Asking WHAT IF?

So I'm starting a new MG project, but this time, I'm trying something new. The last two MG manuscripts I worked on -  I had a general idea of the beginning, the end, and a pretty good sense of the characters. So I jumped right in and started writing - letting each chapter take me to the next place. I learned the hard way that maybe this "pantser" style of writing might not be the best approach for me. I got stuck in the murky middle each time and struggled to figure out how to bridge the beginning and end of my book. And struggled...

Last year, I auditioned for a ghost writing fiction project. They gave me a detailed chapter by chapter outline, and I wrote the first three chapters. I didn't get the assignment, but I learned a lot in the process. And one thing I learned is that I write MUCH better if I have a plan or roadmap to follow BEFORE  I start.

So I decided to create the same roadmap for myself for this project. I'm spending a lot of time brainstorming and freewriting ideas. This week, I've been asking a lot of "WHAT IF" questions. What if my MC does X or Y? What if character A dies? What if MC's grandmother is alive? What if character B isn't in the book at all? Once I ask each of these questions, I'm brainstorming answers and just writing it all down. And I've already found some diamonds in the rough - intriguing ideas that I hadn't originally thought of for my plot, but may make things a whole lot more interesting.

So what do you do for your pre-writing process? Comment below!