Progress on the sequel

I don't often post anything in this blog about something that I am currently working on, but thought that today was a good time to start doing that.

Work goes on apace on the sequel to Gulf of the Plains: Fog and Bog. Paget and her new family are suffering another upheaval in their lives and I'm wondering where it will lead. Oh, I know what I've plotted, but as I once said: I like to let my stories grow organically. She has acquired a new romantic interest to take the place of Bailey and her sister is making her first appearance. Unlike Paget, she has not suffered at the hands of any enemies until now and I'm wondering if she will be made of the same stuff that Paget is. Will she be too brittle to handle the occurrence as well as Paget has done in the past? While I have toned down the sexual abuse that marked the first book, (it seemed kind of skeezy), it is still important to show how Paget's sister deals with it. I felt there needed to be some symmetry in their relationship. Julia had judged Paget harshly pre-polar shift and I believed it was necessary to let her walk a mile in Paget's shoes.

John Sheaves is growing within the role that his father and his own actions have set for him and Beth has become a tried and true helpmeet in the smashed world they have to live in. Matt and Molly are as steadfast as ever and Matt's sense of humor is standing him in good stead. He is still the same irreverent, young man in an old man's body that he was in the first book.

Moving on to Paget's love interest; Carl is as silent as he was in the first book, but now we see that it is just his way. He is a wise and canny leader of men and it is his judgement that helps Paget to survive in their adventure.

A new character, Pencherjevsky, has made an appearance and will continue to have an impact on the lives of the group. I am toying with the thought of establishing a relationship between him and Julia, but feel that it might be too convenient. I'll have to think about that. Maybe they should just have a casual-type thing. Or, maybe he should be too concerned with what's happening in the story to spend any time dallying with her.

You see, I have a weakness for showing some characters as heroes and others as victims. Bringing such characters together naturally includes giving them a relationship. But maybe it isn't so natural. In life, it may be, but such relationships tend to fail in time. Maybe I need to show that failure. It would tend to give both of them some depth, something that a new character needs in any story.

Okay. I've told you my thoughts without including any serious spoilers, so that's about it for today. I have to go throw my characters into their lives and see if they sink or swim.

Thank you,
Derek A. Murphy
Author of Gulf of the Plains, Congruencies and others.
Available on Kindle