Glimmer.

I get what I call "glimmers" of a story -- especially at the beginning.  In fact, I don't start a book unless I have a vague notion of what I'm trying to accomplish.

I purposely don't explore these "glimmers" when they come to me until the day comes when I sit down and write them.  Every book needs a strong glimmer, and every chapter needs at least a small glimmer.

Anyway, as I've been saying, I've been a loose ends for three whole days.  I want to write a sequel to Death of an Immortal, but I wasn't getting anything.

Then I decided I would place the main character in Crescent City California, where Linda and I often go for vacation.  (She grew up there.)  And this morning, I got a very strong glimmer of how I want the story to start.

So, subconscious, you had to wander in the wilderness for all of three days...



Later, I got another idea, but after letting it glimmer for awhile, it started to fade.  It wasn't the right approach -- it felt wrong.  Maybe later in the story.

When I wrote Death of an Immortal, the theme was very much about redemption, and the plot was constructed in a way to explore that theme.

So I'd like to have an equally strong theme for the next book.