Best Laid Plans

I've been struggling with the writing this year. Not going to lie. There are so many distractions in the world that tug at concentration and emotions and all. If you've been following along, you'll know that because of this, I actually did an outline for the new book. It helps to keep on track, and on those days I sit down and have no idea where this story is going, it gives me direction. Except when it sends me the wrong direction.

I sat down this week and started a new chapter, then took the outline points to work from. Except they didn't follow on from where the last chapter left off. Folks, I'm a pantser at heart, I write from the seat of my pants. This is where I excel, and usually, those things that I make up all find a way to gel together, whether I intend them to or not. 

So here's what I started with. My characters are working together to unravel a mystery. Was it murder? Or was it suicide? In my outline, I have them meeting with suspects. Formulating hypotheses, and then getting together to compare notes. My last chapter ended with one of those suspect interviews, and in my outline, it jumps to one of the characters referring to a book for ideas on where to go next. The problem is that chronologically, the next chapter should be the comparing notes chapter. I've spent three chapters on one day, which is probably the limit on how long I can stretch this day out. What I don't need is more time with them apart thinking about what comes next. They need time together, time they PLANNED to spend together hashing out what they've learned. 

Excuse me, outline. You missed a spot. 

So I'm pantsing this next chapter, because logically I know what has to come next, and my choppy outline overlooked that. 

This might also be the right place to mention my outline only goes so far. I'd figured that if I got that deep into writing, I would find my groove and "roll on." In truth, that's probably true. I'm still struggling to write, but I'm far enough along now that I know where to go from here. I still have the outline to guide me if I get stuck (at least for a few more chapters), but the "flow" should carry me along from here. 

For those of you who think writing is easy... Nope. It's work. It's a job. Just like anything else. Unlike a regular job, the pay sucks, so you have to love what you do. I do. Which means I'm still plugging along. What can you do to help? If you like my books, tell a friend. 

TFW

For those of you who don't know, the title stands for "That Feeling When."

As I near "the end" on one more book, I'm running into that feeling when I don't want the story to end, but I want it to end. I want do be done, but I don't want to rush to the finish line. When writing a story, there's nothing worse than rushing to tie up all the loose ends in a very convenient bow.

I read a book recently where once the author wrote the climax, the point that the story was leading up to where everything comes out into the open and generally does some sort of damage, they packed all the loose ends into neat little packages. Sometimes those loose ends aren't neat, nor should they be. Consider shows or movies where the villain tells the person he's about to kill all about his evil plan instead of just pulling the trigger. Yes, sometimes that's the only way you can reveal how they got there, but I will admit to wondering why the villain just offed the one guy but stopped to chat with the main target. Savoring the kill doesn't hold water with me most of the time.

And so I'm finding myself in this same boat. I'm about to write the climax. I know what's going to happen, but I'm not sure how it's going to unfold. In leading up to this point, I had written a section that showed a moment of clarity, rather than letting it play itself out. When I re-read it, I realized it would carry much more impact as an "aha" moment. "Where had she seen that look before?" AHA!  Well, something like that. I was pretty proud of myself for seeing it was too convenient as originally written. Yes, I am still growing in my writing journey every day.

Which brings me back to finishing. I have to walk my character into a potentially dangerous situation and bring her out on the other side, and then I have to show the reader how this has changed her life for the better. That's what books do. They show character growth or resolution of a goal, or both. So once we get to the other side, I need to explain why we traveled the roads we did to get to this point. Why did I point out that particular landmark along the way? And I have to do it in a logical, believable way instead of throwing my characters to the wolves and saying "you have to do this so that the story works the way I want it to." Funny, but too often, the characters tell ME how the story works out. I think it's better that way. After all, walking this journey with them all this way, I don't want to betray who they are now. Add in that there are reader expectations for the type of story I'm writing.

Which brings me to that feeling when the story comes to an end. I want to part with these characters as friends, hoping that one day we might see each other again - especially when the books are part of a series. And I don't want readers to say things like "well, that was a little too easy." My characters need to stay true to themselves, and true to the way the real world works, or at least the the extent the world they live in works.

Biorhythms and the effects on plotting/pantsing

Remember when I told you I'm always working ahead of the class?

This book has been a completely different experience for me. That isn't to say every book isn't different, but my method is generally pretty much the same. I'm a pantser for the most part, and when things get away from me, I step back and plot. I tend to throw everything out there and sort out the mess afterward, but I generally work in a fairly straight line with a few diversions along the way. It can be messy, but its linear.

When I started the research phase of this book, I met with a friend to get background, and to my surprise and delight, she got very excited about my initial visions for the book, asking me questions like "and then what?" And then she said "what about if they do this?" Reference back to where I tell you I make this up as I go along. I learn things when my characters learn them, or when they reveal their secrets to me. So plotting ahead threw me off balance. A lot.

Two weeks ago I told you how I threw at least two chapters worth (and definitely more than two) into the first chapter. This story is gushing out and I can't control the flow! Some stories are like that, I get into the groove and write for hours and hours, and then other stories I have to grunt through every word, struggling to find my way. The problem this time? The scenes are popping up at me out of order. All of them! WAIT! I can't keep up!

Part of this is due to my heroine. She's that sort of person. Leaps before she looks, enthusiastic, gung-ho, full speed ahead. Her boss calls her wreckless and unpredictable - and talented.

I'm not sure if its the phase of the moon (maybe its the effect of the eclipse! or maybe the Perseids) or biorhythms or what. I've been writing scenes like a mad woman, but they're helter skelter. In the wrong order. All over the place. Then I stop and say "but what about this plot point?" or "that plot point?" And then I write another scene that I'll have to tuck in somewhere. This is exhausting! But also exhilarating.

I'm sticking with pushing the blame on my heroine. She's that kind of an "all over the place" kind of person who doesn't want to miss a minute of her life. As an author, my process is completely up-ended, but I'm enjoying the ride.

Just when I thought I had this gig figured out, a character shows up to show me there's more than one way to craft a story!

Plotting (vs. "Pantsing")

There are two camps of writers, plotters and pantsers (defined as people who write by the seat of their pants). I fall pretty regularly into the pantser category, and yet I know enough to pay attention when my story is getting away from me.

The rules of writing tell you that you should raise the stakes for your characters as you write. Keep them off-balance, and some authors will actually paint their characters into corners to keep the story moving. It's a good way to force us as authors to manufacture solutions to problems. For me, that process seems much easier as a pantser. As I'm writing, I think things like "what would make things more difficult for this person right here?" Usually at the end of a chapter in order to draw you forward, keep you reading.

I'm moving ahead with the final installment of my Kundigerin trilogy, and because these characters are familiar to me, I keep running into "but my readers don't know this if they haven't read the first book or two," which puts me into a situation where I have to pass along information. Without proper planning and setting, that could stop a new reader dead in their tracks. It's called info dumping. And I have to admit that the first couple of chapters of a new book are the discovery stage for me - I need to get to know the characters and their situations. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries before I know what's happening and where they're going, what their journey is. In this third installment, I know who is at the center of the story, I know what is at stake, I know basically how it's all going to play out, but I'm short on plot points. How do I get from point A to point B? What are the roadblocks?

An overall picture is generally enough for me to keep moving forward. As I write, the characters take over, tell me their story, and I (evil author that I might be) look for ways to get in their way. Thwart them, give them challenges to face. Conflicts, speed bumps, what-have-you. And this is where I'm struggling with Book 3. If I bring in the antagonist too quickly, the novel turns into a novella. If I write the main conflict in the first three chapters, the book is over.

It's time to plot.

Plotting usually comes naturally to me. When I was dating my husband, we were watching one of his favorite television shows, and one I hadn't seen often. As I was watching, I think I said something to the effect of "that guy's gonna die." And my husband was shocked. "He can't die. He's a major character in the show!" Guess what? He died. The script had been written well enough to foreshadow the event, and as a plotter myself, I could see it coming. When I'm off my game, when the plotting doesn't flow, there is a Plan B. Sit down and outline where you're going. One of my writing partners uses a story board (in fact many authors do). That way you aren't writing aimlessly, but you still have the freedom to "shake it up" in case your characters show up to point you in another direction. An outline is a road map, but that doesn't mean you only have to take the highway. You can still travel the backroads, or take a detour, as long as you're traveling in the right direction.

Book 3 is Max's story (for those of you who have read Mist on the Meadow and Gathering Mist).
He's met a talented young woman who is going to get into all kinds of difficulties and has an unreasonable fear of cats. So if you'll excuse me, I have to outline exactly what's going to happen with the two of them along their journey so they can do their part in defeating the evil demon intent on wreaking havoc with the world.

Anon.