plot threads

I'm trying very hard to find a block of uninterrupted time so I can get into the book and really connect with the characters. One problem is that at the beginning, I have to lay a number of innocent-looking elements that both set the stage and also lay evidence for later events. Which is fun, but it also means that the scenes are shorter and jumpier. It's disrupting the flow for me somewhat. Instead I've started with a plot thread and am writing small scenes that build on that idea. We'll see how it goes, but I think I like this idea. Write all the red storylines, then the blues, then the yellows, and then braid them all together afterwards. That way I can make sure I don't have any plot lines that just drop away mid-story. Also, I can focus a lot more on cause and effect. At this point, it's mostly a series of key conversations. (And if you've followed a similar discussion on Verla Kay's site, yes, this is similar to Melissa's method, only with only one viewpoint character.) It seems to be working, at least for today.

I need a way to draw my book in some kind of multi-colored, three-dimentional way to really get my mind around it all, though.