Alida and I met at the local coffee shop again. One benefit of working with a local editor is the face to face over coffee across a table, though I am sure that working with her via Skype would work just as well. Working via Skype I wouldn’t have met her service dog in training, who was well behaved.
In our meeting we signed the contract, talked about the outline and beat sheet and scenes I had written and sent her. I 
wasn’t sure if we were going to keep any of this or start over, but as we talked I could tell that the base was there and I’d be building on it. We’re new working together so Alida’s not sure what I know about writing. We talked about Freytag’s pyramid (rising tension and stakes through the story to the climax towards the end of the story and the resolution at the end.
We also talked about character arc and story arc and then plot points of scenes and chapters. Alida asked me to describe some major plot points. I found myself struggling and describing situations, but Alida pointed out the missing conflict and tension and had some great suggestions and examples for me to think about.
The assignment for next week is to deliver plot points for about 50 chapters matched to Freytag’s pyramid.
Looking back I think when I first tried to write this story, there were a few problems.
- I held on too tight to my initial story idea and tried to see how I could make it work,
- I tried to hard to make the story fit the beat sheet and major plot points
Going forward we’ll see where Alida directs me, but I think I need to let go and just write the first draft of the story, keeping in mind the conflict and tension of a thriller while I go. That story telling structure and format is ingrained in me from reading thrillers and watching some television series and I have to trust that I can do it. I can massage the story in future drafts and match it to the structure I’m trying to end up with.
One week to plot out the story and review it when we meet again.