Pieces to the Puzzle

Yesterday I briefly mentioned how writing and coming up with a plot is a puzzle. Much like that tangled mess you see in the picture. I had the plethora of necklaces laying flat, in the direct vicinity of an open window, and a red flag day. For anyone not familiar with the Southwest, red flag days are when the winds are uber fast.

Officially this is what weather.gov says:

Primary Red Flag Criteria: 1) Relative humidity of 15% or less combined with sustained surface winds, or frequent gusts, of 25 mph or greater. Both conditions must occur simultaneously for at least 3 hours in a 12 hour period.

and this:

Any combination of weather and fuels conditions that would create a critical fire control situation or extensive wildfire outbreak. These may include: long term drought, much higher than normal maximum temperatures coupled with very low humidity, low fuel moisture, poor nighttime RH recovery, high Energy Release Component (ERC) or Burning Index (BI), a Haines Index of 5 or 6, etc.

Now there’s a bunch of definitions and clarifications in between, but for today’s purposes these two work.

Southwest = severe drought

Anyway, moving on. So not only did my carelessness send the necklaces careening off the counter, but then they were tumbled about en masse and I was left with what you see above.

So in the week since this happened, I’ve slowly removed three necklaces intact. Now if I had to cut the chain and remove the pendant it would not be the end of the world, but what’s the fun in that?

Just as with my book story, I pull one chain and another tightens. I loop and unloop only to discover that I probably should have left the original loop alone. And that one chain I was certain would bind everything up actually allowed another to pull free.

It’s all a puzzle and I don’t have the solution at the ready. I poke and prod. Write a sentence or two. Stop. Pull a thread. Oops that didn’t work. Backspace. Start again. Wait, what if….

BINGO! Another path revealed!!!

I literally had this happen last night after I posted. A new character popped his head (and body) into the storyline. I had no idea he would be there, but it turns out he’s a major part of what’s next.

I LOVE it when my characters knock some sense into me.

Tomorrow… hmmmm Not sure yet.

Monday Musings. that much I know.