Halfway done

Last night's moon.

At a smidge over fifty-one thousand words, it's safe to say that my current novel is on the downhill slide. The first in the series stands at one hundred six K, the second in the mid ninety thousands. Within the story I have recently introduced the objective, which might seem a little late in the game, but this book will directly correspond to the next installment, and there was a lot of backstory to establish. And just as I cemented where this novel is heading, I inadvertently threw in a wrench, like just as I was writing then WHAM! Whoa, well okay novel, you do you and I'll just sit here and keep typing. Sometimes stories are pretty full of themselves, but sometimes they know more than I do, because within that unexpected twist emerged an opening that will make this novel's conclusion more poignant, hey hey hey! I call that a win and another example of letting the muse lead the way and reveling in the writing for creativity's sake.

Yesterday's chapter, number sixteen I believe, explored the protagonist's past and why this out of the blue trauma is important. It was fun to bring to a galaxy far far away some Earthen touchstones, another element of this series I want to keep active even when the setting veers off far past our planet. The photo above was taken last night on a rare clear evening. The moon looks a little orange in this shot, and it's not super sharp, but there is a vast cosmos out there ripe for the dramatic picking, lol.

I'm trying to not get ahead of myself with this series; it is just two books currently. And a half, don't forget the third is halfway done, ahem. More LOLs, because the scope of this saga is, uh, many more books in the making. Or at least with what I've currently plotted, several more books. But I didn't imagine how this immediate section would unfold, so it's a little dicey to make such a pronouncement. It's important to allow spontaneity its due. Future Me isn't giving any hint to how this series will progress while Past Me is still full of herself that there's a series in the works. She keeps clearing her throat as though noting that it all started with her throwing caution to the wind and writing from the heart. Did I forget to mention that Past Me wants everyone to know this saga began because she was brave enough to just sit and pants-out two-thirds of a story that did fall flat on its face. Past Me frowns at Present Me, but it was Present Me, in a recent alliteration of Past Me, that had to take that initial story and rework the heck outta it! A lot of going back and forth right now, but that's indicative of this series, as the next installment will be set in....

Stop right there, Future Me calls, wagging her finger. Don't give too much away, especially since the actual year has yet to be decided.

But I thought we'd chosen 1971, Present Me says.

Arrrgggg, Future Me growls, gently slapping her forehead. Can't you keep anything under wraps?

Ha ha, Past Me giggles. Present Me can't keep her mouth shut!

And so it goes, dear Reader, the great debate about exactly where in the past Book 4 will be set, here on Earth thank you very much. And of course remains the next big hurdle of what will Books 5 & 6 center on, as there are several plotlines weaving in and out of each other's business. Currently Books 1 & 2 are companions, the next two stories aligned together. I've been contemplating several options, nothing yet grabbing me by the throat and saying, "Yes, this is the WAY!" But two days ago I was so enlightened, which means I need to be patient while the muse works its literary charm not merely within the writing, but the plotting too. Logic is completely being challenged, but in a manner that allows a living essence to coalesce within these stories, bringing to the noveling table something far greater than I could envision. That is what Past Me is crowing about, and what Future Me slyly acknowledges. Just keep writing, she says, well not today. Today is about other things, like this post, and maybe working on a quilt back, and possibly writing letters to beloveds. But don't give up on this tale, spun from a yarn fragmented and frayed. From the ashes of despair this saga began, yet where it will end, aha, now that will be a very good day.