Cindy asked Tamara Jones:

What kind of prep work do you do before you start a novel?

Tamara Jones I always have my story and character concepts nailed down, and I research what I *think* I'm going to need for the nitty gritty details of the story. Most of the research becomes background info for me and never appears in the final piece, and there's always a pile of things that pop up that I need to clarify as the story unfolds. I don't plan a lot, and my outlines - if you can even call them that - are really short, just a few plot point 'stage marks' to hit, leaving much of the story a discovery for me as it unfurls.

I know where it starts, where it ends (usually, I was surprised once) and I know what sort of structure I'm aiming for (three act, five act, over-arcing theme, etc). Each story has its own essence, though, so more often than I'd like to admit I'm just along for the ride. Once I nail the beginning, it tends to race along while I follow, typing and trying to keep up.

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