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Last Thursday, I discussed writing the ‘transitions’ between each section of my books (because I’ve just been writing one, hey-hey!)

In replying to Kristen B’s comment, I also noted that even when I think the transition is done, it often pays to reflect a little before diving into the next section. This isn’t just because (as duly noted last week) transitions can be “tricksy”, but because—for me anyway—the entry trajectory for a new section is never about “what” will happen. I always have a pretty clear idea about the “what.” The challenge is “how” to best deliver on it.

And sometimes, having a really clear idea, or ideas, about the start of a section compounds the entry trajectory rather than making it easier. A good example is Part VI No Man’s Land, in Daughter Of Blood, which opens the second half of the book.

I had two really clear visions for the opening: one involving Kalan (one of the series’ two main characters) climbing a hill and seeing a bridal caravan below him. The other was of a stranded wagon and a much smaller party of travelers. It may all seem obvious now when one reads it, but it took me five rewrites to pull those two visions together. O-o…

I also had to modify my original vision of the stranded wagon, which involved a flooded river, because upon reaching that point in the story, I realized that “of course” floods are a very rare occurrence in the semi-arid world of the Wall and the Gray Lands. And although flash floods do sometimes occur during Wall storms, generally the Derai avoid traveling in numbers during the main storm season. Hence, no flood!

UK/AU/NZ

All of which lends credence to my observation that it pays to reflect a little before diving in. This process usually involves “doodling” notes and ideas, as well as running a few “what if” scenarios, all in the hopes of rendering the path ahead more straightforward. A not-unusual outcome of this process is that I sometimes get insights into what I’ve just written, too—and how it needs to change slightly (yep, very grrgh-aargh!) for the next section to happen effectively. Fortunately, they’re usually not big changes in terms of time and effort, although they can be for making the story work.

Sometimes, though, I do get lucky and a section pretty much writes itself. Daughter of Blood Part II: Shadow of the Wall (aka Kalan in Grayharbor), is a good example of a sequence that flowed from beginning to end. As I recall, though, it was the only one—testament to the multiplicity of possible “how’s”, no matter how firmly engraved the “what” of the story.

But as my editor Kate likes to say: “Onward!” 🙂