How did I come up with the plot for Judgment on Tartarus? Well, as I remember it, I wanted to write a tale about interstellar travel and relationships, so I threw together a motley group of Terrans and aliens who were basically "human" but different. Terran-humans being what they are, once enclosed in the confines of a spaceship on a long voyage, tensions would be bound to arise. We have an unfortunate tendency to prejudge others who aren't "like" us.
And the second plot-thread of Judgment on Tartarus revolved around the ancient Greek myth of Hades, god of the underworld, and Persephone. The two themes clicked wonderfully well ( I think! ) So I set about creating in depth the various characters who would act out this plot; they sprang into being like Aphrodite ( also known as Cytherea.)
I worked on the book off and on for over forty years, but the basic plot stayed pretty much the same. In fact, a fair amount of the rough draft actually survived largely unchanged. But as I reworked the story, I discovered hidden treasures, added details, made dialog more natural, and uncovered quirks of my characters' personalities. I began to understand on a much deeper level why they acted as they did, the changes they were going through,, and the destinies they were meant for. And all along I really had fun doing it!
If you haven't had a chance to read Judgment yet, I hope you do!
That's it for now,
MRTighe
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