What is that quote about good intentions? Well, the less said, the better. I went into my July vacation with the very best of intentions. I was going to write 1k words a day and they would be wonderful. Did that happen? Heck, no. But I did read two books, spent time in the sun, had my toes in the Atlantic, and rested. And other than a few phone calls for assistance, I didn’t work. Which is a change of pace for sure. It’s the first real vacation I’ve had in five years.  

There’s something about Maine that helps me relax. It could be all the years I summered there, first as a summer camper and then as a camp counselor. But maybe it’s the almost 20 years I’ve been going with my family, sitting on the beach, riding bikes, eating at the Soda Fountain. That’s rest of a different sort. A brain break.

On Mondays in Maine, we always head to the library in the small town we stay in, and we check out books. Often, the amount is more aspirational than rational. This year I just got two. The last day we were there I eschewed the beach to sit on the deck and read the book I hadn’t finished. It was one by Paul Doiron. I’ve been reading his Mike Bowdich books for years now, but only in Maine. Seems fitting since that’s where they’re set. It’s also fitting since my first book series is set there as well. They are immersive, even more so, if you know Maine well.

They’re also the kind of book you don’t want to put down. I aspire to write that kind of fiction. It’s a bit harder when you write romance. The dramatic tension is narrow, it’s just two people’s hearts. A writer needs to capture a reader and have them believe that the world is going to end if these two people don’t end up together.

To get that dramatic tension authors often use a 3^rd act breakup. I’ve done it myself. But I don’t see that fitting this book. I’d rather these characters fight to find a way to stay together. It means changes. When trying to solve the puzzle I thought up a new secondary character, one to guide and goad the female MC to better decisions. I’m not sure how I feel about her yet. It’s so odd when a character just shows up while I’m thinking things over.

In my first book series, Pete is that character and he’s beloved by my readers. I’m thinking this new character might follow in his footsteps. And if she helps me get words on the page, all the better.