Under a read-more because I'm just talking myself through some things in preparation for the long-haul Muddy Middle here. Rebloggable if you wish, though I can't fathom why you'd want to ;P
I'm going to have to do more character-establishing work. There's a lot of ground to cover between what I want to accomplish and what I'm actually writing on the page. Maybe I'll start writing additional notes in the outlines for each scene:
What tone am I going for? Is this meant to be a heavy, angsty scene, or am I trying to go for light hearted? (This one's important because I looove throwing in an angst curveball when it's really unnecessary!)
In addition to plot advancement, how am I progressing the characters' arcs? How should their interactions change after whatever they learn or whatever happens in this scene?
How do they feel about what they learn/what's happening?
I especially want to focus on the developing feelings between my MC and her love interest. While I love a good sunshine character/grumpy character relationship, I usually write/read it from the perspective of the sunshine character.
So I've also been re-thinking the POV in this story. Do I want to switch between POVs so I can get my 'fix'? Do I want to make this be from a different POV (which would require extensive reworking, so, no I don't really want that)?
Maybe I simply need to look at each of their interactions through the lens of the sunshine character, then figure out what my grump is thinking at any given moment during this interaction.
Writing some surface-level dialogue without thoughts and asides would be a good start. Watch it from an outsider's perspective entirely, then figure out where to go from there.
I also need to figure out a few other things like pacing the frequency of heart-to-heart conversations and how much to reveal in each one.
AND also, and it's kind of silly that I'm thinking of this so far into the development process, but why are they attracted to each other in the first place?
What are all the little things that build up into one big thing? Or, if I go the intended route with Hawthorne and have him fall for Beck almost immediately for Reasons, how can I support that infatuation with evidence and turn it into a solid foundation for actual love?
It's not even a romance story but I so badly want to write a satisfying buildup for them ;-; I don't want it to feel shoe-horned.
And none of that is even mentioning the other two members of the squad. I should write a few vignettes for Yarrow and Cal to get a feel for their voices as well. I know I want Yarrow to be a bubbly 12-year-old, but so far I've written her as kind of sullen. Time to fix that!
Some things I know about her so far: She latches on to people who show her kindness. She is naive about people's intentions, but not unaware that bad people exist in the world. She is afraid of what will happen if her secret (an implant in her leg) is revealed to the group—she thinks they'll shun her because she has built up a superstition due to lack of understanding, so she takes great pains to hide it. Eventually, the truth comes out in a pivotal moment, which will be the basis for all sorts of fun plot things :)
In addition to all that, I'm not even sure what's going on with Calamus. I'm figuring out his character as I go—I have a few thoughts in mind, but nothing solid yet. He'll be a fun one to create because in my head he's already very nuanced. He's full of contradictions! He contains multitudes. He's cowardly but cocky, he's self-serving but undertaking this perilous journey for the greater good, he's a follower who tries to be a leader.
In a similar way that Hawthorne is a foil for Beck, I think Cal is a foil for Hawthorne. There to contrast and highlight Hawthorne's strengths by his own weaknesses. But he has his own (very good) reasons for being on this quest himself, so under all of the negative qualities, there's a solid conviction which will lead to some interesting choices and plot-relevant stuff later on.
So I'll also need to have scenes that specifically showcase the contrast between the characters.
Maybe I could start a scene checklist of all the things I want to write in the novel, keep the list nearby while I write, and check them off as I go. That way, even if I veer off-course plot-wise, the emotional stuff I want to develop can still make its way in there. It's like solving a problem! I know the solution I want (emotional bonding!) and the plot is just how they get there.
Okay this has been a productive rant and I've given myself a lot to think about. If you happened to read this whole thing, I'm glad you stuck around! If you have opinions on anything I said, I'd love to hear it.
