I like to break my chapters into subchapters. Partially for effect, but mostly for keeping story elements compartmentalized to some degree—for me as well as the reader. One of the down sides of this approach, I’m discovering, is that such breaks provide a convenient place to stop writing!

At least for a little while. They’re also a good place to revisit my “outline(s)” and evaluate where things are headed. Chapter VII for Between the Lion and the Wolf (BLW) seems bent on making sure I steer things in just the right direction. (At least, that’s what I hope is going on!) For the curious, here’s a redacted photo from my notebook:

Re-reading my chicken-scratches often (not always) helps me get back into the swing of things, and I’m hoping that’ll be the case today. I’ve probably said it before, but some chapters almost write themselves: it’s like words just show up on the screen and they just keep coming! So far, that doesn’t describe today—or last week, for that matter. I still know what needs to happen, but I need to make sure the appropriate bases are covered before certain events take place. I know I’ve said before that I appreciate logical consistency in the choices my characters make and the resultant consequences: if a necessary choice seems illogical, I like to at least provide an in-world explanation (through other character’s reactions and dialogue) to illustrate even flawed rationale. Not to say there’s any (all right, much) of that going on right now! Still, my point is having the first book’s entities established creates possible continuity or characterization issues on which I need to keep myself updated. I know (most of) these characters well enough not to have to flip back and forth, but it’s nice to know such resources are there when the occasion arises!

I sent a rough draft of BLW chapters I–VI to Mom and Dad last night. Hopefully, once they’ve had a chance to read them, they’ll like what they’ve seen. And hopefully, once chapters VII–XX are finished—and everything’s edited—you’ll like them, too! To that end, it’s time to give focus to another window and mash this keyboard elsewhere!