Collision Course

I was roughly halfway through the first draft of Imprints of the Past before I conceived of a satisfying backstory for the fantastical, paranormal events it portrays. There had to be more going on than just ghosts and spirits and hauntings. There are many excellent variations on those themes and I wanted to find something a little different. Fleshing out my idea also suggested the conflict that formed the basis for a compelling finale to the book, while also setting up a sequel for which I had not originally planned.

Those of you who have read the book know that, sprinkled among the chapters of first person narrative, are a handful of "interludes", which suggest unseen eyes are watching our characters as they combat the strange phenomena plaguing St. Louis. To whom do these eyes belong? What do they know that our characters do not? When will we find out?

It was soon clear to me that the answer to that last question was "not in this first book", not without writing the doorstop I wanted to avoid. I was determined to stay under 80,000 words for my first novel - it clocked in at just under 78,000 for the record - and so I decided to sow these seeds but wait to see them flower. Some readers have tried to guess the answers, which is gratifying; I have neither confirmed nor denied the accuracy of those guesses, which I suspect is not.

What I can reveal is that I have just reached the point in my first draft of Book 2 where these two worlds collide, and answers are forthcoming (along with more questions, of course!) With mostly minor deviations, I've stayed true to my original outline and have reached the long-anticipated meeting of existing and new characters that takes the plot in several new and (I hope) interesting directions. It's exciting and a little scary. I know some of the things that happen next and I have a plan for the finale of Book 2, but corralling the debris into a cohesive and captivating story is going to be a test. It's time to roll up my sleeves, take a deep breath, and see just how good I am at this writing thing anyway.