Thursday, June 2, 2016

How do You Stay on Track?


I’m working on the third book of my Toltec Trilogy. As a pantser I didn’t have a detailed plot set out when I began this project.

The first two books were relatively easy. My publisher looked at the original, rather long manuscript, liked it, and told me to cut it in half into two books, and write a third volume to finish the story, so here I am.

I had a vague idea where I was going when I started the final book. In this trilogy I decided to tell the story from three different points of view. It is a what-if alternate history. The basic plot idea that triggered this epic was that the Toltec Empire of Mexico has discovered Europe and arrived there with superior weaponry. Sort of a discovery of the New World, in reverse. My three narrators are: a young Irishman in the service of a Toltec god, a Toltec captain in charge of a fort near London England, and a young Saxon girl on the run. I alternate their stories and POV throughout the tale  set in 1215 AD.

I’m currently 46,000 words into book three. The problem I’m finding, with so many characters, and stories I could possibly tell, how do I stay on the straight and narrow and wrap up all my ideas by the 100,000 word mark? Then there is the research. I find it so easy to stop what I’m doing to look up some obscure fact. But those obscure facts help to flesh out the tale.

This is where the plotter may have an advantage over the pantser. They’d do all of this preliminary work before they even start.

On the other hand, I’m finding characters and angles I would never have thought of if I didn’t allow my three subjects to run amuck. I know in the grand scheme of where I finally want to get to. I’m finding the path getting there interesting, frustrating, and exciting. I’ve been known to say I write so I find out how the story will end.

I don’t even have a title yet for book three. Nothing I’ve come up with so far gets the juices flowing.

Of course, I also gave myself a deadline when I said I would have the first draft completed. I have three months left from here to my target. Guess I’d better set this blurb aside and do some serious creative writing.

The main thing is, enjoy whatever you are writing, or reading. I know I am.

R.J.Hore
www.ronaldhore.com
www.facebook.com/RonaldJHore

The Dark Lady Trilogy (Volume 1,2,3)
The Queen’s Pawn (Volume 1,2,3)
The Housetrap Chronicles (Volume 1 to 7)
Alex in Wanderland,
Knight’s Bridge
We’re Not in Kansas
Coming events in 2016: Toltec Dawn (Book 1 of 3)