Done with the print edition of "Dabblers" for now, and today I started on the scene between Angel and the cop who is investigating the attempted murder of Jack and/or Tabitha in "The Janus Rule." The cop is also something of a love interest for Angel, and they are on a date. I figured this would be one of those quiet, transitional scenes where two people converse and information is supplied to the reader as they supply it to each other. Simple, right?
Not really. Both of these people are suspicious types, and I've toyed with the idea of having them not quite trust each other. Trying to build that in makes their encounter twice as tricky. They already like each other, but they must now say something that makes the other leery of their intentions.
Another tricky bit is how to start revealing more about the currently-unidentified stalker/killer. Pretty soon, this character (Ha! You thought I was going to use a gender-specific pronoun, right?) will have to give some clues about motive and identity. At the same time, Jack and the police are investigating to learn who that person is and they will have to turn up something. But I still want it to be a complete surprise at the pinnacle moment.
Last night, while trying to get to sleep, I found myself imagining an opening for another Stefanie Durant book. It's funny how I have come to approach creating new stories with the word "conflict" flashing in my head like a neon sign. This opening sequence will have some action and suspense and introduce one layer of conflict at its conclusion. As usual, I still don't know the entire story myself, but I've got a ways to go on "Janus" before I can start. The time approaches, though, where I will have to start making notes.
No comments:
Post a Comment