Rethinking "Fighting Chaos"

I have been rethinking "Fighting Chaos." No, I am not abandoning "Death at the Jungle-bunny Journal" nor am I thinking of postponing my next novel, which tentatively will be titled "The Death of Art." I will probably start "Death" some time in September.

But I have been giving some thought to "Chaos", its plotting and character development and setting. Brewster is a strong character and one the writer can root for. But he could be stronger. I show his strengths but, other than his being single, I don't draw the reader in enough with his weaknesses.

I can strengthen it without making the novel longer because I think I need to trim the narrative background material on Mark and Harriett. It is interesting. I certainly like it. But even when the couple were the main characters in the novel the background was too much. Some of it will stay but much will have to go. The good thing, however, is I can probably use it for other characters at another time.

But back to Brewster. The conflict is clear __ find the Red Lady before she strikes again. But I can use his earlier failure to capture her to a greater advantage, particularly if I can make it a touch more personal. Perhaps I can even involve Marsha Norwood more.

This novel, as you might understand, is much more personal to me than "Jungle-bunny" because it comes out of something that happened in my life. So I am reluctant to further reduce the roles of Mark and Harriett. But it is needed.

I'm not sure when I will get to it. Probably after I get an agent. Perhaps after I get a published book or two under my belt, I will be able to interest my agent in giving "Chaos" a look. It is an interesting story and I certainly hope I can find a home for it one day. Just not today.

I will take some notes, perhaps an outline, and put them in a file until some time in the future.

Thanks for reading and keep writing.