Yeah, I think I'm in the middle of a Story Universe.
Let me explain.
When I first began writing, I thought I had created four to five separate stories. Stand alones, basically. But what has developed has me convinced that I'm writing one big grand story that includes all genres.
The first book I wrote (Mr. Dead Eyes) was a medical thriller mixed with a supernatural element. A private detective that I created for that story literally came out of nowhere. But he had a history to him. His name is Thomas Wilker. But that's not his real name. He changed it. He also had some plastic surgery done. Then I began wondering, who was he running from? (Hint: There are two whole mystery novels I have planned that tell who and why.)
On a plane Thomas Wilker shares a story of capturing a murderer and why he has a grizzly scar on his right hand. Just writing that scene delivered a whole new book on to me. (Reviled) But Thomas Wilker only shows up in flashbacks. He's not present for the story but has, instead, 'traveled somewhere' to 'pursue a lead'. That lead, I've found out, is explained in Mr. Dead Eyes 2. But Derek, the main character of MDE1 and MDE2 shows up briefly in Reviled. He's passing through Wisconsin after the events of MDE2.
Then I wrote a novella about a girl who has to escape a group of soldiers. (Village Americana) I had no idea why I set it in the eighties but then that was answered when I finished my third book...
That book is Pickpocket Frankie. In that book she appears briefly. But another character within that book is connected by two other books that I'm planning. The working titles are Jefferey Pleasant Meets Brute Force and The Italian Way.
And now it seems that the next ten novels I have planned out are all connected somehow by either a character, an object or a particular setting. It really is crazy how deep this rabbit hole goes. Needless to say, I dunno what the end result of all this will be, but I think I'll just let my characters do the driving. Cause they seem to know better than me.
Just thought I'd share.
