Constrained Writing

Monday Mind Dump

(I asked ChatGPT for this image, described it…and it spat out a written tiny story that contained some hilarious things that I will definitely make use of. (Shouldn’t have to say this, but no, not letting it write for me. For one, it doesn’t write LIKE me and two, it doesn’t fit within my world as it mingled other things into it that aren’t present. I just liked the nudge of a funny suggestions) More of, it gave me an idea of the dumb antics he would go through to share his seasonal spirit. Then I remembered I forgot to tell it to illustrate. :D)

I finished Fools Gold and noted that, oh wow, all the events take place within a single month. Then, I checked Blood Diamonds. Yup. One month. :D I’d forgotten that, because it wasn’t my intention for the story to take place over a month. I’m not bound to that time framing, thankfully, but I think it drives the fast pacing within the novel. It didn’t feel as quick while I wrote it, but that’s because I had real life interruptions that slowed me down.

However, this is important because Blackwood Confidential (the series that will take place after Blackwood) takes place at a very precise, month devoted to each novel. I wrote The House on the Corner and Hunter in the Family with that structure, although I did it badly. Now I know that I’m going to treat each day as a part, with chapters within that day. I wasn’t sure when I wrote them, several years ago, that I could maintain that. Apparently, I can. Without even trying.

Of course, I need to revise and split the current Arcadian Ascendant novel in half. ;) And write a companion novella about a spoiler plot point that won’t be released until the third novel has been out for a while. These are meant to be more ‘leisurely’. Blackwood Confidential has a greater overreaching, world involving arc. Along with MCs who need time to change their worldviews. That being Cade and Mira.

Bog and Katherine are much easier to deal with. Far less emotional baggage on both their parts. *giggling at a couple of things that will be clearly revealed in Arcadian Ascendant and whatever book three is* The reader will know, but I am making sure to write these in a way that one won’t have to read one series to follow the other. Don’t want someone thinking they have to read a huge number of books to be caught up…which is why House on the Corner overlaps some of Blackwood, but from different POVs.

I have a lot to pack into a month, and yes, I darn well keep in line with the holidays. ;) Because Cade…is a holiday fanatic. Much to Mira’s annoyance. This is a man who destroys his entire front lawn every October for Halloween, to create a fun house for the kids of the town, who invariably will always show up at his house because of who he is. They don’t do this to Bog, for reasons. Cade is the more social one.

November, let’s decorate heavily for Thanksgiving! But there are RULES! No lights go up until December. Every holiday MUST be contained within its month. I haven’t written the December book, but oh yeah, that is going to be a light show extravaganza. Mira’s not getting any sleep.

January…muhuahuahua… What could possibly happen in JANUARY when you live next to a secret mythical animal preserve? >:) It involves six legged horses, a mysterious giant peryton carrying sealed scrolls in his antlers…and a father who delights in seeing how many dumb things he can talk his wolf shifter son into in the dead of winter. (Look up perytons and you can get an idea what’s going to happen if you’ve read Blackwood.)

As you can see. I have plans. So many plots and plans! Can’t wait to get to them, but they must wait their turn.