I love it when a plan comes together....

Exciting things are happening this week! I'm on a five day staycation, spending my time finishing up my novel. By the end of my time off on Tuesday night, I intend to have the first draft totally completed and be ready for edits.

In order to make it easier to make that happen, several things had to be in place.

On the Homefront:

After a very long wait, my new home office is completely finished and my furniture and books are all in place. No more blaming my surroundings for unproductive days. I love the colors, I love the furniture, and I love being surrounded by books. The room is comfortable and finished exactly the way I envisioned. I can't imagine a better space for writing than this, and I feel such a sense of peace knowing that now it's complete and I can focus my energies on more important things.

Layla insisted that there was not enough emphasis on dogs in the room, but now that I've added her bed to the space, she's forgiven me. She makes a good writing companion. She is quiet when I need it, reminds me when it's time to eat, and listens without interruption to my ideas. She also reminds me that sometimes you have to get up and walk around and get a little exercise too, and that helps me stay fresh and focused. Maybe someday I'll write a book about her, but she's okay with that project staying on the back burner...for now.

In my World of Pure Imagination:

I have been doing some more research and backstory creation for my characters, finding ways to flesh them out in my mind so I can do the same on paper.

• New Characters - There are a couple of new characters that I'm introducing into the text. One will be added to chapters I've already written, taking a character who was previously unnamed and barely described and giving her life. I decided that her character deserved more attention, and therefore she will be highlighted in places and given more time centerstage. She adds an element of authenticity and realism that I think enhances the storyline I've already written. The other new character is one that I initially wrote, then removed, and now have decided belongs in the story after all. It's a minor character, but still necessary for good storytelling, I think.
• Research - I've been doing some research for those characters based on historical figures, and I'm very excited with what I've found. One character in particular turned out to have a true story and myth surrounding her that almost exactly mirrors what I'd already dreamed up on my own. I love that my creative mind came up with something that is very nearly the truth, and I now feel that I have much more firm ground to stand on when filling in her backstory for my readers.
• Attention to Detail - It's important to me that I get my forensic details right. To that end, I had a long discussion with a professor of forensics who invited me to sit in on his course this fall. He also suggested some readings for me, and I'm taking his advice to heart. I hope that my story will benefit from what I learn, both in this book and in the sequel. Yep, you heard me. SEQUEL.
• Sequel - I'm certain that this book is a series now. I'd tried to talk myself out of that, but it started to feel rushed, and my characters have much more to say than one book's worth of material. This storyline is only just beginning, and I can see a lot more exciting things to come as they progress. You may as well settle in and get comfortable. Get a snack. I've got a long story to tell, and it's only getting more exciting with each chapter.