To Plot or Not to Plot
Each writer writes in a unique way. Some snowflake, some write by the seat of their pants, some do biographies of their characters, some do character sketches, some use index cards to sort their scenes. I've tried different methods, with varying results. I had always imagined that "professional" writers must approach writing in a professional, methodical manner - and I figured they must write a pretty decent, organized first draft, or they wouldn't be able to produce novels at the rate they do.
When I first participated in National Novel Writing Month, I decided to try something different. I did no plotting whatsoever. I simply had a general idea that I wanted to write a romantic story about a woman who was starting over. A fish out of water sort of story. I didn't even have names in mind. I sat down November 1, 2004, and started typing. Denim & Diamonds was the story that emerged, and it actually did come out decently as a first draft. I couldn't believe how easy it was to write, though I did find myself leaving blanks for character names every now and then! That's the story I self-published, making only minor grammatical corrections and running spell-check. I wanted other writers to see that it was possible to write a story like that just by turning off their internal editors.
I plotted in 2005 and the story did not flow nearly as well as the 2004 story did, so this year, I am back to writing by the seat of my pants. I started out with a general plot line in mind. And the first couple of pages sucked big time. Even I could tell that, with my author's bias. So I abandoned that plot, and decided to just let the characters tell the story. It is going amazingly well. I am well on my way to meeting my goal of winning NaNo (over 14,000 words towards my goal of 50,000).
I want you to think about how you write. Really think about it. Look at what you've written so far, back to your earliest writings. Pick the writings that you really like, and try to remember how you prepared (or didn't prepare) for those stories. Chances are, that is the method that will work best for you. HOWEVER, writing is a craft that you should hone. If you always plot, try writing a story without plotting first. If you always write by the seat of your pants, try plotting. If you describe your characters in detail before you start the story, try letting your characters reveal themselves through the story. And if you never write character sketches, write a brief biography of your main characters.
I challenge you to examine your method of writing, and explore the craft of writing by trying something different. You will find that your writing grows and matures - and you just may be surprised to find out that you write better using a new method!
Happy exploring,
Elle
When I first participated in National Novel Writing Month, I decided to try something different. I did no plotting whatsoever. I simply had a general idea that I wanted to write a romantic story about a woman who was starting over. A fish out of water sort of story. I didn't even have names in mind. I sat down November 1, 2004, and started typing. Denim & Diamonds was the story that emerged, and it actually did come out decently as a first draft. I couldn't believe how easy it was to write, though I did find myself leaving blanks for character names every now and then! That's the story I self-published, making only minor grammatical corrections and running spell-check. I wanted other writers to see that it was possible to write a story like that just by turning off their internal editors.
I plotted in 2005 and the story did not flow nearly as well as the 2004 story did, so this year, I am back to writing by the seat of my pants. I started out with a general plot line in mind. And the first couple of pages sucked big time. Even I could tell that, with my author's bias. So I abandoned that plot, and decided to just let the characters tell the story. It is going amazingly well. I am well on my way to meeting my goal of winning NaNo (over 14,000 words towards my goal of 50,000).
I want you to think about how you write. Really think about it. Look at what you've written so far, back to your earliest writings. Pick the writings that you really like, and try to remember how you prepared (or didn't prepare) for those stories. Chances are, that is the method that will work best for you. HOWEVER, writing is a craft that you should hone. If you always plot, try writing a story without plotting first. If you always write by the seat of your pants, try plotting. If you describe your characters in detail before you start the story, try letting your characters reveal themselves through the story. And if you never write character sketches, write a brief biography of your main characters.
I challenge you to examine your method of writing, and explore the craft of writing by trying something different. You will find that your writing grows and matures - and you just may be surprised to find out that you write better using a new method!
Happy exploring,
Elle
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