So a couple weeks ago, I said I had started my wip, but I left out the part where I spent an entire day agonizing on how to start it. On the bright side, a day is nothing compared to the two weeks it took to write the first couple sentences of my previous manuscript. And for the manuscript before that one, I rewrote the beginning three times. Which is to say starting a new story is always the hardest part for me.
It was never this hard when I was writing fanfiction, but that changed when I began researching agents. All the advice out there from writers and agents emphasizes how important a story's beginning is and all the many, many ways you can ruin it. There are all these lists for how not to open your story--don't open with a character waking up or getting into a car accident or mid-action scene or with back story or picking herbs in a field or description of setting or a flashback or dialogue or a prologue, etc etc, until you feel like there's no way to start the dang thing without hitting someone's 'What Not to Do' list.
By this point, writing that first sentence has become such a daunting task that you're debilitated by the fear that, if you fail, you will completely blow your chance at getting an agent or editor or reader or what have you.
With my previous manuscript, the pressure to get those first few pages right was hardest because I wasn't agented yet. Yes, it IS important to get that opening right, but don't let it become so overwhelming that it stifles your writing. Just write. You can always come back and fix it later even if it feels, at that moment, Too Important To Mess Up. Sometimes, a beginning will become clear only after you've written the ending.
It's also important to keep in mind that what's not right for one story might be right for yours. Those 'What Not to Do' lists can be subjective. I agree that it's probably not a good idea to start with your character waking up and describing how the sunshine falls across her bed, but whatever you choose, you have to make it work for YOUR story. The Hunger Games begins with Katniss waking up on the day of the Reaping. City of Bones starts with a brief scene from Clary's pov before it shifts into the pov of an insignificant demon who dies a few pages later. Nightshade begins mid-action scene with Calla fighting a bear to defend a boy she doesn't know. My favorite book this year Shadow and Bone starts with a prologue.
So while I'm not sure if the beginning of my wip is right, I'm not too worried for the time being. I can always fix it later :)
How do you guys feel about openings? Easy? Hard?
Happy Monday, all! ♥
June 18, 2012
April 9, 2012
Fanfiction was my best teacher
First, some back story (feel free to skip):
I entered college majoring in education. Less than a semester in, I remembered I hated talking in front of people and what the heck was I thinking?! So I did what I should have in the first place and majored in creative writing (and to hell with it not being practical).
To be honest, my writing courses were... okay. I had one professor who was phenomenal. I was fortunate to have her both in my sophomore year and for my senior capstone. She told me all the hard things I needed to hear about my writing. The other classes, however... well. I wasn't terribly impressed, and my writing felt stagnant. At the time, I was also reintroducing myself to anime, and it wasn't long before I discovered fandom and fanfiction.
A year later, I was still feeling discontent about my writing. After reading a particularly well-written fanfic, I decided I wanted to try it myself. I quickly fell in love, and over the span of the next several years, I wrote over 70 pieces of fanfiction, varying in length from 100-word drabbles to full-length 100k+ word novels.
/end back story
The point is that fanfiction renewed my writing muse. There were numerous reasons why, but the biggest reason was this: quality writers.
I know, not what you were expecting, right? And also not the first thing to come to mind when seeing the word 'fanfiction.' In fact, after spending years in fandom, I know that most fanfics aren't that great.
It's true--fandom is filled with drivel. Lots and lots of it. And lots of it. AND LOTS OF IT. But if you keep looking, you will find those writers who leave you squinting through the sheer dazzle of their talent. Who can string words like a dream, whose stories will leave you a blubbering mess or in euphoria (and also questioning why on earth they're not published).
I was fortunate enough to call many of those writers my friends, and they inspired me and taught me more about storytelling than any college class ever did. Every time I felt down about my own writing, I went back into one of their stories and reread a few favorite passages. Almost instantly, I felt renewed all over again.
Through them, I learned what powerful storytelling was. I learned that dramatic moments were strongest delivered with subtlety, that the best stories were layered, and that characterization was everything. I learned that pantsing really didn't work for me, that my favorite relationships were those forged in adversity, rivalry and camaraderie, and that the most important thing about writing any story is to make the reader care.
But even the fanfics that weren't good helped me, because they taught me what not to do--although it took me a while to get there because, just like in any profession, you have to develop an eye for what's good and what's not through time and exposure.
The desire to continue improving within this setting meant I wrote a LOT of fanfiction, and through sheer practice and an evolving understanding of my writing, I got better.
Fanfiction was a VITAL part of my growth as a writer, and my fellow fanficcers were my best teachers.
---
I was going to write a post about why fanfiction is so beneficial to budding writers, and then I saw this in my blog feed and went "MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!" :)
• Gwen on The Benefits of Writing Fanfiction
There's also this amusing and accurate post on fanfiction by Yan at Books By Their Cover:
• Rant: FanFiction
Happy Monday, everyone!
♥
I entered college majoring in education. Less than a semester in, I remembered I hated talking in front of people and what the heck was I thinking?! So I did what I should have in the first place and majored in creative writing (and to hell with it not being practical).
To be honest, my writing courses were... okay. I had one professor who was phenomenal. I was fortunate to have her both in my sophomore year and for my senior capstone. She told me all the hard things I needed to hear about my writing. The other classes, however... well. I wasn't terribly impressed, and my writing felt stagnant. At the time, I was also reintroducing myself to anime, and it wasn't long before I discovered fandom and fanfiction.
A year later, I was still feeling discontent about my writing. After reading a particularly well-written fanfic, I decided I wanted to try it myself. I quickly fell in love, and over the span of the next several years, I wrote over 70 pieces of fanfiction, varying in length from 100-word drabbles to full-length 100k+ word novels.
/end back story
The point is that fanfiction renewed my writing muse. There were numerous reasons why, but the biggest reason was this: quality writers.
I know, not what you were expecting, right? And also not the first thing to come to mind when seeing the word 'fanfiction.' In fact, after spending years in fandom, I know that most fanfics aren't that great.
It's true--fandom is filled with drivel. Lots and lots of it. And lots of it. AND LOTS OF IT. But if you keep looking, you will find those writers who leave you squinting through the sheer dazzle of their talent. Who can string words like a dream, whose stories will leave you a blubbering mess or in euphoria (and also questioning why on earth they're not published).
I was fortunate enough to call many of those writers my friends, and they inspired me and taught me more about storytelling than any college class ever did. Every time I felt down about my own writing, I went back into one of their stories and reread a few favorite passages. Almost instantly, I felt renewed all over again.
Through them, I learned what powerful storytelling was. I learned that dramatic moments were strongest delivered with subtlety, that the best stories were layered, and that characterization was everything. I learned that pantsing really didn't work for me, that my favorite relationships were those forged in adversity, rivalry and camaraderie, and that the most important thing about writing any story is to make the reader care.
But even the fanfics that weren't good helped me, because they taught me what not to do--although it took me a while to get there because, just like in any profession, you have to develop an eye for what's good and what's not through time and exposure.
The desire to continue improving within this setting meant I wrote a LOT of fanfiction, and through sheer practice and an evolving understanding of my writing, I got better.
Fanfiction was a VITAL part of my growth as a writer, and my fellow fanficcers were my best teachers.
---
I was going to write a post about why fanfiction is so beneficial to budding writers, and then I saw this in my blog feed and went "MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!" :)
• Gwen on The Benefits of Writing Fanfiction
There's also this amusing and accurate post on fanfiction by Yan at Books By Their Cover:
• Rant: FanFiction
Happy Monday, everyone!
♥
March 26, 2012
Q+A: Reworking a Manuscript
» Ask Me Anything!
Sophia asked: What are your best plotting tips, particularly when you're reworking a pantsed draft and you know you need to make big changes?
Ah, the story of my first manuscript lol. I think the answer to this comes down to pace and structure. I talked a bit about this in my post about outlining
Step back, look at the story as a whole, and pick out the following: Intro, Catalyst, Reversal, Climax, Resolution.
I know, I know. It sounds so formulaic. Cue the groans. But the thing is--formulas are there for a reason, and that's because they work. Readers have EXPECTATIONS in terms of plot structure, and when you stray too far from those expectations, you will often lose the reader.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against breaking the rules. But in order to break them, you first have to be familiar with them and understand why they're necessary.
And the thing is, every book is different. The details, the setting, the characters--books are so diverse that no one reading will go OMG FORMULAIC STRUCTURE. Great pacing equals a great story, which in turn equals an immersive reading experience. Which, in case you didn't catch that, is what you want.
Since this was a big weekend for The Hunger Games, let's use it as an example. For those who haven't read the book, expect spoilers.
Intro - It's the day of the Reaping, but we're first taken on a typical morning with Katniss--we see where she lives (the Seam), her sneaking out to go hunting with Gale, her relationship with her sister and mother. The rules of her world are introduced and, by the end of chapter one, we also know that Panem is divided into 12 districts, each of which must sacrifice two tributes in the annual Hunger Games.
Catalyst - Prim is selected at the Reaping, and Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and Peeta are ushered off to the Capital.
Reversal - The announcement that the rules have been modified to allow for two winners so long as they're from the same district. Katniss heads off to find Peeta.
Climax - The finale of the games. Peeta and Katniss run from the muttations, face Cato, and then threaten to kill themselves when the rule change is revoked. As a result, they're both declared victors.
Resolution - The closing ceremonies, the threat of President Snow, and returning home.
Now, once you've got those labeled, see where they fall in the story. With exception to the Intro and the Resolution, everything else should be pretty equally spaced through the book. You don't want 100 pages to pass before the catalyst happens, and then everything else gets crammed into the second half.
Another great technique for looking at the pace of your book is to plot JK Rowling-style. I LOVE the way she does it. It's a great visual way to look at exactly where each of your plot points fall.
In any case, that first manuscript I mentioned above? I will need to rewrite it so I'll be doing this myself some time this year =P
Anything else you guys would like to add would be AWESOME. Please do so in the comments! ♥
Have a great week!
Sophia asked: What are your best plotting tips, particularly when you're reworking a pantsed draft and you know you need to make big changes?
Ah, the story of my first manuscript lol. I think the answer to this comes down to pace and structure. I talked a bit about this in my post about outlining
Step back, look at the story as a whole, and pick out the following: Intro, Catalyst, Reversal, Climax, Resolution.
I know, I know. It sounds so formulaic. Cue the groans. But the thing is--formulas are there for a reason, and that's because they work. Readers have EXPECTATIONS in terms of plot structure, and when you stray too far from those expectations, you will often lose the reader.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against breaking the rules. But in order to break them, you first have to be familiar with them and understand why they're necessary.
And the thing is, every book is different. The details, the setting, the characters--books are so diverse that no one reading will go OMG FORMULAIC STRUCTURE. Great pacing equals a great story, which in turn equals an immersive reading experience. Which, in case you didn't catch that, is what you want.
Since this was a big weekend for The Hunger Games, let's use it as an example. For those who haven't read the book, expect spoilers.
Intro - It's the day of the Reaping, but we're first taken on a typical morning with Katniss--we see where she lives (the Seam), her sneaking out to go hunting with Gale, her relationship with her sister and mother. The rules of her world are introduced and, by the end of chapter one, we also know that Panem is divided into 12 districts, each of which must sacrifice two tributes in the annual Hunger Games.
Catalyst - Prim is selected at the Reaping, and Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and Peeta are ushered off to the Capital.
Reversal - The announcement that the rules have been modified to allow for two winners so long as they're from the same district. Katniss heads off to find Peeta.
Climax - The finale of the games. Peeta and Katniss run from the muttations, face Cato, and then threaten to kill themselves when the rule change is revoked. As a result, they're both declared victors.
Resolution - The closing ceremonies, the threat of President Snow, and returning home.
Now, once you've got those labeled, see where they fall in the story. With exception to the Intro and the Resolution, everything else should be pretty equally spaced through the book. You don't want 100 pages to pass before the catalyst happens, and then everything else gets crammed into the second half.
Another great technique for looking at the pace of your book is to plot JK Rowling-style. I LOVE the way she does it. It's a great visual way to look at exactly where each of your plot points fall.
In any case, that first manuscript I mentioned above? I will need to rewrite it so I'll be doing this myself some time this year =P
Anything else you guys would like to add would be AWESOME. Please do so in the comments! ♥
Have a great week!
March 12, 2012
Q+A: When to Start Querying
» Ask Me Anything!
Anonymous asked: How did you know when you were ready to start querying agents?
The answer to this particular question generally changes depending on who you ask. I'll try to answer it first generally, and then specifically.
I've read a lot (A LOT) of agent blogs and chats and Q+As, and what I consistently see is that one of the major reasons an agent rejects a query is because of weak writing. What this typically means is that the writer queried too soon--not only because their book wasn't ready, but because their WRITING wasn't ready. A writer must not only be an engaging storyteller, but she must be a master of her craft. Writing for publication is a profession, the same as any other. Learn your craft.
Of course, the problem is that most writers are too close to their writing and can't tell where they need to improve. This is why it's so important to get third party opinions. And not just any outside opinion but someone preferably with the credentials to determine your strengths and weaknesses. I'm using 'credentials' loosely here to mean anyone from a professional editor to a fellow writer whose opinion you trust, and who will be HONEST and CONSTRUCTIVE.
Once you know what you need to work on, what's left is to write. Write and write and write. There are no shortcuts to improvement. Practice makes perfect. And then, apply it to your book, and when it's in the best shape you think it can be... query :)
For me, personally--how did I know I was ready to query agents? With my first manuscript, I totally made the mistake of querying too soon. Fortunately, an amazing agent liked it enough to not only finish it, but she gave me a 2-page editorial letter on what she loved and what needed work. I immediately stopped querying that manuscript and set it aside for a rewrite.
With my second manuscript, I was determined not to make the same mistake. I edited it to the point I had no idea what else to do with it. Then, I sent it off to my CPs, whose opinions I trust implicitly. They are seriously awesome. Once they got back to me (and they're so fast!), I incorporated their feedback and acquired a couple beta readers. I also went another round (or two) with the CPs. I incorporated more feedback (keep in mind it was only the feedback I agreed with and felt would improve the book). Finally, I did a line edit and tried to catch any last minute inconsistencies.
By then, I had no idea what else to do with the manuscript. I didn't know 100% if I was ready, but I knew I had done everything I could. The only thing left was to query. So I did :)
For additional resources, Bluestocking has this AMAZING resource roundup that covers everything from determining whether you're ready to query up through the call:
♥ Resource Roundup – Querying Your Masterpiece
ETA: Arwen asked a great question in the comments, which I'll paste here along with my answer. She said:
You addressed this to a degree, but is there a good answer to the flip side of this coin? How do you know when it's time to stop querying a given manuscript because it just isn't going to fly? 10 form rejections? 40? Never, just keep tweaking and trying again?
Great question, Arwen!
I think it depends not on the # of queries you send but on your request rate. I think a decent request rate is about 30%, but that changes depending on who you ask.
If you're seeing a lot of requests that turn into passes, then it's time to reevaluate your story. Maybe go another round with a new beta reader (for fresh eyes) or ask your CP to take another look with an even more critical eye. If you have a really low request rate, then your query isn't working for you, and you should consider reworking your query. If you're lucky enough to get some kind of personalized feedback (and you agree with it), then make those changes as well.
For this reason, I'm generally against sending 'query flurries' until you know whether your query and opening pages are working for you. You only get one chance to make an impression so don't rush it.
More answers next time! :D
Have a great week! ♥
Anonymous asked: How did you know when you were ready to start querying agents?
The answer to this particular question generally changes depending on who you ask. I'll try to answer it first generally, and then specifically.
I've read a lot (A LOT) of agent blogs and chats and Q+As, and what I consistently see is that one of the major reasons an agent rejects a query is because of weak writing. What this typically means is that the writer queried too soon--not only because their book wasn't ready, but because their WRITING wasn't ready. A writer must not only be an engaging storyteller, but she must be a master of her craft. Writing for publication is a profession, the same as any other. Learn your craft.
Of course, the problem is that most writers are too close to their writing and can't tell where they need to improve. This is why it's so important to get third party opinions. And not just any outside opinion but someone preferably with the credentials to determine your strengths and weaknesses. I'm using 'credentials' loosely here to mean anyone from a professional editor to a fellow writer whose opinion you trust, and who will be HONEST and CONSTRUCTIVE.
Once you know what you need to work on, what's left is to write. Write and write and write. There are no shortcuts to improvement. Practice makes perfect. And then, apply it to your book, and when it's in the best shape you think it can be... query :)
For me, personally--how did I know I was ready to query agents? With my first manuscript, I totally made the mistake of querying too soon. Fortunately, an amazing agent liked it enough to not only finish it, but she gave me a 2-page editorial letter on what she loved and what needed work. I immediately stopped querying that manuscript and set it aside for a rewrite.
With my second manuscript, I was determined not to make the same mistake. I edited it to the point I had no idea what else to do with it. Then, I sent it off to my CPs, whose opinions I trust implicitly. They are seriously awesome. Once they got back to me (and they're so fast!), I incorporated their feedback and acquired a couple beta readers. I also went another round (or two) with the CPs. I incorporated more feedback (keep in mind it was only the feedback I agreed with and felt would improve the book). Finally, I did a line edit and tried to catch any last minute inconsistencies.
By then, I had no idea what else to do with the manuscript. I didn't know 100% if I was ready, but I knew I had done everything I could. The only thing left was to query. So I did :)
For additional resources, Bluestocking has this AMAZING resource roundup that covers everything from determining whether you're ready to query up through the call:
♥ Resource Roundup – Querying Your Masterpiece
ETA: Arwen asked a great question in the comments, which I'll paste here along with my answer. She said:
You addressed this to a degree, but is there a good answer to the flip side of this coin? How do you know when it's time to stop querying a given manuscript because it just isn't going to fly? 10 form rejections? 40? Never, just keep tweaking and trying again?
Great question, Arwen!
I think it depends not on the # of queries you send but on your request rate. I think a decent request rate is about 30%, but that changes depending on who you ask.
If you're seeing a lot of requests that turn into passes, then it's time to reevaluate your story. Maybe go another round with a new beta reader (for fresh eyes) or ask your CP to take another look with an even more critical eye. If you have a really low request rate, then your query isn't working for you, and you should consider reworking your query. If you're lucky enough to get some kind of personalized feedback (and you agree with it), then make those changes as well.
For this reason, I'm generally against sending 'query flurries' until you know whether your query and opening pages are working for you. You only get one chance to make an impression so don't rush it.
More answers next time! :D
Have a great week! ♥
February 27, 2012
Character Sheets
I like to keep my character sheets simple and to the point, namely because I won't really absorb a character's personality until I actually write him/her.
My character sheets contain the following information:
• physical statistics
• motivation and plot relevance
• character connections and how they perceive other characters
• history as it relates to the plot and world
• general outlook and personality traits
I don't need to know who their first crush was or what color their underwear is--unless it's relevant. Everything else can be made up along the way so long as it works.
The most important things on that list, imo, are motivation and plot relevance, which usually ties directly into character connections. Take THE HUNGER GAMES, for example.
What was Peeta's motivation? To protect Katniss and ensure her survival. His plot relevance, specifically, was to first garner sympathy from the viewers (star crossed lovers), then to protect Katniss from the Career tributes, and finally to provide something of an emotional arc later on when Katniss risked her life to return to the Cornucopia and retrieve the medicine for him. All these things are results of their character connections--their history together. Peeta is the boy with the bread. He saved Katniss from starving when they were kids, and his admiration for her eventually grew into love. Thus tying back to his motivation--ensuring Katniss survives The Hunger Games.
This information builds the foundation for your character. These impressions are what the reader will carry with them through the book. Things like his favorite color (orange, I think, was Peeta's) are nice details but not necessary at this stage and can always be thought up later on as needed.
But what about voice?
A character's voice usually becomes more clear as I start writing so, for a character sheet, I tend to gloss over those. But if I'm looking for a stronger grip on a character's personality, I'll do a character interview. An interview helps settle voice and pick out some personality quirks. Then, for fun, I'll sometimes do a bust sketch to help me visualize him/her.
Have a great week, all! ♥
My character sheets contain the following information:
• physical statistics
• motivation and plot relevance
• character connections and how they perceive other characters
• history as it relates to the plot and world
• general outlook and personality traits
I don't need to know who their first crush was or what color their underwear is--unless it's relevant. Everything else can be made up along the way so long as it works.
The most important things on that list, imo, are motivation and plot relevance, which usually ties directly into character connections. Take THE HUNGER GAMES, for example.
What was Peeta's motivation? To protect Katniss and ensure her survival. His plot relevance, specifically, was to first garner sympathy from the viewers (star crossed lovers), then to protect Katniss from the Career tributes, and finally to provide something of an emotional arc later on when Katniss risked her life to return to the Cornucopia and retrieve the medicine for him. All these things are results of their character connections--their history together. Peeta is the boy with the bread. He saved Katniss from starving when they were kids, and his admiration for her eventually grew into love. Thus tying back to his motivation--ensuring Katniss survives The Hunger Games.
This information builds the foundation for your character. These impressions are what the reader will carry with them through the book. Things like his favorite color (orange, I think, was Peeta's) are nice details but not necessary at this stage and can always be thought up later on as needed.
But what about voice?
A character's voice usually becomes more clear as I start writing so, for a character sheet, I tend to gloss over those. But if I'm looking for a stronger grip on a character's personality, I'll do a character interview. An interview helps settle voice and pick out some personality quirks. Then, for fun, I'll sometimes do a bust sketch to help me visualize him/her.
Have a great week, all! ♥
February 20, 2012
Outlining: Start Big and Work Down to the Details
This week, I will (hopefully) be working on the outline for my WIP. So how do I start? Well, first, I answer these three questions:
Yep, I like to know how the book will end before I start outlining. Keep in mind, by this point, I'll have already finished world-building and character sheets. I'll also have jotted down a jumbled mess of ideas for scenes, how something might happen or questions for something that needs to happen, snippets of dialogue, character arcs, and what not--all of which are dependent upon knowing what my protag+antag want and where the book needs to go.
So, really, it's more just reorganizing those thoughts into something linear and coherent, because those questions will have already been answered in the plotting and world-building stage.
Some writers, pantsers and plotters alike, prefer to write without knowing how events will play out, instead letting their characters guide them. I'm not one of those =P With my first manuscript, I started writing not knowing how it would end or where it was going, and as noted in a previous post, it took me a year and a half to fix the mess.
It's essential for me to know how the story ends, because I use it to build the rest of the book. Every action and every piece of information must have a purpose—everything must work together to move the characters toward that end so that, when the plot twists happen and the climax settles, the reader will sit back and go 'I didn't see that coming... but I should have!'
However, even though I know how it ends, I don't yet know HOW the characters or the story led to it. Right now, I have a vague image in my head of the ending scene for this WIP, as well as some pieces of dialogue and character motivations, but that's about it. And for now, that's all I need.
So! I start by answering those 3 vital pieces of information. Once that's done, then I determine another piece—the reversal.
Within each scene, within every step forward into the story, there should ideally be some sort of minor reversal—conflict, questions, roadblocks popping up to impede your protag and maintain tension. But the one I'm talking about is the BIG one. It's not the climax, but it's something that completely upsets the hero's world thus far, something that either forces them to change or alters their goal.
To figure out what this should be, I answer these questions:
The reversal is the point in the story when the protag believes s/he's almost achieved his/her goal, only to come up against a brick wall and must now back up and regroup.
Example: when Frodo completes his task to deliver the ring to Rivendell and finds himself with an even greater and more treacherous journey to undertake. Or when Will Grayson (lowercase will) goes to [SPOILER!SPOILER!] meet his online boyfriend in person and is devastated to learn he was never real, resulting in crossing paths with the other Will and the life altering entity that is Tiny Cooper.
As I said in a previous post, an outline is a map. Having answered all the questions above, I now know where my final destination is and what stops I need to make along the way. All that's left is to plot my route, to figure out how to get from point A to point B to point C. This is where I start filling in details and fleshing out the world, when I REALLY get to play with the ideas I first jotted down while world building.
And this is also where I totally confuse you guys—the details can and will change your ending and/or reversal. And that's okay! The point is that you started with a plan. How things happen, why they happen, and character arcs along the way—these things SHOULD affect the overall story and major plot points.
But to find those details and really make them work for the story, I first have to start with the bigger picture.
So there you have it. That's how I outline and, hopefully, that's what I will be doing this week.
If you catch me on tumblr, please yell at me!
Have a great week! ♥
1. What does the protagonist want?
2. What does the antagonist want?
The answers to these should naturally be at odds with each other. Each of their goals, independent of each other, can be as innocuous or grand as you want so long as they conflict.
3. How does the book end? (the climax)
Yep, I like to know how the book will end before I start outlining. Keep in mind, by this point, I'll have already finished world-building and character sheets. I'll also have jotted down a jumbled mess of ideas for scenes, how something might happen or questions for something that needs to happen, snippets of dialogue, character arcs, and what not--all of which are dependent upon knowing what my protag+antag want and where the book needs to go.
So, really, it's more just reorganizing those thoughts into something linear and coherent, because those questions will have already been answered in the plotting and world-building stage.
Some writers, pantsers and plotters alike, prefer to write without knowing how events will play out, instead letting their characters guide them. I'm not one of those =P With my first manuscript, I started writing not knowing how it would end or where it was going, and as noted in a previous post, it took me a year and a half to fix the mess.
It's essential for me to know how the story ends, because I use it to build the rest of the book. Every action and every piece of information must have a purpose—everything must work together to move the characters toward that end so that, when the plot twists happen and the climax settles, the reader will sit back and go 'I didn't see that coming... but I should have!'
However, even though I know how it ends, I don't yet know HOW the characters or the story led to it. Right now, I have a vague image in my head of the ending scene for this WIP, as well as some pieces of dialogue and character motivations, but that's about it. And for now, that's all I need.
So! I start by answering those 3 vital pieces of information. Once that's done, then I determine another piece—the reversal.
Within each scene, within every step forward into the story, there should ideally be some sort of minor reversal—conflict, questions, roadblocks popping up to impede your protag and maintain tension. But the one I'm talking about is the BIG one. It's not the climax, but it's something that completely upsets the hero's world thus far, something that either forces them to change or alters their goal.
To figure out what this should be, I answer these questions:
1. What does the protag believe s/he has to do in order to achieve her goal?
2. What does the antag do to completely ruin it? (in most instances, this would coincide with the antag's goal as well)
The reversal is the point in the story when the protag believes s/he's almost achieved his/her goal, only to come up against a brick wall and must now back up and regroup.
Example: when Frodo completes his task to deliver the ring to Rivendell and finds himself with an even greater and more treacherous journey to undertake. Or when Will Grayson (lowercase will) goes to [SPOILER!SPOILER!] meet his online boyfriend in person and is devastated to learn he was never real, resulting in crossing paths with the other Will and the life altering entity that is Tiny Cooper.
As I said in a previous post, an outline is a map. Having answered all the questions above, I now know where my final destination is and what stops I need to make along the way. All that's left is to plot my route, to figure out how to get from point A to point B to point C. This is where I start filling in details and fleshing out the world, when I REALLY get to play with the ideas I first jotted down while world building.
And this is also where I totally confuse you guys—the details can and will change your ending and/or reversal. And that's okay! The point is that you started with a plan. How things happen, why they happen, and character arcs along the way—these things SHOULD affect the overall story and major plot points.
But to find those details and really make them work for the story, I first have to start with the bigger picture.
So there you have it. That's how I outline and, hopefully, that's what I will be doing this week.
If you catch me on tumblr, please yell at me!
Have a great week! ♥
January 30, 2012
Why I'm a Plotter
Writing confession: I used to be a pantser.
This worked fine for short stories and drabbles. But for longer, chaptered stories, this resulted in meandering scenes, vague plots, and then surprise twists that weren't properly foreshadowed at the end. Pantsing works for a lot of writers, but it clearly wasn't working for me. I turned to outlining.
My first original manuscript (I wrote a couple novel-length fanfics) was a partial pants job because I wrote it for NaNoWriMo and my outlines had yet to reach any sort of coherent structure. I had only outlined part of the book, and I didn't actually know how it would end. To make my daily word count, I wrote down whatever struck me, and once I passed the 50k mark, I was so burned out that I just stopped even though the book was far from finished and I still had a week left in November.
It took me months to continue writing it (thanks to Tithe), and over a year to fix the mess I'd made. I had even skipped an entire plot point that I hadn't known how to resolve and left a note reminding me to come back and fill it in. *facepalm*
Learning to outline.
My second manuscript, in comparison, was meticulously outlined. I prepared by thoroughly world-building, completing simple character sheets (I'll cover character sheets in a future post), and writing a structured outline broken down into acts and scenes. As a result, I completed my first draft in four weeks.
Why outline?
• There's less chance of running into a plot hole b/c you'll hopefully have sorted those out BEFORE starting to write. Being able to look at the plot and story events as a whole works wonders for spotting inconsistencies and plot holes.
• There's also less chance of hitting writer's block. Having an outline means you know exactly what needs to happen and how to get there, so you can power on.
• Being able to look at the story as a whole can also help you spot issues with pacing. You can easily see the scenes that might sag and quickly make changes in order to avoid massive rewrites later on.
Stay flexible!
Being a plotter doesn't mean I stick rigidly to my outline. There can and WILL be surprises along the way. There were moments while writing my second manuscript when a new scene naturally developed that hadn't been in my outline, and I went with it. There were also moments when a plot idea struck me, and I made adjustments accordingly.
The purpose of an outline is to be your map. Some writers like to set out into the writing wild and find their way as they go. Some work well with only a compass to point them in the right direction. I like to have a clearly plotted route, with each stop marked along the way.
But that doesn't mean I can't take detours or change my final destination :)
Today's art: Rokudo Mukuro (I've been feeling nostalgic)
Have a great week! ♥
This worked fine for short stories and drabbles. But for longer, chaptered stories, this resulted in meandering scenes, vague plots, and then surprise twists that weren't properly foreshadowed at the end. Pantsing works for a lot of writers, but it clearly wasn't working for me. I turned to outlining.
My first original manuscript (I wrote a couple novel-length fanfics) was a partial pants job because I wrote it for NaNoWriMo and my outlines had yet to reach any sort of coherent structure. I had only outlined part of the book, and I didn't actually know how it would end. To make my daily word count, I wrote down whatever struck me, and once I passed the 50k mark, I was so burned out that I just stopped even though the book was far from finished and I still had a week left in November.
It took me months to continue writing it (thanks to Tithe), and over a year to fix the mess I'd made. I had even skipped an entire plot point that I hadn't known how to resolve and left a note reminding me to come back and fill it in. *facepalm*
Learning to outline.
My second manuscript, in comparison, was meticulously outlined. I prepared by thoroughly world-building, completing simple character sheets (I'll cover character sheets in a future post), and writing a structured outline broken down into acts and scenes. As a result, I completed my first draft in four weeks.
Why outline?
• There's less chance of running into a plot hole b/c you'll hopefully have sorted those out BEFORE starting to write. Being able to look at the plot and story events as a whole works wonders for spotting inconsistencies and plot holes.
• There's also less chance of hitting writer's block. Having an outline means you know exactly what needs to happen and how to get there, so you can power on.
• Being able to look at the story as a whole can also help you spot issues with pacing. You can easily see the scenes that might sag and quickly make changes in order to avoid massive rewrites later on.
Stay flexible!
Being a plotter doesn't mean I stick rigidly to my outline. There can and WILL be surprises along the way. There were moments while writing my second manuscript when a new scene naturally developed that hadn't been in my outline, and I went with it. There were also moments when a plot idea struck me, and I made adjustments accordingly.
The purpose of an outline is to be your map. Some writers like to set out into the writing wild and find their way as they go. Some work well with only a compass to point them in the right direction. I like to have a clearly plotted route, with each stop marked along the way.
But that doesn't mean I can't take detours or change my final destination :)
Have a great week! ♥
January 11, 2012
2011 Numbers
2011 Numbers
I read 36 books in 2011, excluding about a dozen manuscripts from CPs and beta exchanges. Not a bad number, but not that great either. It's about one book every 1.5 weeks. I'd like to do better in 2012.
In 2011, I also wrote about 110,000 words. A good number, but nowhere near what other writers would be able to boast =P Since I want to write two novels this year, I'm hoping to beat this number!
Have a great rest of the week! ♥
I read 36 books in 2011, excluding about a dozen manuscripts from CPs and beta exchanges. Not a bad number, but not that great either. It's about one book every 1.5 weeks. I'd like to do better in 2012.
In 2011, I also wrote about 110,000 words. A good number, but nowhere near what other writers would be able to boast =P Since I want to write two novels this year, I'm hoping to beat this number!
Have a great rest of the week! ♥
January 2, 2012
2012 Goals and a Brief 2011 Review
I'm terrible at keeping resolutions so I generally give myself one goal to strive for. In 2011, it was to get an agent.
This year, I'm keeping it simple. My goal is to write two novels. I'm already world building the first. Whether or not I write the second book will depend on a number of things. But if not that one, then I'm sure I'll be able to find something else.
The things in 2011 that I'm MOST proud of:
♥ Starting a new blog. I already had a blog over on LJ, but I wanted one a) clearly separate from fandom and b) on blogger where the majority of the aspiring writers community seemed to be. It was scary and I had no idea what to blog about, but I don't regret it at all.
♥ Trial and error with a couple critique partners until I found Bluestocking, Mindee found me, and Anna and I sort of found each other :) I am so, SO lucky to have these ladies on my side.
♥ Sold a short story and a novella to two epublishers (under a pen name).
♥ Signed with an agent o_o Same agent as my CP Mindee. We think it must be fate :)
♥ I never gave up. Despite the oftentimes crushing disappointment and the perpetual self-doubt, I knew that the most important thing was to not give up. Pick yourself up and push on, push on, push on.
Here's to 2012 ♥
This year, I'm keeping it simple. My goal is to write two novels. I'm already world building the first. Whether or not I write the second book will depend on a number of things. But if not that one, then I'm sure I'll be able to find something else.
The things in 2011 that I'm MOST proud of:
♥ Starting a new blog. I already had a blog over on LJ, but I wanted one a) clearly separate from fandom and b) on blogger where the majority of the aspiring writers community seemed to be. It was scary and I had no idea what to blog about, but I don't regret it at all.
♥ Trial and error with a couple critique partners until I found Bluestocking, Mindee found me, and Anna and I sort of found each other :) I am so, SO lucky to have these ladies on my side.
♥ Sold a short story and a novella to two epublishers (under a pen name).
♥ Signed with an agent o_o Same agent as my CP Mindee. We think it must be fate :)
♥ I never gave up. Despite the oftentimes crushing disappointment and the perpetual self-doubt, I knew that the most important thing was to not give up. Pick yourself up and push on, push on, push on.
Here's to 2012 ♥
December 11, 2011
Special Announcement: I Have an Agent!
I am now represented by Suzie Townsend of Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation.
Yes, I know. SUZIE TOWNSEND. *mental freak out*
This is my agent :D :D :D MY AGENT. I'm never going to get tired of saying that.
I still can't quite believe this is happening, despite that I've had a week for it to sink in. Suzie is nothing short of my dream agent, and I'm fully aware of how fortunate I am to have her. *still freaking out*
I began querying this project in early November, and Suzie was pretty much the first agent I contacted (she was expecting my submission--I won a crit from one of her authors a couple months prior, which turned into a referral to Suzie). She finished my manuscript quickly, but due to an email malfunction, I didn't get her email asking to talk until almost a month later! But it all worked out :D
This past week has been insane--full of uncertainty and excitement and really tough choices. I found myself in the unbelievable position of having multiple offers, which was a dream I never quite dared to have. In the end though, my heart was set on Suzie.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them as best I can, but otherwise... *eee* I have an agent!!!
♥
Yes, I know. SUZIE TOWNSEND. *mental freak out*
This is my agent :D :D :D MY AGENT. I'm never going to get tired of saying that.
I still can't quite believe this is happening, despite that I've had a week for it to sink in. Suzie is nothing short of my dream agent, and I'm fully aware of how fortunate I am to have her. *still freaking out*
I began querying this project in early November, and Suzie was pretty much the first agent I contacted (she was expecting my submission--I won a crit from one of her authors a couple months prior, which turned into a referral to Suzie). She finished my manuscript quickly, but due to an email malfunction, I didn't get her email asking to talk until almost a month later! But it all worked out :D
This past week has been insane--full of uncertainty and excitement and really tough choices. I found myself in the unbelievable position of having multiple offers, which was a dream I never quite dared to have. In the end though, my heart was set on Suzie.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them as best I can, but otherwise... *eee* I have an agent!!!
♥
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