Background work on the new novel

Did I mention that I finished the Devlin novel that wasn't quite done at the end of the year? Glad to have it done and still a little bothered that I didn't get it before January 1, but in a few more weeks I won't even consider that part, so it can't be that big of a problem, right?

The new novel is Draw the Line and it is a science fiction story in a new universe from what I've written before. I am not close to writing it yet. The background material on it is growing quite nicely, and I'm very happy with the alien cultural stuff that I'm getting. I can't tell how much of it will end up in the book, but that's all right. I can keep experimenting and spreading outward to see what I come up with.

I like my main character. And I like the person who is his worst enemy and former lover because she's got a lot of problems to deal with, and she's going to have to get over some of them the hard way. I also have an alien built space station that no one really understands. The station itself takes actions that help and hinder the others. It's huge. Much of it is closed off and no one can get in. But out along the edge, at the docks, there are four groups -- humans and three sets of aliens. There might be others in other sections that are less human-like and can't share the same environment. (Oh, just had a thought! Must open SuperNotecard and get it written in!)
I really love SuperNotecard because of how easy it is to add things, move them around, and even duplicate some stuff if you want to reference it for two or more different reasons. You can also use reference links and do all kinds of fancy stuff that I don't usually mess with.

I have over 6,000 words written in notes for this book so far, and I have a lot more that I haven't added in yet. And I still don't have anything but the basics on a lot of sections, including that odd little thing called a plot. I can see parts of it, but the overall pattern isn't there yet.

Oh, thought of something that's been bothering me for a while. This may be part of the answer. (Runs off to do more notes.)
There. That will help a little. It's funny how answers can come at the oddest times, and when you have stopped looking for them.

This is the major project right now. I hope to start writing in March, but I'm not sure that I'll be ready yet!