Friday Fricassee

Every morning a little before six, I make a pot of coffee. Most of the time, this little ritual goes smoothly. And you all know how I value my start-the-day organic coffee.

Well. Today I forgot the coffeepot.

No, really. Filter, beans, water--it was all there, ready for brewing. I hit the "start" button like I always do. And proceeded to unstack the dishwasher, like I do every morning while the coffee brews.

Then I heard coffee hitting the floor. Because, yeah. No pot.

I have never moved so quickly at 6:00 a.m. in my life.

Amazingly, I salvaged almost the whole ten cups. It was a little sludgy, to be sure. But overall, a grand rescue.

That was the start to my day.

A borderline nerdy analogy popped into my head as I sipped my first saved-from-the-brink-of-death cup of coffee: Sometimes, my plots are missing a coffee pot. Lots of "right things" in place, but missing something basic.

And because of the something-basic that's missing, everything else sort of spills out all over the place. Then I've got a big mess to clean up.

Sometimes it's a worldbuilding basic (why does the technology work that way in the first place?). Sometimes it's a character arc basic (what is the character's motivation to do what he just did?). And sometimes it's a bare-bones plot basic (how did they get from A to F without hitting B through E?).

But hey. I'm learning to place my coffeepots now. It's all good.

There you have it. Wisdom from a missing coffeepot.

Or maybe I'm trying REALLY hard to justify one of the dumbest things I've ever done in my life.

Happy weekend!