my fave idea - although they all sound great. It's the one I'd be most likely to pick up as a reader. Good luck with whichever you choose.

Diane Craver said...

Hi Hockey Vampiress,

That's great you have ideas and are thinking about writing - I'm sure when the time's right, you'll be ready to start creating.

Thanks for stopping by!

Diane Craver said...

Hi J. K.,
I won't tell on you if you don't tell on me. I'm not home either. :)
We are at Outer Banks and getting ready to hit the beach.

I do seem to like to write emotional stories.

Enjoy the lake!

Diane Craver said...

Thanks, Renee. I do know more about the story line for JH. It's one of those stories I've thought about writing for a long time.

I appreciate your help.

Diane Craver said...

Jemi,

I think the female doctor romance does have possibilities. It's nice to know that's the one you would be most interested in.

Clare Austin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Clare Austin said...

Hi Diane,
I like the idea of the older couple disappearing...They could have been abducted by aliens or a crazy hippie cult?
Clare Austin
www.clareaustin.com

Nancy G said...

They all sound good, but The Journey Home sounds like it is closest to being ready to write. I'm going to take your advice (from yesterday) and go for it. And just for the record, you are NOT (you know what I mean)

Diane Craver said...

Clare,
Those are great suggestions for my mystery, I especially like the hippie idea.

I'd like to write another mystery.

Thanks - have a good week!

Diane Craver said...

Woohoo, I'm glad you are going for it, Nancy! Keep in touch. And just write and let your creative juices flow. You can go back and proofread and make corrections later. I have to revise everything I write so many times. I like writing the first drafts the best!

And thanks for your help about my next project!

Unknown said...

Hi :)
Thanks for having Diane Craver on your site and thank you Diane for sharing. I hadn't heard of her, or WHITNEY IN CHARGE before but the book sounds intriguing. I loved the great story ideas. Each one would make a good novel. I think you should write whichever one nags at you the most, which means that your subconscious is working on that one.
:)
Love and best wishes,
twitter: @RKCharron
xoxo

Kytaira said...

I would like to see you finish the first one. I can't feeling responsible for someone elses death, especially if you're the one who saves lives.

Whitney in Charge sounds great as well!

Shelley Munro said...

The first one appealed to me most. So many ideas, so little time. I have that problem all the time.

Diane Craver said...

Hi RK,
Thanks - maybe I'll write a few chapters of each story and see what happens. Glad you stopped by.

Diane Craver said...

Kytaira,

I did write a bit of that story but not much. It is intriguing to me for a person to have to operate on her best friend, only to lose her.

Diane Craver said...

Hi Shelley,
There really isn't enough time for us to write everything we want to write. :) Thanks for stopping by, Shelley. It's interesting that some of you like the first one and others like the second one. Thanks for the comments.