Outlining Book Three

So even though I haven't finished my second book, I've skipped ahead and outlined my third book. Not sure if this is a good idea... but I couldn't help it! I'm very fortunate to have a good job right now, and I'm able to stay relaxed and focused. There's nothing worse than having a big stressor in your life to make you not want to write. (No, stressor is not a word. But you know what I'm talking about!)
Yesterday I had some down time at work (I'm a care taker for an autistic boy) so I got some blank paper and a pen and went to town! Although I prefer writing my manuscript on my laptop, I like writing outlines by hand. It's less formal, so I can be free and sloppy while the ideas come to me. The outline was flowing gracefully, and then I realized that the good guys and the bad guys needed to have a showdown... and somebody had to win.
But I didn't want that to happen, because that would mean my story would be over! I still had material I wanted to use in the fourth book of the series, but there was really no point in having a fourth book if there was no bad guy... or good guys, if the bad guys won.
Frustrated, I turned to my trusted inspiration source: my husband. Without giving him too much detail and ruining the story (because he's my biggest fan) I told him my tragedy. He thought about it a moment, and then threw the most outrageous idea I've ever heard. I was like "That's crazy! But... I like it..."
So I started reading back through the first book, The Rise of the Synija, to see if this plan would work or not, and realized it was meant to be. Kinda scary how that works. It's almost as if the story has already happened, and I'm just discovering it, not creating it. I would have myself admitted, but I've talked with other authors who have experienced the same thing. Their characters have come to life and have taken over the story. You, as the author, must write it, but have no say so in the matter!
Today at work I finished my outline, and I LOVE it! So it's looks as though there will be five books after all! The outline is 5 1/2 pages hand written, with many doodles, scratch outs, and scrunched in sentences. But that's exactly how an outline is supposed to look!