New title: "Time In/Time Out"

I'm thinking of changing the title of my larping book to "Time In/Time Out."

I've never had a book do this before. A hugely strong first 30,000 words, written in 4 days, two days off, then another 10,000 good words off of the steam of that beginning in another 4 days.

But all the threads don't lead anywhere. They don't excite me. I like everything I've written a lot, but I feel like if I extend them, they'll weaken. It feels more like a duty to extend them.

Then again, the first 40,000 words are really the set up. The situation, the characters, the stakes, the world.

So it occurred to me on my walk to treat the next 40,000 words almost as a new beginning, a new story, if you will, using everything I've set up to drive to an ending.

New beginnings are always the best, and if a book is a series of new beginnings--at the same time it continues the basic premise--then it keeps up the excitement. It especially inspires me to write.

I'm even thinking of labeling Parts One and Parts Two with the tags "Time In" and "Time Out," and having the title of the book be "Time In/Time Out."

I've figured out a little trick to raise the stakes.

I have to do is coming up with 5 puzzle stories, or at least 5 different LARP scenarios, that the two sides have to play against each other, with the stakes raised with each game until at the end it becomes real life and death.

I'm thinking one per genre.

SF.
Fantasy
Horror
Noir
and...

What for the fifth? Maybe Steampunk? If I could pull it off, romance would be cool, but I'm not sure I know how to do that. Maybe give it a try, since each scenario will be like writing a short story.

Very cool.

I think I've got it.