Got a cold, going to write.

I don't think this cold will stop me from writing, and it had the benefit of getting me out of a dentist appointment.

The Last Fedora: The Golem Gangster Chronicles, is coming very smoothly so far.  I'm starting to see a pattern.  I get an idea I like, I start writing, I get about 10K words in and realize I've left out some basic elements, some plot thing or a character.

So I add those in, which then expands the plot, and before I know it, I'm halfway through the book with 2/3rds of the book plotted and a vague idea of how I want it to end.

For me it is all about getting the right mix of characters.  If I do that, and they have competing motivations, the plot takes care of itself.

I need the bad guy, the good guy, the romantic interest, the sidekicks, and so on.

What usually happens is that a couple of smaller characters grow large in personality.  They just insert themselves into the story, and that's cool because it makes the plot less predictable.

I'm calling this the Tuskers model of writing, though I was doing most of that already.  It just really clarified with Tuskers.  I won't call it a formula until becomes boring and predictable.

It's really about creating interesting people and letting them do their thing.