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Read the first chapter |
I don't plot. I might brainstorm ideas to see where they take me. Some ideas worked, some didn't. But until you look at what might happen, you've got nothing. As Nora Roberts said, you can't fix a blank page. So, in the interest of sharing what goes through my head, and my writing process, I'm going to show you my down-and-dirty, initial notes for Where Danger Hides. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hero: Dalton (Ambrose?) Cousin via his mother to Horace Blackthorne Texan 6'2 Brown hair, wears it short, Brown eyes. Recent arm injury – grazed by a bullet. Good dancer Family: Oldest of 3 Secret past – was married right out of high school. Burned by loss. Betrayal? Death? Drugs? Lost a baby? Motivation – payback for his wife. Shelter – conflict w/ anyone associated? Wife ended up on the street? Ladies' man now to avoid attachments. Secret – volunteers – "baby cuddler"? After a violent mission – release – cries? Believed dead to terrorists in previous book – word back to Phantom? Wants to return to "important" field work, cut drug smuggling. Bodyguard/escort/rescue duty. Has to watch heroine Mission – find XX, has intel about drug smuggling. The meet? Catering cover job to plant bugs? Eavesdropping on drug/arms/slave trade/smuggling operations? Dalton wants to deal with drug smuggling--- but he has to babysit XX … because she has information. Miri – works at "Galloway House" 2 sisters Mom a Star Trek fan – check other names Missing people from shelter – she goes undercover? Dalton has to find her. Conflicts? Blows Dalt's cover Steals what Dalt needs Druglord bluffs – hires Blackthorne to keep her 'safe' to get her out of the way. Accident investigation Dalt finds her Dalton told woman being held against her will … Daughter of high government official; drug related, needs to be kept out of the press. Miri approaches Blackthorne? Sister is missing? Rafael is underling – 1 wants him caught; other needs him to get to the real druglord. Needs drug laundering – Patterson connection? Others: Grace – elderly woman, met her at the fundraiser. Samantha – works at Galloway house; has baby. Miri's 'confidant?" Nancy – Miri's sister. Rich, needs to keep her past hidden. Has discovered ties to drug ring. Thinks Dalton is a contact. Miri needs to stay on Romero's good side; she fingers Dalton; Dalton needs to go beyond for his superior. Exposing Romero will Miri = "loose cannon" Suspects Patterson is sabotaging GH – Woman comes to shelter; turns up dead? Doesn't want GH implicated. And, below is the start of my character grid, missing the all-important conflict column. I never went back to fill it in, although I did have conflicts galore for my characters.
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