Laying the Groundwork for a Sequel
If I write a sequel with a male as the main character, my female readers may be disappointed. So I need a woman. I can’t use Galla Placidia, because she’s already told her story in “The Wind in the Embers”, and I can’t use Justa, because the historical material about her is scant, and, besides, she is the ideal antagonist (she is such a conniving bitch). I need someone else. So I start researching female historical figures whose lives touch on my story. And I don’t have to go far...
Continue reading
Outlining the Plot for a Novel
A plot line, for those who don’t know, is the plot of a projected novel condensed into twenty or thirty pages. It is the authorial equivalent of a painter’s sketch before embarking on the actual painting. It allows the artist to position things and get some sense of relationships and proportion. When the actual project begins, it is a touchstone to keep the artist on track. I have just spent the past week immersed in the plot line for my next novel, and, I must say...
Continue reading