Searching for the color

I really
really
really
really
really
really
REALLY

want to make this book I'm working on good. Great. Fabulous.

I think it's important to tell a good story. And this book is definitely more plot driven than any of my other books. There is mystery, action, intrigue, romance, etc.

But it's not enough to just tell a good story. Especially in today's competitive market. The books that people talk about, the books that people pass around to their friends, are the books that touch a person's soul, somehow, someway. It doesn't have to be a big thing. It can be a pretty little thing, actually. But there's something there that makes the heart, the soul, the reader, take in a breath and FEEL the story in a special way.

We don't find that special something in the first draft. Not even the second draft. We find it by going deep into the story, trying to make it better, looking for the places we can expand and bring out the colors, so to speak.

Yes, that's what it's like - It's like a canvas covered in dirt, and we just have to keep brushing away until we find the beautiful painting that lies underneath.

It's hard.
But in the end, so worth it.