How this all began.....

I thought some of you might be interested in how dominion day got started. So I thought I'd post the story behind the story. Here it goes...

The story behind Dominion Day

The original version of Dominion Day was written while I was in high school. It was 189 pg. of hand written yuck (and I was so proud of it…) there’s even a chapter in green ink written while I was on Nyquil. Lovely I tell you.
I wrote a second version out of high school a few years later while the story had played around in my head for a while. I had stronger characters by then and a better idea of what I wanted and left it somewhere in the middle. I suppose it was to raise my children or just the end of a mania episode. I don’t remember. At this time it was a two book series. A present the problem, and a solve the problem.
So… many years later, my oldest was 13 at the time, I was waiting for Harry Potter # 6 to come out and had read everything in my house at least twice. I pulled out my old bag and folder of manuscripts and started to read them to pass time. When I came across my book idea (21 pages) about Tsien’s. As I read it I thought, I could go so much farther with this now. So I sat down at the old desktop and started to type; now mind you I was a much slower typist then, almost 2-3 years ago. And pounded out a 101 page book.
As I sat at the computer looking at the last page that said “The End” I had an epiphany: I could work on more of my old ideas. So I pulled out the manuscript that was at the time a separate manuscript from Dominion Day. It became “Foxproof” Dominion Day 2. Dalton was, in the original scenes, Basile’s housekeeper and seducer. (BLUSH) So I started to write it and as usual I got a little distracted and pulled out my post high school version of Dominion Day. And started on it too. When I’d get bored with “DD1” I’d work on “Foxproof”. And wrote a sequel to “The Tsien’s” that I just spliced together and combined it into one book.
When “Dominion Day” looked like it’d take off I went out into my garage and found the old high school manuscript and lots of other nifty stuff I forgotten I had. The H S manuscript is complete minus three pages that I can’t find at all, hmmmm.
Using the two versions I started to really get into Dominion Day while adding a third distraction “Creek Road” I work better while I have distractions to dabble in. Well about two thirds of the way through Dominion Day My main character takes A Major Diversion, and the book suddenly opened up. (Chpt. 25 for all those interested. The Ordination.)
I started to work on “Prophecy Rising” (DD2 at the time) while finishing up “Dominion Day” (DD1), and “Foxproof”. It was then that I thought it would be cool if Dalton met Noble and would end up on the same team. So I wrote the scene for “Foxproof” (the new DD2) and copied and pasted it to “Dominion Day” and altered it a little. Then the scene was set for when Dalton moves to Altine and becomes part of Delta Group. So as “Prophecy Rising” (the new DD3) started to flesh out Dalton became an integral part of Noble’s life. Interestingly the scene with Gloria/Natalie and Jason in the chemical lab was a dream I had in high school.
I wrote “P R” and for a few days felt satisfied, but then wrote an addendum -- evidently the characters in my head had decided that there was more story to tell. So after about ten addenda’s “Arrival” became a book of its own. It was about this time that I met my writer friend Paulette. And my writing started to change and evolve.
So, I’m writing “Arrival” and I get to the part where Noble sees some boys in a vision, and a scene explodes in my head I immediately pull down a blank page and started book #5 “Destined”. I finished “Destined” #5 before finishing “P R” #3 and “Arrival” #4. After #5 was finished I had to go back and finish #3 & 4. As I’m writing the last of 3 & 4, ideas for #6 “Guardian War” were forming in my head concluding the story and building on the world building that Paulette and I had done for story ideas. I went back and wrote “From Ashes” an addendum to #4. As Noble my MC was telling me story’s about his childhood and teenage years.
With DD #1-5 written and #6 mulling as well as the prequel in my head. I find out about a conference that Paulette and I scramble to go to and after taking the classes especially the plot and outlining one that Paulette took we start talking restructuring our books. So now I took pieces out of DD1 and placed them in #3 and split #3 into two books, so now there is DD #1-7. Adding in “Awaiting” the new #3. You should have seen me, I had every chapter laid out on my gigantic table. I pulled them one by one into the new books and punched holes in them and placed #1, 3 & 4 into binders so I can look at them while I type using an old cook book holder behind my laptop, Which I finally talked my dear hubby into. (Tha laptop not the cook book holder that was a wedding present but I digress.)
I start to rewrite DD1 after being so pumped by the conference and with just 8 chapters left I get stuck on a chapter and succumb to the voices in my head and write 5 chapters of “Guardian Wars” DD6 now DD7.
The story is on paper now. I have sent it to a line editor. I am now ready to finish DD1 and start rewriting DD2 “Foxproof”. I get my edits back and decide that DD2 Foxproof can wait as I fine-tune DD1. Besides I still haven’t finished the restructure of books 2, 3, 4,.
So… I have differentiating opinions about chapter 27, all of my readers say it has to be rewritten. One says there is no resolution but I say there is, it is just in #3 so after arguing with my friend and line editor, I move it to book #3 and rewrite Chapter 27, and tweak 26 and 28 to follow current story line. I take the scene out that everyone loves to argue about (the rape scene) in Ch. 15. I fix all of the edits both from my friend and the ones that the computer insists are there; and then send it out to my readers again.
Now I wait for it to come back so I can polish it and print the first three chapters of it to send to the publishers. My next assignment is to write a querry and synopsis. Eek! Now that is really intimidating.

Michelle