Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Mysterious Planning

My new project is threatening to become a whodunit. I started with my usual chapter outline, but soon realized that unless I planned in a different way, I’d end up with a hopeless muddle. I needed to start with the crime.

So far my note headings include:
  • The Crime
  • The Suspects for Motive #1
  • The Suspects for Motive #2
  • The Suspects for Motive #3
  • Red Herrings
  • How the Kids Discover Clues
This last section is turning out to be a bugaboo. Transportation is often a problem for teens, and my protagonist is no different. Plus, high school kids are frequently saddled with well-meaning adults, a situation that is not conducive to covert investigations. My first step is to get them a better car, and the second is to ditch the chaperones.

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