Actually it’s more, new characters are hard. It is a new work and all new characters and it isn’t an easy thing to wrap my malfunctioning brain around. There is a huge temptation to grab a familiar face and drop them into the periphery just so I can get a better handle on what’s happening.
For the second time this evening, I am aware how that sounds. 🙂
See, the thing is, with this new work, new characters, whole new situation there is overlap into areas I was once proficient in and I think if I pull someone (like Andrews or Tony) from the FBI-Byte Series and get his take on the situation, I might find it a bit easier … to slide back into US mode and all the things I learnt from various experts. Maybe.

If you don’t know who Andrews and Tony are then maybe go read one of the FBI-Byte Series books from Exacerbyte onward. In saying that though, I can’t recall exactly where Andrews and Tony first enter the arena and if it’s even them I’m thinking of … it’s not them.
Andrews’ SWAT. It’s Tony who I was thinking about. Tony is bomb squad. (Yeah, not Tony Sharron from Grange. The other Tony. The Tony who has a lot going on in Eraserbyte because Washington D.C. is having a time with a bomber.)

Anywho, I might tag Tony into this new thing for a minute. I can remove him once he’s helped me by being familiar with the subject matter.

I know. It’s weird. Surely, I wrote Tony and all the bomb stuff in the FBI-Byte Series so therefore I have that knowledge lurking somewhere in my brain, right? But he might be able to access it whereas I can’t because I haven’t been in that arena for a few years.

Just writing from a US POV is not easy now. Eight books in full Kiwi mode, means I can’t just flip a switch and go back to FBI-Byte Series mode. I’ve also been reading more British works than American for the last few years, so I’m losing my ability to think in a US way. (Depending on where characters are from within the US also makes things more complicated …)

A challenge is good. In fact, I don’t think I’ll bother too much about how the characters sound at this point. That’s all fixable later. I might need to button back sarcasm a touch though.

So that’s what I’m up to. I have two novels scheduled for release this year – two launches. One already planned and one waiting in the wings, I’m not super sure I will launch [Echo Mike Papa] this year. We’ll see if I write the 9th Veronica Tracey Spy/PI novel before I decide if it will be a two launch year this year.

Meanwhile, how do you get yourself into a story that’s completely new?

I had a good chat with Pete today about our project and made dreadfully messy notes … I’m hoping that most of our conversation will float to the top when I get stuck into writing the next chapter!!