Reading the above my conclusion is only the Twilight Isle is really far enough advanced through the 'noodling' phase. Now, if you'll work with me on this (you are far my master in prose -- except you have a bad habit of long sentences for no good reason ;-)-- But I've finished about 40 shorts and around 18 novels... I'm good at something :-). I've been told it is plotting not just determination.)
Answer me a few more leading questions:1)Does you lead protagonist actively influence the course of events in the story or are they an observer?
2) Why do I - your arbitary, not terribly intelligent reader - care about your lead protagonist?