Sometimes you have to stop and smell the flowers

Part of being a writer is the joy of discovery.

Yes, you might sit down and plan out exactly what you are going to write and when, chapter by chapter, but that's not where the fun comes in.

The fun happens when the story takes over and you go off on a completely unexpected and different adventure.

Rabbit holes and tangents.

You sit back after having written a scene or two or three, and you sigh and say, "Where did that come from?"

That's part of the real joy of being a writer. You never quite know where the story is going to take you. And if you have that joy happening while you write then so is the reader.

Of course, sometimes you need to sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and stare out the window and think about where you left off.
What is your main character doing? I like to leave off knowing where I am going to take my hero. Sometimes though, I get to an impasse, and I have no idea at all.

I am writing the sequel to my novel EDDIE, and I am at an impasse. EDDIE has come through a very difficult and life-threatening situation, and he has once again rescued his friends, against a singular and nasty foe.
But now, he has to move on, and he needs a new threat to overcome.

Time to sit and stare out the window.
And trust that just as the last scene came to me in a flash, so the next scene will also.

And EDDIE will move towards the next step in solving the problem that is on his plate.