Minor breakthrough

John of the Cross wrote some of the most beautiful poetry in all of world literature as well as four treatises on the spiritual life that are studied today by Christians and non-Christians alike. Yet he did all that while carrying on a very active ministry. Except for the nine months he spent in a monastery prison, he hardly ever had any extended period of time to himself.  This is a lovely illustration of a monk writing, but I doubt that John's own exterior setting was so lovely or serene. He carried that beauty and serenity within and  it flowed out in his words, to the enrichment of us all.

As I work on my second novel featuring John of the Cross -- tentatively titled Death on the Way of Perfection -- I sometimes fantasize about the perfect place to write. From time to time, Tom offers to set something up to make it easier. But I pointed out that looking for the perfect place to write is mostly a way to not-write-right-now. My challenge is to write, not find a place to do so. So I am trying  in retirement to write every day, which I manage to do, and when possible, to write for two hours, which I often do.

To encourage me to work harder, I have signed up to participate in National Novel Writing Month in November. Participants try to write 50,000 words in 30 days. That doesn't mean I will have a final draft of 50,000 words on December 1. But I should have a solid draft to work on. My first novel, BTW, was just under 65,000 words. So 50,000 words is not all that big a book. So far I have about 17,000 words on the second mystery, which is right at a third of the 50,000 mark.

Incidentally, you are not supposed to use something you have already started, so that November novel will have to be a new project. I can't use the 17,000 I already have on Death of the Way of Perfection.  Meanwhile I am plodding along with this novel, and today I had a minor breakthrough. For me, finding an engaging start for the book is hard. And if you don't hook your reader early on, you won't have that reader later on. This afternoon while I was putting together scene cards (don't ask) and pondering where to start, I suddenly realized that I have a great dramatic opening scene already, that I had tucked away in the middle of another long scene later on. Move it to the beginning, and -- Pow! Powerful prologue, Batman!

Once that was in place, I realized that one of my subplots, which is already pretty well developed, would make a more interesting entry point for the rest of the story. I am inclined to just jump right into the middle of the main murder. But there are several murders in this one and even I am not sure which is the main murder at this point.

Anyway, to paraphrase Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, "Any minor breakthrough will do."