Brainstorming

There's nothing as fun, I think, as brainstorming a new book. It’s been a long time since I sat down with my husband to do this. He’s typically my go-to guy on this matter. My sister is good at problem solving and damage control, but I use my husband when the ideas are just starting to percolate.

I hope you have someone with whom you can do the same thing.

I’m getting ready to start Book 5 of my Jenna’s Creek series. This will be the last book, and I want to end the series with a bang. I’ve read so many book series that never mention characters from earlier books. I believe the whole point of a series is to create a cast of characters the reader can’t get enough of. I don’t understand authors who make me fall in love with their town and the people in it and then never mention them after their book ends. I agree you should keep adding new characters to keep the storyline fresh, but don’t leave me out in the cold with the ones I fell in love with.

So my husband and I spent over an hour discussing plotlines—since he doesn’t read my books, I have to bring him up to speed—my purposes for this last book in the series, catching him up on characters who may have been keeping a low profile lately, and how I want the book to end.

Isn’t it amazing how we know where we want to go, we just don’t have a clue how to get there?

After talking to him, I am psyched all over again and ready to start. Beforehand, I really had no idea what to do with these people I had worked so hard to create. Then, last night on the way home from church, I had an epiphany about a character who needs to play an integral part, but I couldn't figure out how.

I’m going to try the book in a month plan, except I'll start in October instead of November like NaNoWriMo. October is a longer month so that gives me one more day in which to write. Not only that, I’m anxious to get going. Can’t hold off until November. I’ve always wanted to do this, but my enthusiasm never lasts until the first of the month. I’m going to cheat a little this time, having started brainstorming already.

I’ll send this week on character sketches and motivations and an outline. By October 1st I’ll be rip raring to go. By Halloween, I’ll have a finished 60K word first draft, as messy and ugly as it can be.

You heard it hear first, folks.
Now back to work.