I&E follow-along: starting in the right place

So, I’m back on task after my time off to deal with copyedits for The Prince of Lies and attend a convention, which means I need to get on with this outline!

Taking a break from the outlining process has allowed me to look at it with fresh eyes—and I’ve realised that I’m not starting the story in the right place. That is, I’m trying to start my plot at the wrong part of my protagonist’s character arc, with the result that he ends up taking a back seat in some crucial events because he’s not ready for them. My solution has been to move the beginning of the external plot arc further along in his timeline, to a point where he’s badass enough to be the star of the show

My Muse is clearly happy with this change, as she’s practically dictating the opening scenes to me whenever I have a spare moment to think about the story. On the frustrating side, I’m going to have to throw away big chunks of my initial outline—but better that than throwing out 30,000 words of prose!