When Outlining Goes Wrong

Welcome back! We missed last week, thanks to my dog Diamond's broken leg. I was spending so much time monitoring her to make sure she was behaving that I really didn't have time for much else. For the record, she was not behaving much at all. She is improving a lot this week, and so we are back with another Friday blog! 

I took a little break from my editing work this week. I wanted to recharge the batteries and decided the way I would go about this would be to start outlining my next book. This will be the first book of another trilogy of the Thrawll Saga. I already know the story, the characters, the twists and turns. I got the first few chapters outlined in short order, and I was feeling great. This is a trilogy I have been really excited to write, mainly due to the main character. Then, I hit the wall.

This trilogy of books overall is a good story, but I have realized that the smaller details are not ready to go yet. Just knowing how the story begins and end isn't enough. I need to figure more things out. Some characters need their motivations clarified. I've had to set the outline aside, the story needs more time to percolate. To say it's frustrating would be an understatement, but I know it will be for the best in the long run. So, back to editing I go! I'm hoping my work on these books will help give me the creative inspiration I need to return to the outline in a few weeks. 

This is the first time I've ever had this type of issue while outlining, so it's been a new experience for me. I can safely say I hope it's the last time. Have you ever run into these types of issues? Do you have a secret for getting past the wall?