"M": The Convergence Of Two Plot Lines

In my latest fantasy/science fiction/international intrigue novel, "M", I have two significant plot lines that have been unraveling since the beginning of the book. I just completed chapter 12 and have written a little over 50,000 words. The two plot lines will soon begin to converge.

One of them has been the resurrection of two medieval characters in Wales and England. The second, the development of a major international incident, which has taken place in Russian Siberia.

The final steps bringing these together will occur in chapters 13 and 14. I'm really pleased with the story development at this stage and am very much looking forward to melding the two plot lines into one.

There has been a tremendous amount of research involved in "M", and the two stories within the book have been very unique and different in tone as well as substance and setting. I'm looking forward to completing it, especially considering my style of writing. Before I start a book, I generally know the beginning and end and how I'm going to get there. I know some of the characters as well, but as I write, I see the story in my mind, like a movie, and many times the plot will take twists and turns that I never expected. It makes it a lot more fun to write and allows for the book to evolve as I write it. I like not having everything figured out ahead of time.

I know it's going to take at least another year or so before it's released, but I can hardly wait for you to read it!

New Quote From Chapter 12 of "M"

Below, I have included a recent quote from chapter 12 of my latest fantasy/science fiction/international intrigue novel, "M".

Enjoy!

Trembling from the numbing cold and hopeful that there were no longer any Russians nearby, Tristan fumbled with the small pack that he still had cradled to his chest and took out a flashlight. He forced his way up through the layers of snow above him as carefully and inobtrusively as he could, and broke free. Once through, he hesitated a moment before standing and scanned the area to make sure the Russians were gone. It seemed they were. He sighed, feeling some relief, and then glanced up at the clear, black sky overhead. It was covered in stars and on any other night would have left him in awe, but he had no time for that now. Once he was exposed to the elements, it was dramatically colder. He checked his watch. With the wind chill, it was about minus fifty degrees Celsius. He knew that he would have to find shelter again, and soon. He readjusted his coat and hood to help keep out the cold as long as possible, brushed away the ice crystals from his face, and clicked on the flashlight that he held in his hand.
    He was standing waste deep in snow, and before attempting to move to open ground, shined the light around him and was relieved to see movement nearby. Several of his friends were either just breaking out of the snow as he had or crawling on all fours onto the flat ground just beyond the perimeter of the collapsed snow cave.

"M": Chapter 12 Challenge

In chapter 12 of my new science fiction/fantasy book "M", I've had a challenge that I've never confronted before. Two very important characters and the events surrounding them will be introduced at the beginning of the chapter, and what happens to them comes at a very crucial moment within the plot. The characters will need to be found credible by the reader, and they and their predicament must be something that the reader can relate to and empathize with in a significant way. The real challenge is that they will never come up in the book again, and I need to do all this inside two short pieces at the beginning of the chapter. I need to say enough without saying too much or too little, and do it in such a way that the reader "gets" why I've done it and is drawn in by it.

I've finished the writing for the first character and have started the second. I'm having fun with this and really enjoying figuring out how to do it.

I think I'm still about a year away from completing the book but am, even now, looking forward to the reader's responses to what I've done. I love this book!