Finished! Almost

Smugglivus this year Judging Books by Their Covers

Finished! Almost

It’s odd how plotting works for me. (I am the first to admit this.)

I sent the first half of my CITY novella to my brother, asking “What happens next?” He made various comments, none of which helped. Except those comments got me thinking and almost at once the back half of the novella worked itself out for me, with that sense of OF COURSE that often attends such moments.

Now I wonder how I could have missed what obviously has to be the back half of the novella. It’s perfect. It ties together the two protagonists — Neill (always my favorite) and a new character. It gives them both a reason to be there and do that. It sorts out both their lives.

How did I possibly miss this and get stuck for months?

Anyway, I wrote the penultimate chapter yesterday. Today or tomorrow I will write the denouement. Then I will be able to check off that story and move on to something else.

It’s going to be about 20,000 words, btw. So far that makes it the longest story planned for the collection next year.

Incidentally, a gold star to anyone who suggests a good title for this collection. Dreams of Distant Shores just will NOT get out of my head, but of course it is taken (which is why it’s in my head to start with).