Was thinking about the end of the dystopian, and the main ideas that need to come to a crux there in the choices presented to the MC and the reader. Also thinking about who embodies those choices. This is helping me figure out the middle. I need to go back and plant a few little references in the beginning section, then also insert a new reference as I'm heading out of the beginning and into the middle. Those will be stepping stones that tie the beginning to the middle and to the end, while also shifting from the problem that starts the story to the one that actually provides most of the conflict and forces the MC to make decisions.

It's still very confusing because there are so many things to think about at once, all needing to be woven together--but confused is good. If I wasn't confused about all these threads, something would be terribly wrong with the book.

I'd better pull up the ms and quickly put in some of these references so I don't forget them. It took me too long to work through other lines of thought to get to them; they'll fade quickly from my head. Then it's back to other writing-related work. I must not forget myself and get caught up in the ms.