Blog as a Platform to a Book

Hi,

I'm probably nuts, but I've started another blog, www.dianemettler.com.

I've always been a multi-tasker, and this new blog about taking our six acres from raw land to landscaped and revenue generating fits the bill.

I plan to blog daily for two years (heck, if I can stair machine daily for 20 years, this should be a piece of cake). It will, hopefully, in the end:

• be a record of our progress

• hone my writing skills

• elicit much-needed gardening advice and

• work as a outline for a book, and

• if popular, work as a platform for the book.

Start to Finish

I enjoy gardening and I enjoy writing, and I've been trying to figure out how to put the two together. It seemed like every garden book I could think of already exists. Or, if I came up with a new one publishers would like me to be an expert in that particular field with a well-developed platform.

Who am I to argue with a publisher? I'm going to become an expert of sorts over the next 2 years — at least at creating a yard from scratch — and develop a platform.

I'm already jazzed about it. Curious to hear what you think.

A Walk in the Garden, aka Story Development

People tell me, "Your garden looks great." I respond, "It's all in the fertilizer," but really it has more to do with story development.

While I'm out weeding, pruning, watering and fertilizing, I'm working on the scenes, plot points and characters.

Stepping in to the Garden

I can literally step into the garden and an hour later step back out unable to remember what I did because I was working on the story.

Yesterday, I was out with a new character — a successful underwear model named Michael — trying to find out why he's so set on becoming an actor.

After talking to him (thank god no one can see me garden except for my husband), I found out that he's been serious about acting since he was in high school. It was while he was in L.A. trying to break in that he did this underwear commercial. How could he know that he'd become an overnight sensation.

Today he's splashed on billboards across the company, famous for his tight buns, and avoided like then plague when it comes to serious acting roles. Everyone sees the Underwear Guy as a joke. He's depressed and wants a real acting roll in WORST way and will do just about anything.

All this information while I was cutting back the dahlias and pruning and weeding the herb garden. I consider it successful multitasking.

No Sharp Instruments

Maybe other writers are different, but I think everyone needs that place they go for inspiration and creative freedom. That place they feel free to wander around with their characters or play around with story ideas. It can be anything from long walks to doing chores.

However, I do recommend avoiding story work while you've got sharp instruments in your hands. I've pruned my fingers and fallen off more ladders than I care to admit.

OK, back to writing.