The Muddle in the Middle

Yep. I'm in the middle of the new book and feeling boggy. 

I've done a rough outline so that I make sure I stay on task. There's one character who wants a bigger role (and will likely get one). Because of the outline (and this is why I avoid them most of the time unless I'm wandering aimlessly), I'm eager to get to the plot points that are on the horizon. I spent one day writing, then went back to look at my chapter points and realized I'd jumped ahead. Went back to the start, kept what I'd written (because it will happen eventually) and followed the road I needed to get there. 

Which brings me to my problem with time. You've probably heard me go on about how I lose track of what day of the week it is, or what month, or any number of time concepts. In this book, I seem to be stuck on one day. For almost 20 chapters, it's still the same day. At some point I'm going to have to move on to "the next day." My future chapter notes that are waiting for me cover at least a week, so I need to figure out what to do with my "problem child" for a week. 

Muddling. Stuck in the middle of the story and trying to get my feet out of the mud. But you know what? That's what first drafts are for. Once I get to the figurative other side, I can go back and mop up my muddy footprints. 

In the meantime, I'm still trying to decide on a series name for my haunted house books. I've had a couple of good suggestions that I'm chewing on, but still undecided. Ran a contest in my newsletter, and now I'm opening it up for my blog audience. What do you think? Here are some of the suggestions I've received so far:

Elle Barclay’s Eerie Happenings
Mysterious Phenomena
Haunting Spirits
Shades of Elle Barclay
Specters of Elle Barclay
Restless Spirits

You can send me your suggestions HERE. If I choose yours, I'll give you your choice of one of my books (including the upcoming new release).