No matter how carefully you plan, prepare and execute, you don't really know how the story will unfold until you wade in waist deep. Things that look and feel ideal in the beginning of the project reveal themselves to be the wrong direction once you actually get to them. As I've said before, to an astonishing degree, the characters tell me how to proceed just as much as I tell them what to do. I know it sounds insane, but I'm not--okay, I am crazy, but I believe all my author friends will understand.
In my original outline, Chapter 24 (the next I'm planning to bang away on) was entitled "You Will Know the Truth." It was meant to be an emotional, gut wrenching chapter that would have beat Michael down further. It seemed like the right thing when I originally outlined the Second Beast two years ago; heck, it seemed like the right thing just a few weeks ago.
But, as it turns out, it's not.
I just finished outlining a new Chapter 24, entitled "One Innocent Life," that will replace the original chapter. Chapter 25 stays largely intact, but given the changes to 24 it has also been renamed. Instead of "The Truth Will Set You Free," it will now be entitled, "To Those Who Wait."
Unless, of course, the characters tell me I need to make further changes.
I swear, I'm not...well, I'm only a little crazy.