I just came back from a writer’s meeting. We had three guest speakers from the Fog City Divas today, Allison Brennan, Monica McCarty, and Candace Hern. The topic was Plotting.
Ah, the bug-a-boo of novice writers. How do you plot? What makes a good plot? Should you plot or not plot?
The three writers use systems that range from totally organic writing, (just dive right in, start writing, work your way from beginning to end,) to getting an idea and a short synopsis on paper before you write, to the completely anal plot everything, including genealogy and scene by scene outlining before you start.
I tend to fall closer to the anal side of the writing spectrum. I must know where my story is headed and where the turning points are before I begin. I absolutely must know everything I can possibly know about the characters and plot before I can start. If I don’t do this, I have writer’s block. Or I end up rewriting until the story dies on the vine.
I admire people who can just sit down at a keyboard and start writing. I admire people who can start with a small idea and turn it into a big novel. I admire people who are so organized that they can plot everything before they start. In short, I admire writers.
Whichever way you find that works for you, is the right way to do it. Don’t believe the writing books that tell you their way is the only way. If that were true, there wouldn’t be so many different books about writing at the bookstore.
Experiment.
Try different methods.
When you find the one that’s right for you, you’ll know it.
You’re absolutely right (or is it write?) about not believing the writing books in telling you there is only one way to write a book. I’m the author of two historical novels and I have my third one with a new agent, and I’ll tell you that I’ve tried some of those novel-writing techniques (such as writing scenes on 3×5 cards and rearranging them) but they simply do not work for me. I start with a synopsis, but as I write the book, the story changes because the characters may go in some surprising directions. If you get to the point where the novel seems to write itself, you’ve found your muse.
By the way, I’m still trying to figure out how to create a better blog with photos, etc. (Mine is http://www.TomMach.com/blog) but I’m using WordPress and I’m finding it very difficult.
Tom, I love the way you put it into words. “If you get to the point where the novel seems to write itself, you’ve found your muse.”
Even with a detailed outline, I still find that some characters decide to grow in ways I never dreamed of. That’s part of what makes writing so enjoyable.
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