With For Sissy now available for readers, I’m now plotting my next book.  I should say “books,” because my next work will be a series — a mystery series.

J.K. Rowling’s famous spreadsheet outline for chapters 13-24 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

I’m a planner, not a pantser, so I outline. My outlines are never proscriptive, but I do rely on them to get me to the last chapter.  I work better when I have a goal.  They are also handy when I reach a feeling of being lost while writing, wondering where I should go next.  That’s when I can go to my outline and say, “Oh yeah! I still need to get to that midpoint.” It helps to focus and reinvigorate my writing.

It’s amazing and impressive to see how many ways I can go off course during this critical part of my writing process.  I can’t tell you how many times I have been distracted by such things as, oh, let’s see, analyses of every major inciting event and plot point in each of the Harry Potter and Hunger Games series, or graphical depictions of the Hero’s Journey, and said journey as applied to some of the great novels.  Then there’s that smart photo editing guy on Twitter, James Fridman. I can get lost appreciating his brain all day.

I allow myself the indulgence of distraction because I know the story is still churning inside my head.  It’s not quite ready to burst out in all its messy first draft energy.  But I can tell you, it’s on its way.  And I can also let you know it will feature a female protagonist and a set of characters you have never met before in my books.

So, stay tuned! I’ll let you know how it’s coming along. I also will provide more information in my periodic, email updates, so if you haven’t already, please sign up for them.

Oh! And if you like my books, please remember to rate and review them on Amazon and Goodreads. This helps others decide to check them out.

Thanks, and see you next time.