dots before my eyes

I'm still making notes on all three parts of my story, Books 1, 2 & 3, and I’m now using a colour coded sticky dot system in my notebook to keep track of which story the note/idea belongs in. Good grief, once an Administrator…

I keep thinking I’ve finished with Book 1 but then keep finding more ideas to insert. Just small things that will resonate through the following stories, things that I can expand on later. All of them make the story more textured, add depth and give me more traction. Fuel in the tank, coins in the bank.

The story itself I’m happy with and I won’t tinker with that, I just want to go forward with a fist full of threads that I can continue to weave into the larger picture.

I do wonder though when I’ll step away from Book 1 and say ‘Enough, it’s finished.’ Does that ever happen? Do authors with work already in print see one of their books on a shelf and think ‘I should have killed Nigel in Chapter 2.’  Do artists see one of their paintings on a gallery wall and think ‘Leave me alone with it for half an hour so I can tone down that green.’