As I push forward with my current project, one question I’m asking is “What promises are being made?”

The first chapter explores the main character’s everyday life, which is one of constant threats and daily struggles to survive, and where she has to stay focused and vigilant because danger lurks.

I need to ensure I maintain the mood even as I show she has built a decent life for herself regardless of the threats she continuously faces. It’s a challenge to keep the good and bad aspects of her life balanced so the despair she experiences is not lost.

Then, that decent life is disrupted causing the future to look ever more difficult.

This draft of the story is well into the second act. I’m adding more world building to what’s written as my mind minions keep adding details about future events. My outline covers the entire story, but those pesky mind minions keep adding to it. Moreover, I discover details as I write necessitating going back to set up the needed context to support them. This story is challenging, but I feel good about it.