This weekend was devoted to me figuring out if I had story. Everybody agrees that the secret to making a living self publishing is volume.  This means that I constantly need to be writing.

I know how the story ends. I figured that out when I decided to write more Pittsburgh stories. I rarely start a story before I know the ending.

About halfway through Monsters of Pittsburgh, I got sucked into a mental tangent. Jeff, my hedge doctor, is always conveniently around when Mina and Matty get hurt. I mention him going out of his way in passing once or twice, but he’s a plot device with a personality.

I had a daydream about what his life must be like. Which lead me to considering it as a short for the series. But the story I was considering was big, much bigger than even one novella.

So I thought, “Well, what about a Young Adult series?”

But try as I might to plot the damn thing,  I just couldn’t do it. Now Monsters is roughed out, and I needed to think about what to write next. I don’t ever really stop writing.

I emailed friends random questions, talked my husband’s ear off, and really just contemplated HOW I could get from point A to point B. I have a plan now, rough and halting, but a plan nonetheless.

While my friends read and crit Monsters over the next few weeks, I can finally start rouging out Jeff’s story… worrying about the covers…  wishing you could nestle pinterest boards… And so the merry-go-round continues.