Undisclosed Locations

We continue to have our nightly discussions about the new novel. This past week, we debugged an action sequence that will probably be the tent-pole moment setting things up for the climax. In the process, we ended up kinda-sorta actually writing some of the details, even though that’s not what we set out to accomplish. Things started to crystallize, so we rolled with it.

The thing we did set out to accomplish also came together. Without giving anything away, we can describe the issue. This sequence takes place at an alternate locale from most of the book, a place that’s only known by one of the main characters. So from the moment we decided to set things there, we were saying, “Snuffy offers to let Clarence use the place for the meet-up,” because you see Clarence needs to do things covertly and Snuffy is the one with the connection to a secluded venue. But when we examined this, it didn’t sit right. Not that Snuffy wouldn’t extend the invitation, but Clarence really wants this whole thing kept quiet, so much so that it makes no sense to tell anybody (even dear, dependable Snuffy). We will instead have Clarence opportunistically arrange the meet-up at Snuffy’s place without telling him. The actions fit the personalities a lot better, plus it lays the groundwork quite elegantly for the major misunderstandings and inhuman acts of violence that follow.

It’s still possible to imagine doing some parts of novel-writing solo. The actual writing, for example, and mostly the editing and revising, too. However, for us it’s become nigh-impossible to conceive of coming up with — and ironing out — the plot by any other method than talking it through with a partner. It’s not just load sharing or divvying things up, it’s an interactive process that depends fundamentally on teamwork.