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| January 2017 |
New year, new writing goals and dreams. Where do we start? What gets our attention first? How do we build on whatever progress has already been made? Do we have a plan?
I gave this some thought as the new year unfolded, with consideration toward writing goals and projected progress for the months ahead. I also pulled together random notes and journal entries on my WIP, discovering along the way that quite a bit more groundwork has already been laid out for that WIP than I realized. Happy days.
Has this ever happened to you? You pull out journals. You open notebooks of research. You review character sketches you forgot you had and setting details that are like new all over again. You make a list then of where you are and where you'd like to be, and suddenly you see your story more clearly. Even if you're more of a panster than a plotter, you stumble upon a likely outline. Like a fresh wind blowing or a green shoot sprouting from a stone wall in the dead of winter (which I discovered coming in from a walk the other day), you feel a renewed sense of encouragement. Let the writing jump to life--your story under construction is in better shape than you thought.
Build on that.
Comparing the writing of a novel to that of building a house is not a new concept, but it is a helpful analogy. For example:
I gave this some thought as the new year unfolded, with consideration toward writing goals and projected progress for the months ahead. I also pulled together random notes and journal entries on my WIP, discovering along the way that quite a bit more groundwork has already been laid out for that WIP than I realized. Happy days.
Has this ever happened to you? You pull out journals. You open notebooks of research. You review character sketches you forgot you had and setting details that are like new all over again. You make a list then of where you are and where you'd like to be, and suddenly you see your story more clearly. Even if you're more of a panster than a plotter, you stumble upon a likely outline. Like a fresh wind blowing or a green shoot sprouting from a stone wall in the dead of winter (which I discovered coming in from a walk the other day), you feel a renewed sense of encouragement. Let the writing jump to life--your story under construction is in better shape than you thought.
Build on that.
Comparing the writing of a novel to that of building a house is not a new concept, but it is a helpful analogy. For example:
1. Draw up a blueprint. Heather Webb (quoted above) writes on this concept in Blueprints for a Better Book (February 2017 Writer's Digest). She suggests starting with a working pitch, a synopsis, scene outlines, character profiles, timelines, storyboards.
2. Frame your project. K.M. Weiland in 7 steps to Creating a Flexible Outline for Any Story addresses both the panster and the plotter by linking the power of the outline with a mindset of flexibility and discovery. Her steps to the story's framework consist of 1. crafting your premise; 2. sketching out scene ideas; 3. interviewing your characters; 4. exploring your settings; 5. writing your complete outline; 6. then condensing your outline and 7. putting your outline into action. "Remember," she concludes, "your outline is a map showing you the route to your destination, but that doesn't mean it is the only route." For our purposes can we say the outline is our frame but we can rearrange walls if we so choose. Happily I can say I've progressed already to #7.
3. Gather Tools. William Holland in his online article How to Write a Novel: A Blueprint for Success lists the basics: working title, working genre, working point of view, high impact summary, main characters, setting, character conflicts, character goals and motivation, plot conflicts. Again, nothing new to the writer already on the job site, but always a good review. You don't want to discover part way into the project that you're missing an important tool.
4. Build on the plan. Karen Wiesner in Your Novel Blueprint adds to the structure with her Story Plan Checklist. She writes, "The Story Plan Checklist can ensure cohesion between character, setting and plot." This list builds on Holland's tools above, adding such concepts as external and internal monologues, story sparks, and symbolic elements.
5. Show up for the job. This is what I'm all about in this new year. I was happy to see the progress I've made, but I want to make more. Jane Friedman helps us to stay the course when she writes about Do You Know What You're Capable Of? at WriterUnboxed. She references NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) but her words can apply to any of us. She says "...any...challenge that you might set for yourself...gives you the space to figure out how you'll develop the habit or discipline of showing up, day after day, to get the work done...You learn to just get on with the work, and put in the miles, regardless of what's happening around you, and before you know it, it's been two loops around the trail." Or another chapter. Or a finished book. My good friend and writing partner Connie has made it her goal to write at least one sentence a day this year--a worthy goal for a busy writer. All stories get written one sentence at a time!
The year is new, and promising. It's time to roll up the sleeves, gather tools, and see what words we will cement together, what stories we will build. Are you ready?
And guess what? You don't have to secure a builder's permit. You've had permission all along!
2. Frame your project. K.M. Weiland in 7 steps to Creating a Flexible Outline for Any Story addresses both the panster and the plotter by linking the power of the outline with a mindset of flexibility and discovery. Her steps to the story's framework consist of 1. crafting your premise; 2. sketching out scene ideas; 3. interviewing your characters; 4. exploring your settings; 5. writing your complete outline; 6. then condensing your outline and 7. putting your outline into action. "Remember," she concludes, "your outline is a map showing you the route to your destination, but that doesn't mean it is the only route." For our purposes can we say the outline is our frame but we can rearrange walls if we so choose. Happily I can say I've progressed already to #7.
3. Gather Tools. William Holland in his online article How to Write a Novel: A Blueprint for Success lists the basics: working title, working genre, working point of view, high impact summary, main characters, setting, character conflicts, character goals and motivation, plot conflicts. Again, nothing new to the writer already on the job site, but always a good review. You don't want to discover part way into the project that you're missing an important tool.
4. Build on the plan. Karen Wiesner in Your Novel Blueprint adds to the structure with her Story Plan Checklist. She writes, "The Story Plan Checklist can ensure cohesion between character, setting and plot." This list builds on Holland's tools above, adding such concepts as external and internal monologues, story sparks, and symbolic elements.
5. Show up for the job. This is what I'm all about in this new year. I was happy to see the progress I've made, but I want to make more. Jane Friedman helps us to stay the course when she writes about Do You Know What You're Capable Of? at WriterUnboxed. She references NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) but her words can apply to any of us. She says "...any...challenge that you might set for yourself...gives you the space to figure out how you'll develop the habit or discipline of showing up, day after day, to get the work done...You learn to just get on with the work, and put in the miles, regardless of what's happening around you, and before you know it, it's been two loops around the trail." Or another chapter. Or a finished book. My good friend and writing partner Connie has made it her goal to write at least one sentence a day this year--a worthy goal for a busy writer. All stories get written one sentence at a time!
The year is new, and promising. It's time to roll up the sleeves, gather tools, and see what words we will cement together, what stories we will build. Are you ready?
And guess what? You don't have to secure a builder's permit. You've had permission all along!
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This is great advice, Kenda, and much appreciated. I'm in the process of sorting through a lot (I do the bookkeeping for my husband's/son's carpentry biz) in the way of paperwork and tax info. In the midst of that, working on ongoing projects and trying to figure out my writing goals for the year. Was feeling a bit muddled until I prayed about it and decided to chill. So I'm still sorting, but with a more positive and focused attitude. This post further aids in my process, thank you. Wishing you much success with your projects! :) Congrats on your progress so far!
ReplyDeleteKaren, so glad this helped. And good luck with all that you have on your plate, sounds like you've got a lot going on! I got fired up on goals only after going back through my journals and discovering I had made more progress last year than I realized. Making space for perspective, taking some of the pressure off and, I agree, prayer, helps us clear the fog and bring things into focus. Glad you're a bit more encouraged, too, and wishing you all the best in your goals in the upcoming year :-)
DeleteSo well put!!! Yes, it is like building a house. It takes time and it goes up one brick at a time. I think of the many houses I drive by each day that start as a blank plot of land. You can watch them work and gradually there's a frame, then the interior structure, then the bricks...and one day you drive by and there's a house and people are moving into it!
ReplyDeleteHi, Stephanie--love how you 'built' on the analogy, taking it from a blank plot of land to the finished structure complete with people moving into it--like words coming together until (hopefully) the characters in them come to life to the reader! Thanks for stopping in and sharing your thoughts, appreciate it :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's so fun to find a treasure trove like that. I started work on a wagon train romance this past October, but prior to beginning that, I found, like you did, that I'd done quite a lot of work for a series taking place in a small town between 1910-1922. However, I read that the line I'm targeting is looking for wagon train stories, so I decided to table the small town idea for now and write a wagon train book or books. I found the research quite interesting. Since mid-October, I researched and plotted the book and now am 8000 words into writing it. And looking forward to pushing ahead with it, amidst travels and daily babysitting.
ReplyDeleteI love this analogy. Houses take time and so do books but they get done if you peck away at it I hope you meet your goals this year! I am usually more organized about mine but plan to publish one more book.
ReplyDeleteCathy, that's great that you're tuned into a subject publishers are looking for and that you're already so far along in word count. Hope you can continue forward with great success, especially as busy as you are. I'll be waiting to hear how it goes, seeing as time management is one of my struggles and I'm always looking for tips :-) Of course it's always best to buckle down and just write, no excuses (she tells herself as she procrastinates, ha)
ReplyDeleteTerri, great to hear from you. Remembering some of your story, I'm thinking you can relate to the house building analogy :-) Best of luck to you on your publishing journey!
ReplyDelete