And the plot... does not thicken?

So as I mentioned in my last post, plotting Book 2 could have a post all of its own.  And so here it is.  Actually I am doing more than plotting Book 2 currently; I am trying to plot out the remaining 3 books in the series.  This is not an easy feat.  I'm much more of a fly by the seat of your pants kind of writer, but I want to spend less time rewriting on Book 2 than I did on the first one.  (Edit: I want to spend less time having to rewrite entirely pointless scenes because they did nothing to attach to the overall plot.)  I want my scenes to convey all that they need to from the start.  Then when I rewrite I can spend time fixing issues like tone, voice, continuity errors, unnecessary description or details, structure etc. rather than restructuring an entire plot.

At any rate, the reason the plot does not thicken is because... *big sigh* ... there's a lot to figure out.  I am working with the overall story arc of the series rather than just Book 2.

Book 1: Is about the MC falling into a fantasy world (Melodia) that she drew, learning the rules and rhythms of that world, learning that she is in a lot of hot water and that people either want to use her powers or kill her (in a nutshell).  The plot is happily resolved at the end.  The bad guy vanquished by the quick thinking heroine and said heroine has finally gone through some badly needed emotional growth spurts.

Book 2: Is mainly about the plot thickening in the world of Melodia, power centers shifting, a political and social change that compares to the French Revolution, and ultimately the big baddie who we're not entirely sure is the big baddie becoming the supreme leader.  The MC also goes into labor at the end and we're left on a cliffhanger of sorts.  But it's all good!  Because we know everything is going to be alright, right?  Right?

Book 3: Is mainly about the MC returning to a normal life on Earth for a while.  Unfortunately, Melodia being the pushy place that it is, is not content for her to just go on about her business.  It barges back into her life in a big way and forces her by the end of the novel to go back for the final show down in book 4.

Book 4: Is mainly about a serious butt-kicking finale.  Big baddie has finally lost all semblance of innocence, his manipulative machinations are revealed and it's time for the MC (and friends) to do something about it.  Unfortunately, he's had a lot of time to consolidate and to turn Melodia inside-out while the MC has been busy on Earth.


So I have a general arc.  It's the fine print, the details, that are still fuzzy.  I didn't realize how important knowing the WHOLE story was until I sat down to plot Book 2 and thanked my lucky stars that I had not yet sent Book 1 off.  There was so much that needed to be added in.  So many seeds and ideas to be organically inserted so that Book 2 could be a natural progression.  I know often times, authors end up writing a sequel to a stand alone novel.  And while Book 1 can be read on it's own with a satisfying conclusion, there are unanswered questions that can only be found by reading the following books.

It had me traveling to Walmart late last night in search of materials to help me keep my details straight.  This is what I ended up with:

 

And that is only after about an hour of filling up notes.  There's a lot more to go on that board, but it helps having some nifty tools to help me keep my facts straight.  My next big project while I'm waiting on the last few pages to come in from my copy editor is to start outlining (in details *cringe*) Books 2-4.  I need something to work on when the submitting/querying begins and I hope to start writing Book 2 by the that time.  

Anyhow, the dinos are up from their naps and the sun is shining.  Reluctantly, I will put down my laptop and emerge into the real world.  Boo.  Melodia is so much more interesting...