Another very helpful thing I’ve done is interrogate my characters about a particularly crucial point in the plot — where were you at the time, how did you find out about what happened, what exactly do you think did happen and why, how has it affected your life — that sort of thing.

Maybe everybody does this, I don’t know. What I do know is that I ended up with a neat short story out of the process, something I can use as an introduction to the novel. If it’s ever finished, that is.

If you haven’t heard of it, GMC is Goals (of the character), Motivation (why they want those goals), and Conflict (what stands in their way). I do that for every character, even secondary to make sure that they all act in accordance to the goals that have been set.