As I dig deeper into Book 3 of Strin & Fred, I thought I’d explain how I go about creating this particular story.
Trouble on the Horizon started by throwing two characters into a situation they didn’t understand. I didn’t really understand it either, but I had fun figuring it out. There was no plan. I have no firm recollection about how far I planned ahead, but most of first book was made up on the spot. Ananya was even introduced by a guest writer in the original version.
I do remember that by the time I wrote the story of Lila and Rutsu, I had a vague outline in my head not just for the end of that book, but for the series.
Skip ahead 10 years. What do I know now, with The Remnant of Dreams finished and probably half of Book 3 complete?
Not as much as you’d probably guess (or hope).
Here’s the thing. Strin and Fred has always been created in the moment of writing, and even when the story grew, became more complex, I wanted to keep it that way, for better or worse. Every time I begin a new chapter I ask myself: Who is the most intriguing character at this moment? Where is the emotional center of this scene? How do move this character a step closer to the end goal?
I do have end goals. I know, in big picture terms, how certain plotlines end, or at least where major turning points are. But if you asked me to write the last chapter, I couldn’t. I’m following a thread in the dark, with a sense of which way the exit is, but without know what twists or turns I’ll have to take to get there.
There are major events in book 3 I’ve had in my head for a long, long time. And there are scenes and journeys I didn’t discover until last night.
Case in point: A week or two ago, I got this fabulous idea. I sketched out a key word outline. Yes! That’s how this next section will go…. Within two pages, my characters had said, “Good idea. But how about this instead?”
This fluidity, I think, is a hallmark of Strin and Fred. It’s one of the reasons I get stuck, too. I worry that I’ll get my characters mired in a swamp; but I also have a innate desire to make sure my characters are always making transitions, moving forward emotionally even if they’re stuck physically.
In general, I think it works. But sometimes I’m not so sure.
That’s what editing is for.