Outlining Orgy

So like everything else in my life, I typically fly by the seat of my pantslessness on outlines... sort of... I outline, but vaguely, and only when it sort of occurs to me what I can't possibly forget to include and how it ought to flow. I start with the set-up, a few characters, and if an ending doesn't occur to me soon, I know I have some thinking to do before committing (the simmering stage). Then I map a few key events and start writing, not REALLY outlining, ever, but mapping a main point per chapter when it finally occurs to me... much easier to write with a path.

So COINCIDENCE is the second in a trilogy, and the first is DONE and the last is partially planned, so I knew where this one had to END, but the middle has been more murky as I dug in... how to get from point A to point C is obviously B, but what font? Do I need serifs? Uppercase? Lowercase? Am I overdoing the metaphor?

I was plugging away regardless, but on my (YAY) power walk this morning, I went back to a thought that had occurred to me when I first added the main twist that stuck... and I dug deeper... and I think I understand now where I have to go! That all sounds a little cryptic, but I feel like it has to, because unlike hints in a first book, hints about a second give TOO MUCH on the first.

Teasers on my thought process...

This trilogy started with a dream that I was writing and felt 'watched' and realized there were kids living in the walls and hidden rooms of my house.

Second block... a song from The Living End about a woman who misunderstands her husband's 'double life'.

Then the letters thing I've blogged about before that stuck Athena into the mix... and a whole lot of spiraling mojo having to do with Romania, Portland, etc.

FIRST BOOK DONE, POOF, VOILA, JUST LIKE THAT.

First NEW block for book 2...

Offspring song about the kid who turns out mysteriously to be a pretty good assassin (though the song isn't clear if it is metaphor)--whatever the case... an unlikely bad guy.

And I was plugging away, but without the serious mojo... But that idea, of an unlikely bad guy... someone who does the wrong things for the right reasons... planted a Star Wars thought... Anekin. So I've been looking at his motivations and my OWN plans have finally begun to solidify for at least this strand of the story. YAY!

I love it when things finally fall into place.


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I am officially signed up for NaNoWriMo and if anyone wants to buddy me there, I would LOVE some friends along for the ride. I am hartjohnson, as I didn't know people used silly, fun names until I signed up. Even before it starts it feels a little crazy and chaotic... I think I'm supposed to be at a meet up right now, but life got in the way...