In The Flow of Time – March 17, 2025
“In the Flow of Time” refers to the history as it appears in fiction—in this case antebellum New Orleans. It also applies to me writing this story. 🙂 My own time flows.
I’m a plotter, not a pantser (as in writing by the seat of my pants). I like to know where I’m going before I start out on the path. But I only ever had this story half-plotted. The second half remained amorphous and I have just about reached that point. I’m not sure what comes next. So I need to think (plot).
There is a break in the narrative, has been for a long time. Not precisely sure WHERE, but there is. There’s a couple of ways I can spin this, but here’s what I decided.
For real, In Marie Laveaux’s life her husband Santiago Paris leaves her. Three years later her life partner shows up, Christophe Glapion.
For real, Christophe is a Frenchman of noble heritage who spent the rest of his life pretending to be a free man of color, so he could move in with her. That says a universe about who Marie is, and how she changes. From abandoned wife and mother of two, to “on my terms, Mister.”
That’s the break. I can end Part One with her self-actualization after Paris abandons her. I can begin Part Two with Christophe courting and her telling him precisely what her rules are. And his acceptance, because, damn, he’s in love. As the author, my heart goes pitter patter. Marie is a fabulous character.
BUT. There are major life events in the gap. Paris dies; her stepmother dies; her mother dies. These must become backstory. Paris’ death is meaningless to her, he abandoned her and disappeared. She has a problematic relationship with both stepmom and mom. Stepmom didn’t want Marie living with them. Her stepfather (mom’s Frenchman) the same. Mom abandoned her to be raised by her grandmother. Kinda cuts into that a whole maternal bonding thing. Marie REFUSES to follow in her mom’s footsteps. She would never abandon her own child.
But, making this choice, I now know what I need to do to end Part One. Won’t be an easy scene, but it’s clear what it must accomplish. The good news, from the plotter perspective, is that I already have that chapter in my outline. “Date pure fiction, not sure when, a bit of filler, slip something into the timeline.”
That now becomes a major milestone in the story. I am not wedded to my plot. Chapters come, chapters go, they change as the characters and story develops. This is an absolutely classic example.
Now I need to figure out the plot for Part Two, the 2nd half of Marie’s life. That’ll take some time. So, a breather. One more chapter to write while doing that.
(EDIT, months later. Ha! I ended up re-replotting the ending, throwing out the back third of the story, added seven entirely new chapters, and decided that “part one” is its own novel! So Book Two will start fresh, with Christophe showing up to court her. What I said. I plot, but I am NOT wedded to my plot.)
