Two days ago, I completed the narrative outline for Book Two of my mystery series. Yep, that’s right: It’s finished!
The outline ended up being 18 single-spaced pages and right around 9,000 words. As in Book One, there will be 20 chapters, which may or may not end in the exact places where I’ve left a space in the outline. This document is only a guide, fluid and flexible and subject to change!
And now it rests. I’m taking a few days to compile my income tax information, send in some Chicken Soup submissions, and mentally distance myself while the outline sits quietly, melding and gelling, so to speak. Then I’ll be able to review it with fresh eyes, looking for plot gaps and loopholes and making sure each character has a place to be during each scene, whether he/she is directly involved in the action or not.
A short breather, a step away, a minor time-out. I’m actually very anxious to get back at it, to start the actual writing, but I know this thoughtful space is vital to the finished product. Never fear, I plan to be back at the keyboard, writing the actual text, before too much more time passes. Stay tuned!
