…. which I’ve just written into a quick 200-word outline of the early chapters in the later storyline of the book. This is one of those ideas that really ought to have occurred to me years ago. (Yes, I’ve had these characters in my head, off and on, long enough that I can say that.) It’s such a logical explanation for bringing the characters together in the first place, which is something that had stumped me for a while. I knew Aver had a reason for visiting the city, but I had no earthly idea what it might be until tonight. (Well, I’d invented a reason, but it was forced and awkward, whereas this one feels right.)
I’ve gone on a book-buying spree, mostly to do research. Realized that I ought to know how others were writing about lucid dreams, so I picked up a copy of Graham Joyce’s Dreamside. Also realized that I still need to finish the story I submitted to Viable Paradise, so I bought some Regencies to get a feel for how they’re written. My only experience with them when I wrote the story consisted of Jane Austen and The Rushden Legacy, a hilarious book written by Melanie Rawn under a pseudonym before Dragon Prince was published. Clearly I needed to do some market research, but I hadn’t bothered, and this led to all sorts of glaring errors in the story. I read my first Georgette Heyer book over the weekend, and I must say I was a bit disappointed, given her reputation. I have another of hers – perhaps this one will be better – as well as a few by other authors.