Preparing for the sequel…

So, I’ve been rereading Do You Know the Monkey Man, trying to get back into that world, taking notes on little details I need to keep straight for consistency from one book to the other (like where in the house Sam’s bedroom is, how you get to the quarry, the names of the kids next door etc.). I’m anxious to dig into this sequel, but I’m not enjoying this part of the process. I really, really HATE rereading my own work! Honestly, I don’t know how this book ever got published. There is so much I would rewrite if I could.

But I need to look forward, not backward. [WARNING: This could be a spoiler if you haven’t read Do You Know the Monkey Man, but are planning to at some point.] The first order of business is figuring out who the main character should be: T.J. or Sam. I always thought it would be T.J., but my editor wants me to think about staying in Sam’s point of view. (I’m still leaning toward T.J. because I’m a rebel.) And then if I DO go with T.J.’s point of view, I have to figure out whether to begin where she and Sam met in Do You Know the Monkey Man or where that book ended. Once I figure that out, THEN I can figure out what’s really going to happen in the story. I have a general idea of what’s going to happen (regardless of whose story it is), but I can’t really start plotting and thinking about character arcs etc. until I know whose character arc I’m most interested in.

It would be nice if I could come up with a decent title, too…