And on the heels of the last entry, I figured I'd do some noodling about writing again -- good ol' fiction writing for a change. I sat down tonight, after Drew went to sleep, while Lizzie made playlists and downloaded some music in iTunes, and actually outlined a new story.

I think I work better with outlines. I've got to have something to work with, instead of that empty screen. That way I can see the overall structure of the piece, whether it's a short story, novella, or novel. I have to have that breakdown of scenes and ideas, so I can start piecing it together.

And this story -- a sort of prequel to my Wannoshay novel -- is very much a puzzle. Not so much a puzzle story that ends as soon as the protagonist solves the mystery, but a story that I have to piece together (because I know this character very well, but from a later stage in his life). Tomorrow I plan on putting those pieces together, then banging out a draft in the next few days. I think I know what I want the story to do now, which is half the battle.

And in other news, I've finally found time to do some READING. I'm getting into Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow, at last. She's throwing a lot of characters at us all at once, and she withholds information from us at times that makes me a little crazy, but great characters and a cool world to explore. I'll stick with it.

What's interesting is how this book was marketed as Fiction, not SF. Which makes me wonder about my Wannoshay novel. Could that be the angle I should be shooting for? Hmmmmmm.... Something to think about -- I like to think my book is very character-driven and accessible. Maybe not at the level that Russell's book is. Not yet, but getting there... Later.