I’ve decided to take the advice of my friend Jackson Cordd and let one of my short stories become a novel. Well, actually, three novels.
It started out as a story fragment I’d written years ago, and picked up again last year to work on. It decided at first that it wanted to be a novel, and then finally that it wanted to be a trilogy – the first time I;ve sat down to plan out a three book arc.
I’d written about 12,000 words when I stopped work a couple months ago on it to focus on some other short stories.
Picking it up again, I realized I wasn’t clear on some of the plot points and characters, and would need that information to move ahead. Do I made some notes last week, but it just wasn’t coming together.
So at the advice of my wonderful husband, I let it set and stew, and yesterday in the car on the way home from Trader Joe’s, I figured it out.
I also realized this was my chance to add a lesbian character – I’ve never done one, and her viewpoint will help me round out the story.
Have you ever planned out a novel or series all at once? And how do you do it?