Late Night Research and Distractions

BEWARE: Random thoughts on my writing process ahead! I haven't updated about my novel in a long time, but you'll be disappointed if you're looking for juicy details....

It's been slow going for my novel. As soon as I finished my master's degree and set to continue writing, I took a promotion that set my goals into a tailspin. Barely having time for my own life, I set aside my novel for a year. Now that I have a routine with my fresh freelance writing career, the urge to write is strong. Of course, when I touched my fingers to the keys of my laptop, I realized that I am at the point where getting the details fleshed out is vital to the future of what I intend to be a trilogy. My novel's plot has changed, and while I'm so excited about this direction, I have a lot of work ahead. Something simple quickly became massively complicated, but it's a good thing: this isn't your stereotypical zombie apocalypse novel!

Up until now simple details haven't been important to get to where I am, but now that my characters are about to really be on the move toward the ultimate overreaching arch, I need even the smallest ironed out. The DNA of the infection has to have specific elements to work for the plot, and I'm not the type to take shortcuts and not have my ideas at least somewhat grounded in science. Plus, my villain's motives make his background equally important and that, too, needs to be grounded in historical facts. Where am I going with this? The fun of research distracts me so!

I'm not sure if it's the idea of the numerous possibilities or how interesting I find the content. When I'm researching, I find myself getting lost in the ideas and going off in another direction. It's great because it's helped me rule out ideas and come up with others, but it gets me distracted and off track at times. I've always had a thirst for knowledge and I think, in some ways at least, it hinders the pace of my research. How do I avoid distractions? I'm slowly learning to keep focus.

On a different note, I love both writing notes and utilizing computer documents. I have to find an organized way to find a meeting place with the two. Right now I'm all about the scribbling and then copying/pasting information when it's too long. Although it works, it's not exactly the best manner to keep my ideas straight. I'm looking for ways to keep everything organized that works for me, and it's a process. In other words, I'll be trying out various tips, software, and apps to help organize my thoughts and research. Be looking for some tips and reviews! 

Check out the story that spawned my novel idea.

Read an excerpt from my novel as you contemplate the importance of place and setting.

I last checked in on chapter five.