Showing posts with label Plotting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Plotting. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Getting to The End - That First Draft

WRITING WEDNESDAY

Wow!  What happened to Monday and Tuesday?  LIFE
One of the easiest things about writing is the ability to give up.  I've done it.  Everyone has done it.  But what does giving up get you?  Not a whole lot.

This time--THIS TIME--and every time after, giving up will not be accepted.  Why?  Because you can do it!  With a little help and some tips and tricks, you, too can finish that book!

What does it take to write that first draft?  Writing it!

Whether you're a panster or a plotter, the writing must happen.  We all obsess about our every word.  Why?  Because we want our writing to be perfect.  But nothing and no one are perfect.  Still, we strive to do our best.

One of the biggest things most successful writers will tell you is to Just Write.  Sounds simple, doesn't it?  It isn't, but we can make it easier.

Many successful writers will say that the key is to write a fast first draft.  I agree with that.  But what, exactly, does that mean?  It means No Editing.  That's right.  You don't write a few pages, then go back to pick it apart and polish it to what will probably be changed later.

If panic sets in at the mere mention of No Editing, take a deep breath.  There are ways to make that first draft with no editing easier.

  1. Have a fairly solid idea of where your story is going.  Does this mean you have to plot the entire story?  Not necessarily.  It depends on what works best for you.  Simply put, have an idea of your opening, an inciting incident that shows the conflict of the two characters (hero and heroine in a romance), the mid-point aka main turning point, the black moment (when all seems lost), and the resolution aka the happily ever after in a romance.  Cooking Up a Story
  2. Know your characters' GMCs.  If you don't know what GMC (Goal, Motivation, Conflict), you can do a search on the Internet.  There's an abundance of information out there to help you.  A quick explanation is Goal (what the character wants), Motivation (why the character wants the goal), and Conflict (what's keeping the character from reaching his/her goal).  Each main character should have his or her own GMC.  Check out my blog on Building Characters and blogs and articles by others.
  3. Do as much research as you can pre-writing.  Whether contemporary, historical, or even futuristic/dystopian/other, they all take some research.  You want to write a cowboy book, a doctor book, or even a setting you're unfamiliar with?  Research.  Again, the Internet is a wonderful tool for this and many other things.  Use it.  Talk to people who can help.  You'll find more than you need, but that's okay.  What you don't need you may need with another book.
  4. Plan and use your writing schedule.  Set aside time to write every day and also set a daily goal for pages or words to be written.  And stick to it!  Check out my 4-part blog series on Goal Setting for some ideas.
  5. Think about what you're going to write before your fingers touch the keyboard.  In whose POV will the scene be?  What is going to happen in a scene? If it helps, instead of writing one scene and stopping for the day, stop in the middle of a scene--especially an exciting or tense point--and start there the next day.  Once you're in the scene, writing it, let the moment and the characters carry you along.
  6. If you find yourself stuck...  Don't panic.  It's amazing what our subconscious does for us.  Try sleeping on the problem.  Brainstorm with a writer friend or group of writer friends.  We often get too close to our story and characters that we can't think "out of the box" or beyond our preconceived ideas.  If those things don't produce results, write whatever comes to mind. Don't worry that it isn't quite right, just get down the idea.  But don't edit now!  Remember, we're on the No Editing plan.  Write a note (sticky notes work well), along with the page # and chapter/scene if needed, and refer to it later, after the first draft is finished. Or highlight that section and go back when you've finished the first draft.
  7. Write it down!  Ideas come to us at the strangest times.  Have a notebook where you can write them down.  Put a notebook in your car, your purse, or wherever you can grab it.  While driving, DO NOT write notes.  This is where a small voice recorder can really come in handy!
Once you have that first draft written, it's time to put it away.  Let it sit for a while, if possible, and work on something new or whatever it takes to get you away from the story.  Once you've had some distance, go back and start editing.  That's the time to refer to those notes and make changes.

Celebrate!
Now that your first draft is finished, feel proud of your accomplishment.  Many people want and hope to write a book, but a large percentage of those people never do.  You have!
Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

School is in Session

When we think of learning, we think of school.  But that's really narrow-minded.  School is only one part of learning and not even the first part.  We begin to learn the moment we're born.  We shouldn't stop until we breathe our last breath.

We learn by instruction, doing, and keeping our eyes, ears, and minds open.  That last--keeping ourselves open, is probably the most important, because without it, instruction and doing will often fail.

I'll be the first in the line that's formed for those who have learned by mistake.  That doesn't mean I give up.  I keep trying.  I keep learning.

Knowledge is like the tip of an iceberg.  What we know is above the water, and it may seem abundant, but below the water is the real stuff.  That's what we don't know, but should learn.  Add the ocean water surrounding it, and it seems endless.  Learning is endless.

One of the ways I learn, other than by all those mistakes, is sharing with others.  Yesterday evening, I attended my critique group meeting.  There are four of us, all writers.  Two of us are published, and the other two are on their way to being published.  None of us would ever say we know everything.  All of us share and continue to learn.

How do we learn?  For me, it's three things.  Seeing, doing, and sharing.

Seeing

As I'm sure I've stated before, I'm visual.  Seeing things helps.  That's why I always took copious notes in school.  Hearing it just didn't do the trick.  Writing it and seeing the words or drawings or whatever was needed, helped embed it in my brain aka learn.  I find that a bit strange, because I loved being read to as a child.  Of course, once I learned to ready on my own, it changed and became better.

I've critiqued with others for over fifteen years in both written and verbal form.  Written works better for me, whether on the giving or getting end.  In our group, we each read our work to be critiqued.  Sure, I can do it, but give me a paper with print on it, and I'll do a much better job.  Still, something is better than nothing, and sometimes hearing something will make a good thing or a not so good thing jump out.  Yes, we writers are storytellers, but we tell our stories with the written word.  I am eternally grateful to writers.  I might miss the good stuff, otherwise.

Doing

When I came home from critique group last night, my daughter was watching a spin-off of Dance Moms on TV.  I don't watch a lot of TV, myself.  I have a few favorites that are must-sees, but I don't watch every night.  Not that I've always been that way, but to have the time to write and read, I gave up a lot of TV.  One of the judges--if you've ever watched Dance Moms, you'll know who this is--never sugar coats anything.  She's blunt, sometimes to the point of rude.  But the point I see and that she made on the show last night was that the young people who are dancing at competitions are professional dancers.  It isn't easy, it often isn't fun, and it takes a lot of hard work, learning routines, steps, and all the other things that go along with being professional.

After the program was over, I turned to my daughter and said,  "If they can't take the judge's criticism, they need to find a new dream."  Harsh?  Yes.  True.  Yes.  Those young people will have to learn that there will always be criticism.  "It's like getting rejections," I said.  "It hurts.  It can really hurt.  And often we (writers) will quit or at least want to.  Many of us don't.  We simply try harder, keep learning and working toward our dream, whatever it may be."

That's "doing."  Those revisions, those critique groups, those contests we enter, and those rejection letters we collect on the way are all a part of learning.  We learn and grow and make changes.

Sharing

After joining RWA and my local writers' group, I discovered that the people involved in writing, especially romance writers, are over-the-top generous.  The sharing and helping goes on wherever you look.  Conferences and conference workshops, writers' groups, critique groups and writing friends are always there to lend an ear, a suggestion, a hand to pull us up when we're down.

I've already stated that I'm a pantster turned plotter.  Over almost twenty years of writing, I've created and learned how to plot in a way I can understand.  Like me, it isn't perfect.  It didn't come instantly.  Everyone has his/her own way to do it.  I'm always looking for ways to tweak "my way," especially when I hit a bump in the writing or plotting.  I ask others how they go about planning their story.  Often, there's a small grain of something I can use to help make my plotting and writing better.  And I'll share the way I do it, too.  Isn't that what sharing is all about?

Never, never, never be afraid to ask questions.  That's one of the best ways to gain knowledge.  And when the table is turned and a question is asked, offer your own experiences, good and bad.

We'll never know everything, and that's okay, because it's nice to keep learning.  An "aha" moment is worth it's weight in gold.  Happy learning!
The world is a university and everyone in it is a teacher.  Make sure when you wake up in the morning you to go school. ~ Bishop T.D. Jakes

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Mapping Your Story

THE CREATIVE PROCESS
Last week was the pits.  Whatever the current respiratory flu is that's going around in my part of the country, it decided to visit me.  Last Wednesday and Thursday were spent sleeping most of the day away.  Friday was better---until I started to chill...and not in a good way.  My temperature hit 103.5.  I couldn't get warm.  Some ibuprofen, OTC cough medicine, and echinacea (my go-to whenever I feel something coming on) finally did the trick after three hours of shivering in bed.  I spent the weekend being a slug, and finally felt about 75% human by Tuesday.  I'm still tired, still would like to crawl between the covers, but I might begin to like that.  Now it's back to the business of writing and the creative process we go through with each story.

The word "plotting" strikes fear in the heart of many writers.  It did me for many years.  For some of those writers, not plotting can lead to stalling or writing in fits and starts or, even worse, coming to a complete stop with a story that is never finished. Or many stories that are never finished.

But plotting doesn't have to be the terror that many believe it is.  Plotting doesn't mean knowing every little detail of every scene.  It's basically nothing more than a road map of where your characters and their story are going.  Each writer has the option of how detailed that road map will be.

One caution:  Trying to plot before knowing your characters can lead to insanity.

Back in the olden days when I first decided to try my hand at crafting a story, I never plotted.  That's right, I said never.  There were a couple of reasons for that, the first being that I feared it would spoil the journey for me, and I'd lose interest.  I've learned since then that the more I know about my story, the easier the journey is.  I'm able to enjoy the process, instead of wasting time wondering what to do with my characters next.  The second reason had a lot to do with not having a clue HOW to plot.  And this is the first time I've ever admitted that. ☺

There are as many ways to plot as there are people who do it.  My fellow authors and good friends, Kristi Gold and Kathie DeNosky, both plot in their own, special way.  My way isn't their way, anymore than each of their ways is mine, but there are aspects we all share.

Kristi isn't a put-it-on-paper plotter, but once she starts going, it's solidly in her mind.  She knows what's going to happen, although only certain things seem to be detailed to her.  Still, her plotting has led to book #32 (THE CLOSER YOU GET, Harlequin Superromance, February 2013) hitting shelves in a matter of days.  She's obviously doing something right!

Kathie long ago shared her plotting method with me, and she also shares it on her website for others.  She taught me that each scene needs its own GMC, just as the characters do at the beginning of the story.  To keep her on track and able to have written over 30 books, with her newest, IN THE RANCHER'S ARMS, Harlequin Desire, coming out in April 2013.

While I can't take a photo of Kristi's brain, complete with plots and characters, I can share Kathie's index card method.


A closer view of  two cards used for one scene.

Kathie based her scene card method on Jack M. Bickham's SCENE AND STRUCTURE, but added her own little twist.  She shared it with me, and although I no longer use the actual cards in the same way, it's (luckily!) stuck in my head.  Plus, I always know that I can go back to it, if the need arises.

~  ~  ~  ~  

Next week I'll go into more detail about beginning the plotting process, but for now, check out Kathie's scene cards and Kristi's upcoming book!  Oh, yes, and in March, the 7th Hearts of Desperation series book will hit shelves!

Don't fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have. ~ Louis E. Boone 

Thursday, January 17, 2013

The Creative Process

THE CREATIVE PROCESS
The Key to Inspiration

A few days ago, I received an email from a reader via the contact form on my website.  She was reading my very first book, a Silhouette Romance titled RACHEL'S RESCUER.  No way was I not smiling when I read that she liked the book, although she hadn't finished it yet.  I hope the end doesn't disappoint her.  It's one of those endings that made me smile as I wrote it.

It's been almost thirteen years since I sold that first book, even longer since I first idea of it creaped into my mind.  It also doesn't seem like it was that long ago.  Not only has Silhouette Romance been a thing of the past, but I've added a few years to my age.  Even so, writing a book is always a new and exciting process.

After some thought and missing several Mondays and Wednesdays here, I decided that instead of my usual days and topics, I'd change things around a little and share what I've learned about writing in the past 15+ years on Thursdays.  When the mood strikes, I might stop in on a Monday, Wednesday, or maybe a Friday or weekend to share something different, but I'm hoping Thursdays won't find me as Mondays--and Wednesdays--have lately, wondering how I managed to forget what day it was and have allowed the it to pass without blogging. For those who stop by more frequently, I apologize and hope the change will help.

So here we go!

From Idea to Book

The question most asked of writers is, "Where do you get your ideas?"

I haven't discovered a single writer who has been able to answer that question in less than ten words.  Unless the answer is, "Everywhere," that is, and that's an honest answer.  Ideas spring from TV, movies, songs, books, overheard conversations, photos, the evening news, and much, much more.

A lack of ideas isn't usually a problem.  It's what to do with them.  Many a writer has had an inspiring idea for a story, only to discover, once begun, that it lacked something vital and eventually found its way to the bottom desk drawer.  Some ideas work.  Others don't work, no matter how long or hard we work on them or how badly we want them to.

An idea is only the beginning.  That sliver of inspiration goes through a long, arduous process to become a full story.  It involves characters, back stories, settings, goals, dialogue, and conflict, just to name a few.  The process can involve hours spent in front of a blank screen and even more hours, days, months and sometimes years putting letters and words together that become the story on that screen.

Example

RACHEL'S RESCUER was far from the first book I wrote and obviously not my first idea, nor the first book I wrote.  But it was a viable idea and it began as a silent reply to yet another rejection.  That reply was, "They want babies, brides and cowboys?  I'll give them babies, brides and cowboys."

Yes, my inspiration was a rejection.

It didn't take long to create the characters.  The "cowboy" was a rancher in Montana.  The "bride" was a mother, and the "baby" was her six-year-old son.

Then came the questions.


  • What is one thing all mothers fear?  Answer: The loss of a child. After thinking of all the ways a child could be lost, I finally found the answer.  Aha!  Ex-in-laws (mother was a widow) were trying to take the child because...?  They had made an assumption about her and considered her (unfairly) to be a bad mother.  Conflict and Motivation for the mother.  She was on the run from them.
  • What is the rancher/hero's conflict?  Answer: He didn't believe in love and marriage and didn't want a family.  Simple, right?  But why did he feel that way?  What was his Motivation?  He'd been in a bad marriage, and his wife (an absolute opposite of the rancher) had miscarried their baby.  One important thing.  He loved kids, but didn't know or accept it.
  • Where to set the story?  Answer:  Montana.  It was a long way from where the heroine and her in-laws lived.
  • How do the H/H meet? Answer: The heroine arrives at the hero's ranch with a sheriff following.  She thinks her ex-in-laws have found her. (They haven't.) Thinking the drive leading to the ranch is a road, she dead-ends at the ranch...with a flat tire.
  • How to increase the conflict and keep the heroine there?  Answer:  A snowstorm.

That was how the story was born.

The tagline on the back cover reads: A sheriff, a snowstorm and suspicious ex-in-laws were hot on Rachel's heels...  I wish I could say I wrote that, but I didn't. ☺

 Of course more conflict arose, and the H/H could only fall in love.  It is a romance, after all. :)   But that's for another day.
Rachel's Rescuer
working title was
The Rancher and the Runaway Mom

Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things. - Steve Jobs

Monday, October 15, 2012

Bring on the Tissues

MOTIVATION MONDAYS
If only the tissues were needed for a sad movie.  No, it doesn't work that way.

I woke up yesterday morning with a sore throat.   With no nose tickle warning of a cold coming on, but knowing I had a busy day ahead, I took my usual ward-off-a-cold meds.  Quite often I can nip a cold in the bud on the first day.  Not this time.  Today isn't any better---I woke up coughing---so I decided to take it easy.  The only problem is, there are things that need to be done.  Goals for the day need to be reached.  Motivation to do that needs to kick in.  That isn't happening.  I hate being sick.

It takes being motivated to choose a goal.  On the other hand, there needs to be a goal to be motivated to reach.  Seems to be something of a conundrum.  We're in an endless circle.  Without one, the other doesn't work.
A person needs a goal to be motivated to move/work toward a goal.
We start with an idea or a need that we hope leads to an idea.  Once we have one or the other, the next step is setting the goal.

I have the goal.

It wasn't all that difficult.  After reaching the goal of finishing the eighth book set in Desperation, OK, a few weeks ago, I gave myself a few days off.  That didn't last long, since I already knew that I needed to move on to the next two books, so that became my next goal.

GOAL=2-book proposal

I have the motivation.

I was eager to start on the story of the sister of the two previous heroes, so the motivation is there.  In fact, in this case, the motivation came before the goal and spurred me on to finish Dylan's story.  It doesn't always work that way.

MOTIVATION=Writing Erin's story, plus I'll need another that is yet undecided

Breaking the goal down into smaller goals.  

For a 2-book proposal, I need the first three chapters and a full synopsis (approximately 7-8 pages for me) of the first story and a short (two page or so) synopsis on the second story idea.

  • First three chapters  


For a full synopsis, I have to have an idea of where the story is going after that third chapter, so, for me, I have to plot the story.  Those three chapters were finished almost a week ago, and I finished plotting on Saturday.
  • Plot story
Once I have the story plotted, I can write the synopsis.  It's never easy, but with a road map to follow, it isn't as hard as it could be.  (And this is why I learned to plot!)
  • Write synopsis
Now that the proposal for the first book is in the process of being written, the idea of the second book can be "cooking" in my subconscious.  I don't necessarily need as much information or plot for this one, but I do need to know the characters well, their GMCs, the main points of the story (opening, turning points, black moment and resolution).  The rest of the story will eventually fall into place while the first is being written.  It's amazing how ideas come along when focusing on something else. 
  • Make notes on second book for short synopsis
  • Write second synopsis
It may sound easy.  Of course it isn't, but when once it starts, it can often gain momentum.  There will be bumps and dips and curves, but the idea is to keep moving.

And then what?

I'll be doing revisions and edits and checking galleys on the two books that will be out next year.  While that time seems far away in one sense, March is only 5 months away.  Besides, we all know there is no rest for the wicked. 

This is how I do it...when I do it.  Each writer works out her or his own way.  I have friends who plot even more deeply than I do and others who have scene ideas, but don't actually plot.  Then there are some who plot as they go.  In the beginning, we have a goal and motivation.  In the end, we have a story that becomes a book.  Or we hope it will. :)

Find your way and go with it.  Tweak and make changes when needed.  Just remember that it all revolves around goals and motivation.
Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. ~ Thomas Jefferson

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Choosing Our Paths

WRITING WEDNESDAYS
Last week's blog post is still sitting in draft.  After a few paragraphs written during a plague of interruptions, I decided to let it sit and simmer.  I'm glad I did.  Things happen for a reason.

Late last night I finished writing the first three chapters of a new book.  Those pages plus a synopsis will soon be a proposal that will be sent to my agent and then my editor.  Not that it's important, but mostly to set the stage for showing that, although our goals are quite often the same, the ways in which we get there can be very different.

I had a story idea.  I had the main characters.  The setting was already there.  What else did I need?
  • Conflict? check
  • Characters' backstories? check
  • Opening? check
  • Idea of what scenes 1-3 (first chapter) will involve? check
  • 1st Turning Point? check
  • Main Turning Point? check
  • Black Moment? check
  • Resolution aka HEA? check
  • Story plotted?  Uh, not yet, so no check
That's the way I usually start.  Idea, characters (including their GMCs), bare bones plotting and an opening.  It's worked fairly well, but this is the first time I really thought about what I was doing.  I like it better when the plot simply falls into place when I first start to fill out my plotting board, but it didn't happen this time.  Other writers do it different ways.  Some are meticulous plotters, some are pansters and jump right in as soon as an idea strikes.  Others do it a little different each time.
DISCLAIMER:  Below is my method, the path I chose to take.  It is not the right path for everyone.  In fact, a few years ago it wouldn't have been the right path for me.  When I first started writing, it would have definitely NOT been my path.  We grow, we change, and we try new things.
The first chapter went fairly well, and the day after I finished it, I started the second chapter...only to realize chapter 1 need some changes.  Major changes.  All that plotting in my head that I'd done didn't gel when I moved on with the story.  What to do?

My choice at this point was to either go back and rewrite sections of the first chapter or to continue on with the first, keeping in mind what I'll need to change later.  I chose to wait until I finished the third chapter.

Let me say that I have many writing friends who revise and polish as they go.  They're pros at it.  It works well for them and they continue to make it work.  When I try it, I feel like I'm running a race on a treadmill.  I can't let go of the idea that I'm not moving forward.  That's merely a deception I haven't overcome.  Besides, I tell myself, it will have to be done at some point, so why not now?   Well, because I said so, I guess.

When I finished writing the second chapter (without revising anything in the first, but keeping in mind what I would change), I knew my characters much better.  They were letting me in their heads.  I was even jotting down snippets of dialogue to be used later that kept popping into my mind.  Those helped form more scene ideas, so I was able to add more scenes to my plotting board.  I was making headway. But as I opened my template to start chapter 3, I froze.  I was one chapter away from needing a solid plot.

Ideas come to us at the strangest times.  I've been working on making a new habit of taking a pad of paper with me each day when I go to pick up grandkids after school.  I go early for a good parking place, then sit. Prime time, if the brain cooperates.  The day after that third chapter freeze netted me all but three or four scenes for the rest of the book.  To be honest, I was amazed that they came to me so quickly and easily, but looking back, my subconscious was probably working on it all the time when my conscious mind was writing pages.

Last night's writing time took me to the end of chapter 3, so with all three chapters finished, except for the changes that I'll make in chapter one, I'm ready to finish plotting so I can write a seven to eight page synopsis.  Just knowing the main event (mini GMCs) of each scene is like having a road map of where the story is going and where it will end.  Sure, there will be some changes, especially those in the first chapter, but because I'm aware of it, I won't panic.  Or shouldn't, anyway. ☺

That's my path, but rest assured that it changes and morphs with each new story.  I love to hear about the paths of others, because there might be something in them that will be an asset in my mine.  Always remember, your path isn't set in stone.  Like the weather, it can changed in a moment's notice.  That's a good thing, because it means we're not only growing, but these small changes can help keep our writing process fresh.  Choose your path and make it uniquely yours!

        Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
        I took the one less traveled by,
        And that has made all the difference.
        ~ Robert Frost

Thursday, August 23, 2012

My Way or the Highway

WRITING WEDNESDAYS
There are as many ways to write a book as there are writers.

If you think you didn't read that correctly, here it is again:
There are as many ways to write a book as there are writers.

Our paths to publication and beyond are a journey of learning and changing to discover what works best for each of us.  And even when we believe we've found that best, it's possible to be surprised by the something new that works even better.

While I've blogged many times about the benefits of plotting, it isn't an absolute necessity when writing a book.  Many writers are able to sit down and pen a wonderful story without plotting a single bit of it.  Oh, how I sometimes envy them!

But writing is a craft, and there are things in writing that are static because they're expected by readers.  It's best to learn the basics first, then add the frills and extras later.  Each of the following has some wiggle room, so do some studying and find out what works best for you.

A novel needs:
  1. A beginning, middle, and end
  2. Characters (more than one makes it more interesting)
  3. Plot...as in what the story is about
  4. Setting
  5. Conflict
How a story is created and written is where we each go our different way.  Your "how" will be different than mine or Stephen King's or Nora Roberts' or Dan Brown's or the guy down the block or...  You get the picture. :)  But no matter "how" we do it---from beginning to end, end to beginning, from the middle out, or a scene here, then another there---in the end we have a story.  

Learning what way works best for each individual can be ongoing.  When I hit a snag or something isn't working as well as it once had (usually in the area of plotting or characterization), I often try something new and different that someone has suggested.  No matter how small or where it came from, it can make a difference.

When I first began writing (as an adult), I did it because I enjoyed creating a world and characters, especially characters I could manipulate!  Ah, the power of control!  But when the time came that I decided I just might want to try to have a book published, things changed.  I realized I couldn't just sit down and ramble, while my characters were off in one direction, then another.  I started researching the writing process.  While I realized that somehow I knew many of the basics, probably from inhaling so many books, there were--and still are--other things that need to be learned other than grammar, sentence structure, and even plot.

Gathering and learning new information is exciting.  There are thousands of ways and places to find writing basics and beyond.  Many of those are online, and an abundance of them are free.  Each will view a topic in a different manner.  If the first one you read or try doesn't suit, move on to the next, and keep moving until you find an "aha" that you feel will fit you and what you need.

Those who have been writing for a while often share what they've learned.  That's what's nice about groups such as Romance Writers of America, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, Sisters in Crime, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Mystery Writers of America...  Those are only the tip of the iceberg, and many of them have local chapters.  There are also local groups that are not associated with national or international groups.  Being a part of a group can be a huge benefit in a career that can be pretty lonely at times.  We've all been there at the beginning, and most people are more than happy to answer questions and help.

No one has a magic wand.  Nothing that's worth it is easy. Writing, like Life, is a constant learning adventure.    Enjoy the journey!  And do it your way.
"It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous." - Peter Benchley

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Tightening That Sagging Middle

WRITING WEDNESDAYS
I'm late, but I have an excuse.  I've spent today working on my own middle.  The middle of the book, that is.  Work on my physical middle has fallen to the wayside, thanks to the hot weather.  Once it cools off, the walking will resume.

Frankly, I'd much rather blog about the middle in the picture on the left.  Who wouldn't?  But lusting over a hunk isn't going to get a book written and, except for being a reminder of tightening those sagging flesh and blood middles, it's only going to make it warmer in here.  Another 105 today was hot enough, thank you.

I'm one of the lucky ones who hasn't had a rejection because of a sagging middle.  (And I'm knocking on wood.  It can strike at any time.)  Believe me, I've had plenty of rejections, but they've been for a variety of other things.  Still, it seems sagging middles are one of the top reasons for rejection.

If you're coming up on the halfway point in your story and your Hero and Heroine are getting along so well that it's almost scary, it may be that you've forgotten about the conflict between that H and H.  It's conflict, not rosy moments, that keeps them from reaching their happily ever after too soon.  This is where a little plotting can go a long way.

A good story that keeps a reader reading will build from that first introduction to the conflict to the end when that conflict--and often new and different ones--are solved.  This is true for all fiction, not only romance.  While it's nice to have interludes where the characters aren't at odds and everything is going fairly smoothly, if it goes too smoothly for too long, readers can easily lose interest.  And so can editors.

To counteract a lull, it helps to focus on what can happen that will increase the conflict between the H/H.  This conflict should be emotional, and therefore internal, but can be brought about by something external.  A kiss...or more...in a romance will increase the stakes of the characters and bring about more intense emotions and...  You guess it.  CONFLICT.  This could happen while discovering something new about the other character that means a re-thinking of the relationship.  Or maybe a romance that's been kept a secret suddenly suffers a leak that could destroy the couple.  Do this mid-way, and you've discovered the main turning point of your story and solved quite a lot of the sagging middle problem.  Keep it connected to the main conflict, and you'll discover that you won't be going off in directions that lead nowhere.

It doesn't take heavy, thorough or even complicated plotting to do this.  Simply knowing, either before you begin writing the story or discovering it as you're writing it, that this moment is going to happen will keep you on course and keep the story interesting.

The main turning point isn't the only thing to keep readers hooked, but it is one of the most important ones.  Don't cheat your readers.  Give them a strong shift in the story, then take them to a heart-wrenching black moment, before leaving them with happy sighs over the HEA.

Torturing your characters is fun and much better than torturing your readers. ;)
The greatest rules of dramatic writing are conflict, conflict, conflict. ~ James Frey

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Growing a Story

WRITING WEDNESDAYS
Doesn't "growing a story" sound nice?  It conjures up all kinds of words, like "nurturing" and "planting" and "blooming" and "blossoming."  Those words make a person want to dig in and start doing.

As a writer, if the word "plotting" causes you to run to the nearest corner and curl up in a fetal position, thumb in mouth, hair twisted around finger, there's a way to get around it.  Instead of "plotting," think "growing a story."  Why?  Because plotting is nothing more than the growth of an idea into a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Like a garden where we prepare the foundation by turning up the soil where we'll be planting, we prepare our work area for a new story idea.  How many of you clear your desk, pull out a new notepad/notebook, or create a new folder on your computer?

I admit that I have what's become a ritual.  It begins with a new folder bearing the heroine's first name within my Manuscript folder in Documents.  Blanks of forms I'll be needing (storyboard, age chart, character list, pages written total, notes, and more) are added so I have them all in place in advance.  I fill them out as needed and as I go along.  I also put together a new 3-ring binder which contains sheet protectors where I'll keep printed copies of some of those forms, photos of the hero and heroine and anything else that might help me visually.  Yes, I probably overdo it, but it works, so why change it?

Next comes the seeds aka the ideas.  If only they came in order, writing a book would be so much simpler.  They don't, but by watering and fertilizing and giving them time to germinate, the garden begins to show signs of sprouts.  Once those start growing, we have to take care of the weeds, those ideas that don't work well with what is now the overall theme or framework of the story.  The strongest sprouts will become the 8 Plot Points of the story.  Again, those are:

  1. Opening
  2. Inciting Incident
  3. Turning Points (1 or 2)
  4. Main Turning Point
  5. Black Moment
  6. Sacrifice
  7. Resolution
  8. HEA
Those 8 are the connecting points.  The questions that need to be asked and answered to grow the story are what get the characters from point 1 (A) to 2 (B), from 2 (B) to 3 (C), and so on.  See them as the rows and areas of your garden, building from the beginning to the back end, smaller to larger as the story grows.  Pansies to Sweet Peas to Marigolds to Irises to Climbing Roses.

How to keep track of all this?  A storyboard.

(Disclaimer:  This is the way I do it.  This is NOT the only way. Take what might help, change it around, and make it YOURS.)

The average length of my books is 12 chapters.  I usually have 3 scenes per chapter.  That is NOT set in stone.  It depends on the story. ☺

Here's where I do the work... 
I LOVE whiteboards!  I can write on them or use paper and magnets.  I choose magnets and sticky note sized paper so I can move scenes around.  Sometimes they don't work where I'd first envisioned them!  (Sticky notes tend not to stick for me.)  I only need a brief idea of what the scene is about.  I'll build on that as I write the scene.  I can scribble that on the notes or when I have a good amount of scenes, I can print them on a page and cut them to size.

I was recently introduced to a new way of plotting those basics listed above, while at a writers retreat.  Author Patricia Davids used "Idea" paint on a wall, creating a huge surface that becomes a white board.  Five of us plotted a book for each of two writers, while Pat, then another wrote the ideas on the board.  From there, the writers would fill in the blanks (scenes) between those points.  I was impressed and intend to give it a try in the future.





This is the way I did it before the white board, so cork bulletin boards can work well, too!

(See the rows of seedlings and different types?)
 



Here's a basic version of a blank storyboard, created using a Word .doc, that will be filled out after I've finished plotting and am ready to start writing. Once it's filled out, it's saved and printed, then kept in a sheet protector in my notebook, so I have it on hand as I write the first draft.










Does all of this have to be done to plot a story?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  It took me a long time to come up with something that worked for me.  I discovered the .doc storyboard above in an old handout book from an RWA conference.  (I'd love to credit the author who created it, but I don't know who it was.)  With that in hand, I changed, added, and removed until I found what worked for me. The white board and paper storyboard is only the latest incarnation, and I have no doubt that I'll be tweaking and making changes yet again before long.

If you've never plotted but feel you should, or if your plotting style just doesn't seem to be working for you, see if any portion of the above will help you.  Always feel free to recreate or adjust any kind of plotting device, until it suits you.  That's the best part.  Nothing is set in stone and improvements can always be made. :)

So where do I start when the tiny glimmer of an idea hits?  I'll share that next week. :)
My stories run up and bite me on the leg - I respond by writing down everything that goes on during the bite. When I finish, the idea lets go and runs off. ~ Ray Bradbury

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Cooking Up a Story

WRITING WEDNESDAYS
There are countless articles online for writers that offer all kinds of different ways to go about plotting.  To find them, a simple search for "novel plotting" will produce a gold mine of information.  Some require a lot of detailed work, while others are simple and basic.

After almost twenty years of writing, when it comes to plotting, I've come to the conclusion that each writer must find his or her own method.  That method may be completely designed by the writer from scratch or may be a compilation by that writer of other methods or ways of plotting created by others.

Once you've found your method and use it for a while, you may discover it isn't working as well as it has been and that it needs adjustment for a particular piece of work. Sometimes the entire process needs an overhaul. The main thing to remember is that if whatever you're doing or whatever you're using isn't working, change it or don't use it.  There's nothing worse than trying to wrestle a story using a method that isn't doing the job.  It's a waste of time and energy.

So what are the basics of plotting that a writer uses to build on?  Here's my list:

  1. HOW THE STORY BEGINSAn interesting opening that introduces the major characters, the setting, and the conflict or at least a strong hint of it for one of the major characters.  (My focus is romance, but if yours isn't, simply adjust specifics--hero/villain/heroine/protagonist/antagonist, etc)  This does not necessarily mean the opening line, but the gist of the first few pages or scene.
  2. THE INCITING INCIDENT - This is where the major conflict comes into play.  It may have been introduced earlier, but something is revealed or learned that makes it the focus of the characters and begins their--always bumpy--journey to their HEA.
  3. TURNING POINTS - Something happens that causes a shift or change in the story.  In romance, this is often where one of the characters realizes their feelings for the other character have changed.  Maybe there's a kiss...or more.  Maybe a small secret is revealed.  Maybe the character learns something about the other that makes a difference in how that other character is seen.  The amount of turning points may depend on the length of the story.
  4. MAIN TURNING POINT - This is where there's a big change in the story.  In a romance, this change is in the relationship between the hero and heroine.  Everything that has come into play up to this point is now going to shift.  The conflict will change or be seen in a completely different way, as if through different eyes.  The story is about to kick into high gear for the race to the finish line.
  5. THE BLACK MOMENT - The brakes come on and everything (the relationship) comes to a screeching halt.  This usually occurs a chapter or two before the last chapter and is where all seems lost to the main characters.  Something irreparable has occurred for at least one of them.  In romance, these two characters are not going to get together for that HEA.  Or so they believe.
  6. THE SACRIFICE - One character (or both) must realize that they are not willing to walk away from "what might have been" and they'll do whatever is necessary to make it happen.
  7. THE RESOLUTION - Something happens or a characters makes something happen that changes everything, and that HEA is within reach.
  8. HEA - Happily Ever After.  The hero and heroine have done whatever is fix any problems they've had in the past, then pledge their love and commitment to each other.  In a mystery, the mystery is solved and the bad guy is caught.
Do I know all of these things at once?  Oh, I wish!  My story ideas usually start with an idea of an opening and a vague idea of the conflict.  At least one of the characters or the personality of one of the characters is a major part of that idea.  Sometimes I'm blessed with luck when the opening scene plays out in my head to tantalize me and make me start asking questions.  It's those questions and the answers that begin the fill-in-the-blank process of plotting.  What happens if even the questions aren't coming along as they should?  That's when I start dialing the phone for some brainstorming.  And while we may not come up with an entire plot, there are enough ideas generated to kick-start the creative spot in my brain to fill in those blanks and move forward with the story.

It's a crazy system and may not work for everyone, but it can be a starting point if you're new at plotting or have hit a brick wall and aren't sure where to turn.  Keeping track of everything and how it plays out can also be crazy time, and because I'm a visual person and need to see where I've been, where I am, and where I'm headed, I use a storyboard.  I'll share my version of that next week.

If writing by the seat of your pants isn't working, or if you simply want to try something new, stick around.  Whatever you do and however you do it, enjoy the journey!
“You are the embodiment of the information you choose to accept and act upon. To change your circumstances you need to change your thinking and subsequent actions.” - Adlin Sinclair 

Thursday, July 5, 2012

If At First You Don't Succeed...

WRITING WEDNESDAYS THURSDAY
Holidays can be good...and not so good.  While the sound of fireworks filled the air yesterday, I spent the day making changes aka doing revisions on A NANNY FOR THE COWBOY.  And because I was determined to get them done--which I did--it also meant that other things had to be put aside.

One of those things that was put off until today was a blog on plotting.  The truth is, I did start that blog today, but I decided that it might be even better if I shared something related, but not directly about plotting.

Let's face it.  None of us is infallible.  That includes me.  Yeah, it really includes me today.  You see, I sent off the proposal for the next book following the one mentioned above.  The working title for this new book is DESIGNS ON THE COWBOY.  First, let me state upfront that I am not good with titles, so if your first reaction is blech, that's okay.  More than likely that title will change.  

Second? Read on.

I received an email from my editor this morning with some suggestions to strengthen the story.  Changes will include a bit of an overhaul on the hero and fixing/changing some major plot points. Ooops!  There's that word.  PLOT.  You see, sometimes no matter how much time you put into it, plotting doesn't always come out the way you'd planned.  Sometimes we leave questions unanswered, sometime our plots have sagging middles, and sometimes a plot just needs to be punched up to keep it from being mundane and...dare I say it?...boring to the reader.  You see, while the story wasn't bad, it definitely could be made better.  Luckily--and thanks to suggestions from my editor--I can do that.

There are so many things that make a book a good read.  From plot to characters to pacing to author voice to sentence structure to setting and more, writing a book is like creating a recipe.  It takes the perfect amount of the right ingredients to make it tasty.  Not enough salt, and it can be bland.  Too much and...

Nobody is perfect.  (That definitely describes me!)  Not every book is a bestseller.  But as writers, we want to write the best book we can, and that can mean making changes we hadn't planned on making.  I'll be thinking of the changes I need to make, and on Monday I'll start working on them.  While it puts me behind on my writing schedule (see anything related to GOALS), if I work steady, I can still make my deadline and turn in a better story.

Look for "Cooking Up a Story" next week.
If at first you don't succeed, do it like your mother editor told you.  ~ Author Unknown (edited by) Roxann Delaney

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Summertime...and the Living Isn't So Easy

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

While some enjoy what's popularly called the lazy days of summer, it's becoming more and more not my favorite season.  Not that it has been for a long time.  As time has gone by, I've grown to think of it as the crazy days of summer.

This week we've been cursed with 100+ temperatures.  Yesterday was 106, and my AC had trouble keeping up.  The temp inside was 80, and I don't find that exactly conducive to being able to concentrate.  I should have managed to write more than 7 pages, but I was grousing about the heat most of the day.  And those 7 pages?  They were decent for a rough draft...but they were in the wrong place in the story line and in the wrong POV.

Silly me, I forgot to take a look at my storyboard.  The question now is whether I leave them and adjust my plot, changing around a couple of scenes, or do I rewrite 2 that were not what I intended.  They aren't bad, they just aren't what I'd expected from my characters at this point in the story.

(Note to self:  Check storyboard and synopsis for plot before taking off on morning walk and letting scenes run wild in my head.)
 Yes, I'm a plotter.  I know a lot of writers aren't, and that's okay.  I also know writers who say they aren't plotters, yet they are.  Most experienced writers go into writing a story with some idea of what the story is about, who the main characters are and their GMCs, and a few turning points.  Add the Black Moment and the Resolution, and they have a plot.  It may not be written down, but it's there, and they know basically where the story and the characters are going.

Let me state that I haven't always been a plotter.  My earliest attempts at writing were done on the wings of nothingness.  I sat down, I introduced a hero and heroine, and then I let them and the story take me away.  Looking back, those first attempts weren't horrible, but they definitely were...different.  Back then, I could write a 50-60,000 word book in 10 days.  Now I allow myself 2-3 months, depending on what's going on with my life at the time.  Take my word for it.  FAST IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER.

How did I got from total pantster to a crazed OCD plotter?  I honestly don't remember.  What I do remember is that my critique buddy, aka Kathie DeNosky, insisted that I learn how to plot, if only enough to know where my story was headed.  Once I sold my first book, she told me, I'd want to sell on proposal, and to do that, I'd better have half a clue who those characters are and what their story is.

Guess what?  She was right.  There's also a bonus to this.  My story goes from point to point, without wandering, and I rarely have to go back and rewrite complete scenes.    When I start to write, I know who the characters are and why they're doing what they're doing.  I know their GMCs and base their story on that.

If you're to the point where you believe you need to learn how to plot or at least want to have an idea of where your story is going and how your characters are going to grow, it's time to get serious about this plotting thing.  I'm here to tell you that it isn't as difficult as it sounds.  Once I learned what I needed to do, the doing became much easier.

Each person creates a story in her own way, but there are some basics that can help make it easier.  If you're ready to start learning those basics or if you feel you need a refresher or something to give you a shove, check back next week.  Let's talk plotting.  :)
Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. - Stephen King

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Digging Deeper - Part 2

WRITING WEDNESDAYS
Motivation
Synonyms: motive, inspiration, inducement, cause, impetus. 

In GMC (Goal, Motivation & Conflict) MOTIVATION is the WHY.  It's the reason for the character's Goal. The more intense (emotional) the motivation, the better.

If a character has no goal, there's no reason for the reader to care.  No one cares about a character who doesn't want something.  The stronger and more emotional the goal, the more involved the reader will become.  But don't stop there, because it's the Conflict--what keeps the character from reaching the goal--that really keeps the story going and the reader hooked.  There won't be much of a story if the character gets what he/she wants in the beginning, no matter what the reason.  Therefore, we have conflict. 

Motivation is the Key to Conflict
Say it again.  Say it out loud.  Say it each time you sit down to plot or write a story.  Motivation is the key to conflict.  If you want deeper emotional conflict for the character--so deep that the reader can't put down the book--character motivation is imperative.

But where do we find motivation for our character?
IN THE BACKSTORY.  

What is backstory?
It's everything that happens before the story opens.

Anyone who has taken a basic psychology class knows that the person we are to become is formed as we grow.  Our personality is shaped from birth and beyond.  Good, bad, mediocre, it's all a part of who we are.  Those things that happen along the way--people and events--are our backstory.  Simply stated, it's our deepest, truest biography.  The same holds true for our characters.

Make your characters come alive.  Make them real.  Start working on the WHY of your characters before you start writing.  Know everything you can about them, their family and how they fit or didn't fit, their childhood, their friends and emotional experiences as they grew up.  When you work out the backstory first, it can reveal the motivation and conflict for your characters.

Remember, motivation is the key to make everything work.  The deeper and more intense and emotional the motivation, the stronger the conflict.  Find your character's conflict in their motivation through their backstory.

Goal, Motivation & Conflict.  It all works together.  Without each of those points, a character is incomplete.  When all three work together, a character can be unforgettable.

More next week on how to dig even deeper into your character's motivation and backstory.
Action, reaction, motivation, emotion, all have to come from the characters. Writing a love scene requires the same elements from the writer as any other. ~ Nora Roberts

Monday, December 12, 2011

Roadblocks and Re-assesing

A week ago I blogged about the need--especially mine--to make a habit of writing each and every day.  Except maybe weekends.  Today I'm here to say that my determination to begin to make that habit came to a screeching halt.

Something didn't feel right, but I went ahead and started working on the synopsis for a proposal I want to submit--before the official holidays begin and no one is around to receive submissions.  I hoped that maybe if I pushed ahead, that feeling--caused by my own lack of belief in myself--would either go away, or the simple act of forward movement would take care of things naturally.

Wrong.  On both.  As I worked on the synopsis, seeing scenes in my mind, I hit a roadblock.  There it was, smack in the middle of my plot.  It was probably there all the time, but I didn't want to see it.  Fortunately (or unfortunately), writing a synopsis is good at revealing what we refuse to acknowledge.  This time the problem centered around the heroine and what had happened in her past to make her feel and react a certain way.  I thought I had it worked out.  I didn't.  It took several days, but I finally found what she (and I) needed.  I was almost ready to move forward again with real writing, when I talked to a published friend, who recently received revision notes on a book in the same sub-genre as mine.

Uh-oh.  I had another problem.  Was the story too dark?  Had I put my characters through too much, especially before the opening of the story?  Did I need to lighten up a little and give at least one character a little slack?

I still don't have the answer to that, but I'm going to beg for a few minutes of my friend's time, give her a quick overview of my problem, and see what she thinks.  Any other time, I might have busted through the roadblocks without too much thought, but this time I'm treading on new ground.  New sub-genre and a new line, meaning new "rules" that have not yet become familiar to me.

Hopefully tomorrow will find me back at writing the synopsis and still able to have it done in time to send before the holiday break.  The one good thing about all of this is that I've come to know my characters even better, and that's sometimes something that doesn't always happen until almost too late.

Keep tuned in.  Updates on the re-invention and expansion of my writing coming later.

First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him!  - Ray Bradbury 

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

To Nano Or Not To Nano

It's that time of year when, if you know any writers, you're sure to have heard the word NaNoWriMo.  Yeah, whatever that means, right?  But even those of us who've never participated in the national event--yes, national--are familiar with it and know that it stands for National Novel Writing Month.  And November is just around the corner.

Before the question comes up, yes, it's possible to write a novel in a month.  WRITE a novel in a month, not have a finished, clean, and ready manuscript for an agent, editor, or even print. That isn't the goal of NaNoWriMo.  But the 50,000 words that are the goal certainly can lead to the chance of having that novel ready to submit.

NaNoWriMo began in July 1999, the dream child of Chris Baty, with 21 participants.  The following year, the project was moved to November to take advantage of weather that begged for more indoor activity than outdoor.  NaNoWriMo took root and grew.  And grew!  By last year (2010), 200,000 participants wrote 2,872,682,109 words.  That's right, almost 3 billion words!

But I haven't yet made the leap to saying, yes, I'm ready to sign on the dotted line and pledge myself to 30 days of intense writing.  (That's 1666.6666 words or approximately 7 pages per day and very doable.)  I have other irons in the fire that would have to be put aside for later, and I'm not sure if I should do that.  On the other hand, it would be very nice to have something written and ready to edit, weeks before Christmas craziness sets in.  I even have a choice of what I'd like to work on.  I have several plotted but not written stories that are begging for attention.  And there's that YA (possibly a paranormal?) that my brain was plotting as I finished a nap today.  That's definitely a sign that it's ready for my attention.  But if I choose it, I only have 5 days to plot it, and I'm not sure my brain is up to it, after having just finished plotting another book this past week.

A final decision will be made on Monday.  If I choose to sign up, I may be the last one to do it!  If I choose not to, there's always next year. :)  Stay tuned!

Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness.  One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.  ~George Orwell, "Why I Write," 1947  

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Merry-Go-Round Isn't Always Merry

Hi, I'm Roxann, and I'm a plotter.  (Please hold your gasps.)

As I've mentioned before, I wasn't always a plotter.  I began, as most do, as a panster, and then evolved.  Or devolved, as some might believe.  Now I'm to the point where I MUST plot.  If I don't know where the story is going, I panic.

In the column on the right is the progress meter I used to keep track of my writing.  My goal was to finish the first three chapters of a book I intend to propose to my editor, along with another story.  The meter shows I reached my goal of 14080 words, even surpassing it.  When all was said and done, the final total was 15,510 words that came in at 48 pages

The next step in the process for me is writing the synopsis.  The story was plotted...or at least I thought it was...but I had a feeling something wasn't quite right.  The story was "off" and I feared it could easily come in too short.  Not a good thing.  Or wouldn't be smooth.  An even worse thing.  I wanted to be able to hand in a proposal I felt was solid, so it was back to the drawing board to find what went wrong where.

I again  pulled out my plotting boards (new ones that can be seen below), along with an overview of the story and characters that I'd previously sent to my editor.  I was right.  There was a small difference, and that made a much bigger difference in how the story would play out to the end.  Once I realized it yesterday morning, I spent the rest of the day shuffling scenes around, until they flowed from a solid opening to a hook that I hoped would grab a reader's attention (the first three chapters), then go on through conflicts to be solved and finally coming to a satisfying HEA.  Making the changes also involved new writing of half of a scene and moving another to later in the timeline.  But they worked.

Writing sometimes is easy, but more often involves staving off panic that can be caused by one, very small slip-up.  If plotting and correcting things in the early days of writing helps keep my heart from hammering in my chest and my fingers from fumbling on the keyboard, while my brain calls out for help, then it's what I have to do.  It works.  At least for the time being.



An author in his book must be like God in the universe, present everywhere and visible nowhere.  ~Gustave Flaubert

Monday, October 3, 2011

Monday Morning Quarterbacking

It was a busy weekend here.  Too busy, which is evidenced by the fact that my total word count for Saturday and Sunday was 171, and that was done late last night.  It also shows that, in spite of good intentions, we don't always get words on paper as planned.

That low word count does set me back a little, but because I had a few days when I managed more words than my 640, I'm not that far behind.  The key is to keep writing past that daily word count on the days when the words flow from your fingertips--or at least you have the time to push yourself for more--and not beat yourself up when life gets in the way.  At present, I'm 354 words behind, but that's less than two pages.  I know I can catch up in a day and maybe even gain a little extra ground.

So what kept me from reaching my daily goals this weekend?  Saturday we attended Woofstock and had a wonderful time.  (I'll blog about it over at scribbles tomorrow.)  Saturday evening was family night, so I never get any writing done then.  Yesterday I met with a friend and attended an event for a couple of hours, then did some catching up on other things at home that had been shoved aside to make more time for writing.

The other thing that kept me from adding to my word count was that I wasn't quite sure where I was going.  I'd finished the first chapter on Friday night with a total of 1675 for the day--an example of how some days the writing goes well--but I was feeling iffy about how the next scene would play out.  I'd done some storyboarding to write the overview of the story for my editor to look at, but an overview only contains the highlights and turning points of the story.  I had a lot of holes to fill to get from point A to B and Y to Z.  I still don't have it finished, but I have ideas and will do some work on it today.

If you're wondering about storyboards, what they are or how to go about making and using one, check out Harlequin Romance author Susan Meiers' blog on Using a Storyboard.  You can also check out my blog, Who, Me?  Plot?, for more and a photo of my (old) plotting board.  It's old because I have a new one!

Sometimes we can't control the interruptions in our plans.  When that happens, even if it's because the interruption is planned by us, the best thing to do is take a step back and reassess what needs to be done to catch up.  Keep in mind that catching up doesn't have to happen in one day, but can be spread over several.  Like a football team working a few yards at a time to reach the goal line and score posts, we don't give up simply because we didn't make the word count needed to advance.  We'll get another chance again the next day, and maybe then we'll make a long run for the goal posts.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Plotting Tips

It's time to get back to work, and since I'm getting ready to do some plotting on what possibly might become two new Desperation books, plotting seems like a good topic to discuss.

A simple definition of plotting is that it's a road map of your story.  You start at one point--the beginning--and then write your way along a highway of scenes to finally come to the final point--the end.  Many things can happen between that beginning and ending, depending on your characters and where you want to take them.  In romance, we take them from a "first meet" to that "HEA" (happily ever after) that each romance must have.

That "first meet" between the hero and heroine of a romance can be between strangers, adversaries, acquaintances or friends.  Keep in mind that the first sentence and the following paragraphs are what will grab the reader.  The last thing the reader wants to know is either character's life history, so don't worry about telling that now.  Those first few words need to hook the reader into the moment.  It may only be a moment experienced by one character (hero or heroine), so don't be afraid to wait to introduce the other character a few paragraphs or even a couple of pages later.  Just don't let it go on too long.  Those first few pages--that first scene--should contain an "OH, NO!" response between the characters or even within the reader, who sees that there's going to be some trouble up ahead.

My story ideas usually start with one character, then my mind searches for the other character, whose goals will be in direct opposition to him or her.  Somewhere along the line in there, an idea of where the story will start and what the main conflict between those characters may be starts to take root.  It may not remain the same, as ideas start to grow.  Changes sometimes need to be made and will be if needed.

Knowing your characters before starting to plot can be a big help.  When you know them well enough, you'll know how they'll react to each other and situations that might arise.  There are many different ways of getting to know your characters, so stop back in later this week for more.  Until then...
Happy Writing! 

Monday, August 8, 2011

White Rabbit Syndrome


"Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!"

I like to think my continued tardiness throughout life is because I was born late.  But because I'm adopted, I have no idea how close I was born to my "due date," so the excuse doesn't really work.  Nevertheless, that isn't going to stop me from using it, nor will I suddenly change to one of those people who would be on time, even if their house caught fire as they were leaving and their car broke down on the way.  (God forbid that would happen to anyone!)

It's not that I'm late for everything.  And I do have an excuse today for being late.  Or several excuses, if that works better.
  1. I was up late last night trying to plot a new story that apparently doesn't want to be plotted.
  2. My daughter decided to organize the hall closet that contains everything from shampoo and cotton swabs to furniture polish and hair color.  She did a great job, but after showing me how good it looked, she announced my office needed organizing.  Oh, no!!  I had to physically restrain her from opening the drawers in my desk, and then I physically restrained myself as she searched my bookcase for a book to read.  My parting goodnight included, "Just turn off the light when you leave the room."
  3. I've already written one blog post today (topic: writing struggles) and was late with it, too.
I can plan and schedule all I want, but something will always come along and throw a monkey wrench into the works.  Just what is a monkey wrench, anyway? 
Case in point:  Saturday nights are usually spent at my oldest daughter's house, where we enjoy dinner cooked by said daughter and a lot of chit-chatting about everything from the weather to politics to soap operas.  (I quit watching soaps long, long ago.)  But this past Saturday, she and her daugher had a baby shower to attend, so I planned to finish that plotting I mentioned earlier. 

(Time out to show how crazy life is here at Rancho Delaney)
Mid-day and knowing we'd be spending the evening in, my youngest announced, "There's nothing on!" as she scrolled through the menu of cable offerings.  I revised her statement to, "There's nothing that I want to watch," and reminded her that in addition to the hundreds of cable channels, there's also On Demand, Netflix, and our 400 or so DVDs, including her entire collection of Harry Potter and Buffy.  Some people just can't be pleased.

(Back to the monkey wrench...)
About seven p.m., our usual time to go to oldest's for dinner, granddaughter called and said they were on their way home from the shower and we could come over.  I should've stayed and continued the plotting, but to tell the truth, my eyes were beginning to cross as I juggled scenes on my storyboard.  Besides, I always enjoy time with family.

In a nutshell, I was able to amend my usual schedule of Saturdays with family, and instead planned to work on current WIP.  Schedule fixed.  However, new plan was interrupted and changed again when granddaughter called to say, "Come on over!" 

To quote Rosanna Roseannadanna, "It's always something."

And that's what really causes White Rabbit Syndrome.  That and being born late. ;)