I'm on chapter three of the new novel (at the moment still called 'Serial for Breakfast' but really starting to hate that title).
"What?" I hear you cry, "Only chapter three?"
Yes, I'm afraid so. Although it's still technically the first draft, chapters 1 and 2 have had a bit of reworking done on them already.

Parts of the story have been taken out and new bits added. It's all part of the process. I'm happy with the characters I've got so far. I've mentioned before that I know a character is right when I hear their voice. That's why my first drafts always tend to have a little too much conversation in them; it's just me and them getting to know each other.

I've just reached the part where main character, Maggie and her friend, Sarah arrive at the police station for the first time. And there I've had to stop.

As they get out of the car the scene calls for a bit of description about the town. Now that could have been quite simple with a normal, everyday kind of town but silly bugger here has decided to set the entire novel in a spa town. Suddenly I have a whole backstory to sort before I can even mention what the high street looks like. There are so many questions I've had to ask myself

Is the place still an active spa town and if not; why?
When was it at its peak and how much of the old town is left? How has modern day development affected it? Is it still a tourist hub today?

I've spent the morning researching different spa towns and now my fictional Cunden Lingus has a history going back to Roman times! I've got monks owning the warm springs until King Henry VIII stole them. I've got a Georgian revival and Victorian decline. I've got an old pump house, now a museum; and a cholera outbreak.

99% of that information won't make it into the book but at least I now have a clear image of the place in my head.

Perhaps I'll set number four on a brand new housing estate.