Shifting and Shuffling

Funny thing about writing.  It’s a lot like life.  Just when you think you’ve got it all planned out, it changes right before your eyes.

I’m nearing the completion of the second novella Skyway in our five novella Gabby Wells series.  The goal of the novellas was to introduce the readers to the characters and world of Gabby Wells while slowly preparing them for the tone of the first novel, Water & Blood.

We’ve mapped out story ideas for the five novellas that mirror the themes of the five novels while easing the reader into the darker world that lie ahead.  However, mid-way through the writing of Skyway, a couple of things changed.

• First, the entire premise needed to change.  Not the plot, per se, but the characters early reaction to the plot needed to be altered.
• This effected the mood of the novella, making it more serious and darker.
• This, in turn, made us realize that it didn’t fit as the second novella, but the fourth.
• This meant that the relationships would have to be updated because who they are in novella two are not the same as novella four.
• This also meant that the history of the characters during the plot of Skyway no longer worked and, when updated, made it even darker.
• This change in novella order also changed where Gabby was on her faith journey which meant her spiritual interaction with the story now had to be different.

Dominos.  One change causing another.

The end result is that I’m almost done with the second novella which is actually the fourth.  This required that the story for the fourth novella be moved to the second novella, which meant that the characters relationships and faith journeys had to be altered too.

I thought I had it all planned out, but the characters and the story informed me otherwise.

It’s not the first time this sort of seismic shift happened mid-write.  I’m certain it won’t be the last.