Um. Wow, Wolfram, you do know how to make an entrance. Welcome. Especially if you're going to bring the adrenaline like that.

I...don't know what word you're searching for, though. Sequential, maybe? Just a wild guess. Webster's Thesaurus doesn't know, either.

Wow, Wolfram! You sure know how to bring the horror...

I think I'm ready to tackle my antagonist and protagonist again. On the bus this morning, I did a version of what TB suggests. I imagined them meeting as boys and being friends. I plotted out the next time they'll meet in my world. And then I thought about this scene, and did what I almost never do consciously--asked the characters what their motivation was at this point in the story.

Now I just need to try to write it again. I think I need to find a way to use a little more of my work breaks for writing and less for surfing the internet, because this whole "writing only after Annabel is asleep" is working against a lifetime of habit and the fact that my energy levels peak from early afternoon to evening, NOT late at night.

It's not sequential, although that's a good word too. (Oddly, thesaurus.com does not consider sequential and chronological to be synonymous.) It's one of these words that almost doesn't seem English. Maybe it's Latin? When I rack my brain, the words that keep popping up are sartorially and tertiary so I think that word I'm looking for might be consonantly similar.

Looking back at my piece, I think I rushed the denouement a bit so it ended cheesily. But still good for a (creepy and awkward) chuckle.

Well, now that you've brought it up, if/when you find it, come back and tell us. Me at least, 'cause I'll be picking at it all day.

serial?

I was about to say "serial". That's the only other "s" synonym for chronologically I can find. The other being sequential.

There's seriation, but that's mostly in archaeology.

Successive?

Seriatim. Ginger's suggestion finally knocked it loose. Thanks guys!

Whee! My characters are cooperating again!