My Current Project: The Night Life

Dean Wesley Smith, who's blog I tend to read once in a blue moon, seems to think (at least in this post) that many writers have the ability to churn out a book in about six months. That's two books a year.

I'm not saying it's not possible; however, I don't see that happening for me anytime soon.

For example, I've been working on my current project, entitled The Night Life, since February 2010.

Now, yeah, that is almost two years. However, in two years, I've completed two drafts, and I'm working on the third right now. So far, the third has been slow going, especially since I'm working on some of the less exciting parts of the story, parts of the story that are necessary to understanding the lives of the characters, but are just not the most fun to work on and tweak.

The "real" Tanya Roberts.

The story takes place in the tiny town of Socorro, NM (to this day, I'm not 100% sure on why I chose this location) and centers around the lives of three people: Richard Broozer, Tanya Roberts, and "Jane". (Note: when I chose Tanya's name, I had no clue that she shared a namesake with the actress who plays "Midge" in That 70's Show.) 

Richard Broozer is somewhat of a secretive man, who, since his mother's unexpected death, was put in charge of running his father's old strip club. He does so begrudgingly, mainly to appease his father and keep peace in his crumbling family. However, Richard also struggles with a secret he finds himself fearful of revealing, especially to his father: he is gay.

Tanya Roberts, meanwhile, is an employee of Richard's. A former engineering dropout, she supports herself with erotic dancing in Richard's club, The Night Life. She mentions an interest in journalism; however, due to the modern media market and pressure from her mother, she chose instead to forego that passion. Her life, for the most part, remains stagnant.

"Jane" is discovered by Richard one day. She is found wandering aimlessly in a convenience store, where she confesses to Richard that she remembers nothing, not even her own name. After some deliberation, Richard takes her in, but at something of a price: Richard convinces Jane that, prior to a drunken night, they were a couple, and that she belongs to him. 

I hope, one day, I will finish The Night Life (don't worry - I will).