Note to Self: CLIMAX

Today is a big improvement over yesterday, because today, both my stories have (some) middle.

Today is terrible when compared to tomorrow, however, because today neither of my stories have climaxes.

STORY B NEEDS:

--A hook (or at least a stronger one. Draft 3 is a VAST improvement over Draft 2, but this story's sense of self--my sense of why it's special--isn't really there yet...it doesn't have a thesis statement).

--Better Characters (they still feel half drawn).

--More punch in the moments leading up to the climax (as is, the climactic image itself is pretty cool, and I know where I'm going after, but that final moment that zooms the tension up to where it needs to be? Not great).

STORY B NEEDS:

--A middle (I love the beginning, which is actually the first half. But now I have that midpoint reversal, and don't know what it reverses. Or rather, I know what happens to the "story" (the characters) but not the "plot" (their obstacles).

I still think Story B is much stronger than Story A, because I have more of a sense what it's about. So today, I want to do some research on the part of Africa where Story B takes place, so I'll (!) hit on a more interesting and meaningful complication than I have currently. And today, I'm going to re-print the first two-thirds of Story A's third draft and try to figure these people and their situation out.

Both stories, right now, are taking me deeper into their souls.

My main question now: can I go into two at once? I've always been a natural monogomist.