Inside Out

Due to the weird way we work, the book we are currently plotting will be the middle book in the Music Trilogy. The gap that it will fill is fairly large, so we’re not overly constrained, but there is a finite time period where it can be set, and there are several threads that lead into and out of it that can’t be changed. They can perhaps be adjusted slightly, tuned up a bit. But certain people have to survive the middle book, and certain events have to happen. There’s a forcefield around them.

This is an on-steroids instance of the Pantser’s Complaint. Those who eschew outlines often cite the feeling of being limited, and a loss of motivation to discover the story. With all the big decisions made, they find it hard to engage with the project anymore. Here, we have significant constraints in place before we even get to the outline stage. Oh noes!

But to us, the thrill of composition remains. We love finding captivating ways to say all the things we’ve decided should be said, and we really like not having to make those decisions on the fly.

Seen from a higher altitude, the actual outline is proving very interesting as well. It’s like we have a map showing our start and end points, with just blank paper in between. We’re not trying to create the shortest or safest route. We want something with plenty of unexpected twists and turns and washed-out guardrails to let us plummet to the jagged rocks.

So even though we’ve put the squeeze on ourselves this time by working our way in from the edges, it’s coming along quite nicely. And, predictably, this is something we feel works better with two of us. These early-stage activities are where our partnership feels most dynamic, because the work consists of having conversations.