The Most Difficult Part of Writing Farm to Fabre

When I came up with the idea for Farm to Fabre, I knew I wanted to play with the ‘stuck together’ trope. Or, the ‘snowed in’ trope, but without the snow. I wanted to stray far away from making the pandemic a massive part of the story.

It was the vehicle for which they get stuck together. But I wasn’t trying to write a story that focused on it. And for me, that wound up being the hardest part of writing Farm to Fabre.

It required a lot of research, figuring out the timing of lockdowns in Scotland and Italy (for Andie’s family.)

There was a delicate balance to show them being lockdown in this remote area while keeping that from being at the forefront of the story.

Farm to Fabre is an ace romance. That had to be the focus for me. Not the turmoil and grief from a global pandemic. I had to acknowledge it while avoiding detailing it too much.

In the end, I’m really pleased with how the story unfolded. I think I managed to tell their unique romance story in just the right way. Not sure I’d want to tackle a second one in the same time frame, though. I found it quite stressful.

2022 in Review

Free man writing a table

In 2021, I decided my word for my writing in 2022 would be ‘focus.’

Focus was something I really struggled with starting in 2019 when my husband was in and out of the hospital. 2020, as you can imagine, didn’t help those issues at all. But 2022 was possibly the most difficult year for me with writing.

I struggled.

I wrote two novellas last year. I love both of them. But it’s nowhere near what I usually manage to write.

Focus was probably not the best word to have picked.

Or maybe, it was.

I think, if nothing else, I learned a few lessons about being kind to myself. I definitely learned some painful lessons and taking a step back when I need to do so. And I also figured out when I need to push–and when not to do so when it comes to writing.

So, what did I manage by December 2022?

Farm to Fabre
Stubbed Toes and Dating Woes

How about 2023? What do I hope to achieve this year?

A Cosy Mystery novella trilogy (I’ve already wrapped up book 1.)
An Ace Romance

My word for this year is joy. To put that into action, my phrase for the year is finding what brings me joy in writing. Something I’ve found is incredibly important for me.

How about you? How did you manage in 2022? And what are you hoping to do this year?

Poisoned Primrose Sale

Poisoned Primrose Cover600

Poisoned Primrose is 99c from Jan 26 – Feb 16!

Autistic, asexual, and almost forty, Pineapple “Motts” Mottley flees London with her cat and turtle to a quaint cottage in Cornwall. She craves the peace of life in a small village. The dead body buried in her garden isn’t quite what she had in mind, though.

Will Motts survive the onslaught of murderously bad luck?

Can she solve the mystery before it all spins out of control and off a cliff?

Amazon US: https://readerlinks.com/l/2546392
All links: https://books2read.com/motts1

What inspired Farm to Fabre?

I thought it would be fun to share a few things that inspired Farm to Fabre. It started with farming shows. I watched loads of them.

Other inspiration came from the time I spent a child on my adoptive grandparent’s farm. It was a lot different from Andie’s farm in the book. But it did give me an idea for where I wanted to go.

For Doc, I didn’t have to look far for inspiration. My own battles with writer’s block and other struggles came in handy. It was almost cathartic to be able to talk through some of it, even if in fictional form.

Building My 2023 Playlist

Almost every year, I’ve created a writing playlist for that year. Well, maybe not every year, but I’ve frequently done it. I always have a playlist for a book or a book series but my writing playlists are just random and not focused on a particular one.

The general writing playlists usually have more to do with my mood at the moment. I’ve started building my 2023 list so I thought I’d share the first ones to be added.

Easy on Me – Adele
Set Fire to the Rain – Adele
Let’s Stay Home Tonight – NEEDTOBREATHE
Good Life – One Republic
Try – P!nk
Someday – One Republic
Rise – Calum Scott
wish you well – Wrabel
All of Me – John Legend
love is just a word – Jasmine Thompson, Calum Scott
If You Love Her – Forest Blakk with Meghan Trainor