Yeah a mid-boss and final boss analogy makes sense. I’d have to tie the final boss into the plot of the first book—the demon they banished will have to make another appearance. So I need to think of mid-bosses to get me through the next two books (if I do one per school year). It basically comes down to me forming ideas, so I’ll have to let the characters, locations, and circumstances I know bounce in my head until some new ideas ripen into useable plots.

Lol! And I was so excited about it too!

Yes, I'm sure it says that somewhere in the novels. But I was taking the Companion as the ultimate in canon. My faith was unfounded. *lol*

And Ben was right! Maria said it was a typo and it was fixed in the paperback version! So back to First Reasoner it is!

Just so ya'll know, I emailed Maria Simons to see what the correct title of the Head of the White is. *LOL* The Companion might have a typo.

Yay! Ben's here too! (I might get in touch with ASG and let him know now is the time to come back in preparation for the tv show!)

Yay!

There's no right or wrong way to form your story. Some people just dive right in. Others plan meticulously. My advice is if you're having problems starting, try writing a detailed outline of the novel. Break it down by chapters: 1. The Apostate a. Introduce Derick as he's running from attackers. He outsmarts them by hiding.... 2. The inn a. Derick is able to hide in the crowded inn. There, he meets up with Donna.... b. Donna knows who he is but helps him hide from roaming bandits.... 3. A respite a. Derick and Donna sneak out of town the next morning.... I've found the more detail I can get, the better. Sometimes my outlines are 20+ pages long. When I sit down to write, I have all the information I need and the scenes flow pretty well. If that doesn't work, try writing at a different spot. Don't start at the beginning. Write the last chapter. Write a scene where the love interest appears. Write the battle scene in the middle of the book. Anything that gets your creative juices flowing is a good thing! And last thing you can do is take a break from it completely. Write something totally new. Use an old idea, or a plot generator, and write SOMETHING! Maybe even try a different genre. I tried for ages to write sci-fi/fantasy. Struggled and struggled and struggled. Then I wrote a romance and it clicked. I finished my first romance novel (50,000 words) in 15 days. I wrote five complete novels in my first year of writing. (They were poorly written, but they were written.) The more you write, the more you grow, the faster you become at the craft.

Hmmm, that's a good point, @Cross! I guess I'm putting too much thought into it. I'm the type that needs a concrete, solid plan to move forward, and I guess if I don't have the exact amount of books I want to write and an exact idea of when they take place within the timeline, I can't move forward. Luckily, this publisher is on the slow side, so I've got brainstorming time. It'll come if I let it rumble around in my head long enough.

Got it, Cindy.

Let's make this our designated meeting spot till things settle. I'm not quite sure what the future holds for the White Ajah. As you all saw, Rhea has stepped down as Head and has become the new Sitter. I'm happy (and sad) to announce that I will take her place as Head (the First Weaver, according to the Wheel of Time Companion). This new switch to Clubs might displace us for a little while. But I'm here! Feel free to bring any questions, comments, or concerns my way! For the time being, let's frolic next to this adorable traveling library and have ourselves some tea!

All great ideas! The thing I'm struggling with is timing of the school year. I want to avoid Harry Potter-esque Everything-Happens-At-The-End-Of-The-School-Year cliche. *lol* So I need to build good starting and stopping points throughout the school year. And then, if too many things happen, then it sort of stops the suspension of disbelief. Like, how many things can happen to this one guy (my main character). But if I skip huge chunks of time--ie: the next book being the one from summer vacation--I've lost so much valuable time to tell stories. Any advice on this dilemma?

Either or. One outline I've started features them on summer vacation and supernatural things abduct them from Florida. The other begins where the first left off--at school around Thanksgiving. I need some seriously BIG plots for them to get up to at school (magical diseases, threats from outside magicians, maybe monsters since the first has a demon attack them). I've never done a series before, so I need to give some serious thought to overall themes and character arcs I'd like to see in the next two-three novels.

I think it'll take as a bit to get into the swing of the new format, but I'm sure it'll be interesting once we get used to it. *grabs a cookie* Is this what happens when a bubble of evil shifts things within the White Tower?

Hi DM writers! I've hit a bit of a snag in my brainstorming. I recently sold a book where the setting is a contemporary magical college in Brighton, England. My publisher wants me to turn it into a series! They like the idea of a magical school of adults. I've got a few ideas and two outlines in the works, but I need help thinking up shenanigans college-aged magicians can get into! HELP!