The time-line

My biggest breakthrough came when I was sitting in the car showroom waiting for my car to be serviced. In the time the job took, I transferred the information from the mind-maps of how Judith Dillon’s life in Carlisle would impact on other people’s lives to a time-line.  Taking one month at a time (down one side of the page) and the names of the key people across the top, I noted when she would meet each one, in what circumstances, and described roughly and briefly what will happen at each stage. By doing it this way I could also add in how the other characters would interact with each other at that time.

The book is a story of two periods of Judith’s life, almost exactly one year apart. The Carlisle year is the most recent one so the next thing to decide was how to present the previous year and what had happened in her home town of Hexham

Option 1 – do the whole story as a series of police interviews. In that way Judith can be asked questions about the present and the past by the same person and interlink the stories on-going.

Option 2 – present the back story first then go on to the present chronologically. I decided against that as a lot is made of ‘starting the story in the right place’, and I felt the right place was Judith starting her new life in Carlisle. Her reasons for having moved away would become apparent later.

Option 3 – and the one I went with – to alternate chapters between her new life and old. Chapter 1 is September 2009 in Carlisle and Chapter 2 is September 2008 in Hexham. Chapter 3 is October 2009 in Carlisle and Chapter 4 is October 2008 and so it goes on. In this way both stories are able to unfold together and the reader can see Judith making the same mistakes.

The next stage – to do the timeline for the back-story in Hexham and to decide how it ends.

I like this story more and more. I can make Judith Dillon into a right scheming little madam.

Do research now or press on regardless?

Having done another mind map to develop the parts of the story where Judith interacts with the other characters, I realised that some research was needed. Some people can press on with gaps and notes to remind them to go back to look things up but I can’t do that. I need to know things, maybe because I don’t like wasting time pursuing something that I will have to change later.  The notes I made on 31^st July 2010 were:

·           Find out how an accountant can swindle money from a client and not be found out for a long time

·           Find someone to talk through a scam in a supermarket cash office

·           I need a map of Carlisle to confirm road names

·           I need to visit Hexham next time I go across to the northeast and walk around with a map

·           I need to visit some cafe-bars to get clear in my mind what Cafe Bar Sierra looks like

A twitter-friend who is an accountant helped me with the first point and also gave me a list of things that might make people have doubts about the viability of the business. I don't think he likes to be known as my consultant for dodgy accountancy so he will remain anonymous until I have his permission to thank him when the book is published. (Still keeping the faith).

I worked out the cash office scam myself – I didn’t know I could be so devious.

I used the internet for road names in Carlisle.

The trip to Hexham worked out really well. A lot of questions answered and I took photographs of where Judith Dillon’s office now is, where her friend’s antique shop is, the location of the main car park and the path leading from the town to the station.

Much as I fancy the cafe-culture lifestyle, I didn’t visit enough cafe-bars to find the perfect setting so I have roughly drawn one. This means that I can add more detail about what it looks like, sounds like and smells like in the next edit.

Making more of Judith Dillon

Having established the basics about Judith, I really wanted to know more about what makes her tick. In my day job I use sets of cards developed by Gower Publishing for use in training games.

          The Feedback Game by Peter Gerrickens

The Feedback Game consists of two sets of cards, one containing words that indicate a person’s strengths and the other words that might be considered as weaknesses. For each of my main characters I went through both sets of cards and chose ten words that represented them. From the ten, I then chose five which I was determined would be reflected in their actions and words.

Choosing Judith’s weaknesses was an easy task: intolerant, malicious (I later changed that to contemptuous), over-dependent, dissatisfied, naïve.

Her strengths were much more difficult to define: good listener, observant, diligent, patient, determined

          The Motivation Game by Peter Gerrickens and Marijke
           Verstege

The Motivation Game has four sets of cards which I thought would help me to find out more about what drives Judith.

Three activities that motivate her are: precision working, fantasising and calculating.

An obstacle that holds her back: ‘I don’t have what I need’

A prior condition she feels she needs in place: independence

She takes her inspiration from: I originally put literature but this is not evident in the story so far – that’s something for the edit

          The Development Game by Peter Gerrickens

The Development Game consists of cards with words or phrases that represent skills. The ones I picked for Judith have been brought out in the action throughout and is one area that I am very pleased with. She doesn’t necessarily use them in a good way!

Judith’s skills: notices detail, plans and prepares for important conversations, builds trust (initially, at least), handles silence during conversations, remains focussed on key issues.

Are you getting to like her as much as I do?