A breakthrough, epiphany, lightning bolt, whatever… My plot will now continue.

About a month ago, I started a general outline for a new story, completely outside of the Gabriel arc. Got my main character, sketched him out, put together some secondaries, wrote a half dozen sentences outlining where I wanted it to go, and set up a Scrivener project with blank chapters and character cards. I even whipped up a working title and threw together a cover using some not-free images (no, I won’t be using it — that would be wrong — but I will use someone else’s artwork as my internal motivation).

On my Med cruise, I took a few hours over a few lazy days at sea and wrote three chapters that started the story. Some good intrigue, action, things blowing up, the usual. But looking at my outline, I didn’t have that hook…that twist…that “wow” factor laid out ahead of time that I was working towards. I had the story idea, but needed something  unique and “holy &%^$& I didn’t see that coming” inspiring.

Last night, driving home from a friend’s house with my wife asleep in the front seat and my two boys mesmerized by iDevices in the back, it hit me. Figuratively, of course – something hitting me while driving would raise my insurance premiums.

No, the idea hit me, that “wow” I was looking for. A little snippet, innocent and all, from chapter two of what I had written jumped up and said, “use me, use me!”

And so I will. Stay tuned.