Plotting, Always Plotting

     Barely managed to squeeze my July post in this month.  Among my many excuses, a four day medical procedure that turned out fine but forbid typing, and the greatest urge to get the first draft of Sister of a Sinner done--just in case that procedure went bad on me.  I completed the book yesterday, still have the long process of revising, writing a synopsis and the blurb, but that shouldn't take more than a week or so.  While I am doing all this, and indeed, before Sister was halfway done, my mind started plotting the next book which will be another Sinners story.
     I suppose I am a pantser since I don't outline, create a spread sheet, or write down my character's eye color in advance.  In my mind, I know my beginning, middle, and end.  It's just a matter of moving my cast from one point to another until I get to the finish.  I do write in a linear fashion, beginning at the beginning writing through to the finish. Others like to write all their major scenes, then patch them together, but I find this often results in rocky transitions and abrupt scene changes.  You can usually tell when a person uses this method. Sometimes, they don't always appear to get the scenes in the right order.
     I also basically know my characters well in advance of writing the story.  Still, as the tale progresses, I learn more and more about them and the secondary characters. Some of the secondaries are as expendable as security guys on Star Trek.  Others will develop into major players in the plot.  You never know in advance, at least, I don't. Of my main characters, I will visualize what they look like and research their professions before I start, but they, too, grow.  In my rewrite, I will bring some of these issues to the front of the book to make them more complete.  Same goes for the setting which will be become more fleshed out.
     Often, I've thought I should write down some of the many plots rabbiting around in my head, but no.  As I finish one book, I simply grab another by the ears and start envisioning my new story.  I haven't run up against writer's block yet and never hope to.
     Sorry this is a bit short, but I am itching to start the revision of Sister, and can get a few chapters in before I have to cook dinner for my husband.  If accepted, and not all are, this one will be out early in 2017.  Meanwhile, keep an eye out for An Ashy Affair to be released September 28th.  It's a companion piece to one of my favs, A Trashy Affair.  This one has a hunky fireman the heroine thinks is a little too good to be true: brave, handsome, kind, and he can cook both in the kitchen and the bedroom.  Has to be something wrong with him, right?  Leah Allain sets out to find what that is before she succumbs totally to his charms. It's a good one.  Enjoy!