And having come

The resting not for so long as intended since other writings either progressed or failed to ignite. So I returned to 'Snap is not a children's game, re-read it, adding needed detail in the early pages, aids to understanding in the later ones and removing duplication. Later chapters needed more and the final one might not be completed until I see where the as yet untitled Book Six looks like heading. (Characters caught me out in this one, either acting not as anticipated or returning unsummoned from another country.)

I counted the words as I dealt with each section, totted them up, and then the time it has taken to get from setting down its intended beginning to yesterday's final 'Save' - a mere thirteen months. Not that it felt that quick, the months and months I laboured over Theo's story, but it's a huge improvement on the four years of 'Drink with a dead man', and even more so on the eight years of 'Step so grave' 

Endpiece

Today, in the interval between waking and being word-driven out of bed, the final twist of Drink with a Dead Man appeared in my head. 

Some months ago I watch a video of Lee Child talking about writing and he said (I'm almost sure it was he) when writing a thriller you "need to ask a question at the beginning, and not answer it until the end" I wrote it down, stuck it on a shelf less than two feet from my head, and have kept it in mind ever since. And, although I sincerely hope Kit Talamantes does learn the answers to "Who has summoned me? And why?" (because I don't have them, yet) there was more to come.

I'm on track for NaNoWriMo2015, but can't say it suits me to write this way.

NaNoWriMo - revving up

A screenshot of a section of my Scrivener page; first time I've used the programme for a near fully-to-be-written novel. Current word count, because the initial idea came from a short story, to which I added a couple of other plot lines to see if it would run, is 16K, but much has to be removed as it will become irrelevant.

I've thought my way through this novel - Drink with a dead man - much further than I usually do; most of my novels begin with two or three random conversations, and I proceed, blindly, from there. Despite the fact that DI Luke Darbyshere's first conversation  continues only hours from the ending of the previous novel, I intend each to be capable of being read as a stand-alone.

Each of the lines in the left hand column is a scene, each colour represents a character, or pair of characters which the scene is about, and the tick icon tells me it is 'To Do'. For me, the ability to see at a glance how well mixed different PoVs are (and move them when necessary) is a prime advantage of this program. Central panel is the text, Right-hand one an outline, which can be viewed separately, synopsis fashion, plus notes.

Like many programs, there's far more potential to Scrivener than I use. I do the writing in Word and post in Scrivener at the end of a session as additional back-up. Now, with only days to go conversations are waking me early morning, for which I make a brief note as starting points for when Sunday arrives.

Also a first - I'll set myself a word target of 80K, but am well aware that will not be the final version.

NaNoWriMo 2015 - Drink with a Dead Man

After a two-year break I've signed up again.*
The high-pressure, brain-out-of-gear format does not always work for me but this barely-begun fourth in the DI Luke Darbyshere series has a couple of really large sticking points.
One is the reason behind the main impetus of the plot.
The other is the nature of one of the characters.
I suspect he is a baddy; that his actions precipitated the MC's decision to drop his original identity and that he was behind the summons which forced the MC back into the limelight. But I've not a clue why or how. Or what.
It might be that I hammer out two or three alternative scenarios and in so doing discover what works best. Sounds most plausible.
And I need to weave that around a slow-burn case that Luke Darbyshere is currently working on. One which requires him to liaise with an undercover guy who might - or might not - have an agenda of his own.

*For the record, my 2011 novel - then called Not Wanted on Voyage, now Step so Grave, is almost finished.  Is with what I hope is its final beta reader. Since 2011 it has been substantially re-written no less than seven times. And in-betweentimes has spawned two follow-up novels, Longest Shadows Reach and Commission & Ommission. Both of these are also near ready for publication.

Back to front - strange and alien progress

Two characters - Luke and Baz - from what I thought was a completed trilogy, insisted their story had not yet been fully told. Told me things that happened in a tale written three years ago had something to do with them. Connections enough to hang another novel on.
They gave me a title - Drink with a dead man - to which I assigned an ISBN in early June. Sent me, care of Baz, a cryptic email, indicating the existence of new characters A and D. Allowed me to read a novel which suggested a way of incorporating A. Since then I've got to know A, a bit. D, despite my holding him up to several mirrors, is still distorted.

I've half-designed a cover and bought a dedicated notebook (not done that before) and have a rag bag into which I  throw patchwork ideas as and when they arrive (even though I know some will never be put to use). I wake each morning, mentally select and tack together, a nine-patch square. But when I rise, ready to make permanent, they fade or clash or fail to fit, too disparate in weight, too contrasting in behaviour, too out of character and hence too unbelievable. I unpick and put them back.

The other thing - the most alien of all - is that no-one's talking. Usually, I listen in to conversations, hearing them loud and clear, Clear enough to jot them down verbatim. But this time there's a lot of muttering, eyes sliding sideways, alert for eavesdroppers. I need to change my disguise. Improve my stalking tactics. Bug their phones.

But the good thing is, I've been here before. Have learnt that eventually all will come good.
And I've learnt to savour even the frustration of this beginning stage.