queenoftheskies

Ever since I finished the screenplay for Gateway to Eternity, and decided that I loved it even though it was outside the canon of the universe for my series, I wanted a way to fit it into the novel series.

I thought it was be an excellent jumping off point, a great beginning to my series to introduce my characters, the fact that they're alien, and the fact that they're magic users on Earth for a reason.

It would raise a lot of questions that wouldn't need to be resolved in the first novel, but could be fleshed out through those that followed.

It would also introduce and provide the catalyst for the rest of the series that's actually set on Earth.

Except, the big problem with the novel was that it was, in essence, highlights from a couple of different points in the series rolled into one and mutated into a different story with a finite ending.

Yes, I could find a way to resurrect the antagonist, but I didn't want to do that. It feels trite and like cheating to me.

Today, as I was plotting the screenplay into a novel, my brain said, "Look what I've got! Look what I've got!"

And, there it was. The solution.

So, though I really am pleased with the ending of the screenplay, it's just that. The ending of the screenplay. It's NOT the ending of the novel.

I now know how to lead the novel into the novel that follows it, City of Fallen Stars, though I do have yet to determine whether to keep the same protagonist or substitute another and keep the big guns for the ultimate ending.

What's even better is that I know how to lead City of Fallen Stars into Ancient Secrets, which is my 263,405 word novel that was a mini-series in and of itself. To date, while I've tinkered around with it, I have not split it in a definite fashion because I knew there was something I hadn't figured out yet.

Well, now I have. I know HOW to split Ancient Secrets and how it'll fit into the grand scheme of things.

HOORAY!

Added to the satisfaction is the realization that one of the splits of Ancient Secrets will fall into step nicely with City of Fallen Stars and could even happen at the same time.

It's a different plot, of course, with different characters and a different location, but when it was done and City of Fallen Stars is done, it would bring them all together for a big event in Ancient Secrets.

The remaining one-third will be cut away and included in the stories that follow.

An even bigger surprise was a bombshell that exploded in my mind as I arrived home from the store when something from the pre-series suddenly tied into something I wrote in Gateway to Eternity.

It was something I'd planned on making final determinations and explanations on when I actually finished writing that part of the story, but I didn't have an answer for it yet. (I am a stickler on everything having an explanation and making sense even if it's not actually included in the story--because who likes info dumps? It has to make sense to ME, though, as the author, and I have to be able to explain it if asked.)

But, here it is, all fleshed out and making complete, total, absolute sense. I love it!

I love the fact that brain can perform even after a few token hours of sleep and too much work over the past few weeks.

In fact, I'm surprised my subconscious is working at all considering how sleep-deprived and exhausted I've been.

Last night was no exception, even though I hit the sack at 8:30. I was so tired that everything hurt and I spent a lot of time tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable.

Plus,

manga_queen was watching Dr. Who (which I'm going to watch on tape later) and the noise from the werewolf kept me awake, too.

Then Kero got in when she went out to hit the bathroom and get ready for bed and he wouldn't let me sleep.

There were a million (or so it seemed) loud people outside last night.

And, then, of course, the phone rang, wrong number, and the people wouldn't hang up when I kept trying to explain to them that I didn't understand what they were saying because they were speaking a different language.

The bottom line is that I didn't even get to sleep until around 11:00 because of all the interruptions and then was awakened half a dozen times during the night.

I think a nap is in order later, but not until I get some writing done first.