The Nick of Time

     Well, I did it. I managed to finish Halloween Scourge just under the wire. It is by far my longest work at 145,000 words, and I'm glad to see it done. I feel a little brain-frazzled at the prospect of jumping into The Missing Succubus right away, but I'll plow ahead, anyway. I've got some ideas on what I want to write, but how to go about it is still somewhat iffy.
     It's all about story telling conventions, really. I have an event, which is exceptionally important. Life-altering important for my main character, but it will only have minimal impact in this book. It is in future books that the import of this event will make itself known, yet this event will still require my character's full attention for some time, asking him to fly to another location to deal with it before even dealing with a case. So this can't be a conventional subplot that goes on simultaneously with the main plot. I'm left with the conundrum of how to introduce this event in proper context with the story, and I'm afraid I'm left with the time-honored, and overused, tradition of the flashback, which I am loath to use also because of how it reduces the immediacy of the event. Perhaps, though, that is what I must do, though. I will continue to mull it over as I prepare for NaNoWriMo. I'm planning to attend the regional kick-off party for NaNoWriMo, and maybe bounce some ideas off of my fellows for an opinion. As soon as I get it written, I'll post up the first chapter for enjoyment, as well as updating the chronology.