Finished another chapter on Annah’s Exile today.  Although it’s a ‘sequel’, technically, it’s really just a book-length ‘chapter’ in a longer story, and page one of the novel flowed pretty organically out of the end of the first one.  And if it’s not organic, to me, it’s not worth it.

I don’t outline.  I start with characters, their personalities, their interests, and proceed into the conflicts that arise out of those things and the resolution that eventually arises.  I occasionally know scenes that will occur down the road, but sometimes those change slightly, or greatly, depending on what the characters tell me.  I’ve told this story before to friends, but it’s worth putting down here:  When I was writing Annah, I had it in my mind that Annah would resolve a particular issue/conflict/debate by talking to the senior members of her clan/tribe.  When I started attempting to write that scene, it didn’t seem to flow organically, and then, I found myself hearing her voice, very distinctly telling me, “I do not know what you think I am going to do, but I am not going to the Elders’ Council.  I am going to the hearth of my parents to talk to them about this.”

That worked better.  I’ve since learned not to argue with Annah about the way things should be; letting her tell me the story tends to work better–and I see no reason not to continue that way, here in book two.   Anyone else have their characters talk to them?