Well, I've started my first novel, and it's a passionate and moving experience. Lots more research goes into this than I would have thought... one goof you will note in EEE is that Richard's trailer is 50 clicks from Vegas and 80 clicks from the mountains, with the mountains behid him. Oops, as I check a map, I don't think there exists such a place near Vegas. Oh well, such is life, and I hope your inability to locate Rick's trailer home on a map is the MOST dissatisfied you are with my novel.
Since I am doing this for NaNoWriMo (see www.nanowrimo.com) I am challenged with doing all I would like to do to map plot, document characters, research details, and still get 3000 words a day done. Oh, and be a Foster Mom and keep my job. Yeah, that too. So, like as not the plot is going to have a few odd twists to it that will get ironed out at the rewrite. For now, I must charge on!