So far, I've enjoyed this new story. It's all over the place, because I'm allowing lots of changes early in the book. This is dangerous, it could be a problem--so much so, that over the last five years I've had a rule against it.

Finish the first draft,  has always been my rule. No major changes until that is done.

Most of the time, this has worked out, but in trying to write thrillers I've run into problems. See, I discover plot by writing. Over the last couple of books, I felt like I meandered perhaps a little too much in the first first half of the books before the stories truly kicked in. When I came back two months later, I was able to correct some of this, but by that time I'd already sent off the books.

New rule--two months minimum of waiting before a final rewrite.

Anyway, I think what is happening in this new book is that I am totally into the first person narrator. He's me, only...

He's not the me that is a mundane, risk-averse, rule following Loner.

He's the me that is a bold, risk-taking, law-breaking Loner.

It is basically a form of power fantasy.

I've always wondered if I could pull off a heist, if I could get away with murder, if I could disappear as a fugitive.

Doesn't everyone? I asked Linda and she said "No" to the heist and getting away with murder, but yes to the disappearing, so maybe I'm just weird.

Anyway, I'm just indulging fully in this fantasy of being a tough guy. I've often said I don't like doing first-person because it is almost invariably me, and that always seems amorphous, but in this case, I've got a pretty good sense of who this guy is. Plus, I need it to be first-person for my twist to have any chance of working.

It's me in a fantasy world, a Noir, Hard-boiled, Gothic thriller.

Yes, it's set in the real world, and yes I want it to feel real, but that isn't the main reason for doing it. The main reason is to inhabit this bad-ass persona and enjoy the power fantasy.

My main task in the first half of the book, which I've mostly thought through, is to get enough action and intrigue to keep the reader interested until the twist happens. Hopefully the twist will keep them engaged for the second half of the book, which will be mostly action.

So I'm adding Crocodiles, as many Crocodiles as I can dream up. Complications that ramp up the pressure on the protagonist, then..BAMM!...the twist, which will hopefully blow their minds.

So my main entrance to the story everyday is to lay down, try to inhabit the main character, and then just let him talk.