First things first, this isn't a blog about the fabulousness of plotting. Don't worry, pantsers! I don't plot all of my books. So I'm not really a plotter, but I don't write by the seat of my pants every book either. Sometimes I do a rough outline of major plot points, and sometimes the book just flows from my head to my fingertips. I guess my style of creating is something in between. Plotser, perhaps.
Recently, as many of you probably know, I've been working on plotting a historical urban fantasy type novel. But I've been doing something different than I have with other projects I've worked on. Letting the ideas simmer and reveal themselves to me a little at a time has been quite an experience. I love letting them brew in my mind and play over and over, trying to figure out just the right way the events should happen before making a note about the scenes. I'm really in no rush since I won't be working on it until November 1st and the fun onslaught of National Novel Writing Month.
I decided to stir up ideas and think about who my characters are before the big move, which has now been completed. I'm now in the aftermaths effect of unpacking. Anyways, I browsed Holly Lisle's website to reread one of her articles on plotting, and what I found very useful was her "Novel Pre-Writing Workshop: Asking the Right Questions." I even decided to try out bubble mapping, which I'd never really done before, effectively at least.
Maybe some of what has helped me has just been the fact that I'm trying something new, but I guess that since I still have the rest of September and the entirety of October to figure out this novel (without burning myself out of it) that I can sit around and tinker with this new system to figure out a way to incorporate to what I usually do. That being said, when it comes to writing with me, "usually" is an abstract word. This way of preparing though makes me feel more at ease since my last few novels had their ideas thrown together at the last minute before I began writing them. Clear procrastination in action. Maybe I can kick my procrastination habit. Who knows?
So how do you prepare yourself before starting a new writing project? Do you have an outline? A vague idea?
Hunky WOLF SEALs by Terry Spear
23 minutes ago
Can't wait to read the result of the slow simmer! :-) I am always in a rush to write. But I think you have a good point. I am trying the slow simmer with an urban fantasy series. I know my heroine but I am letting the rest float around in my head. It's a nice change. I think I've tried every other way of writing. Except extensive outlines. I don't have the patience for that.
ReplyDeleteThere's preparation before you write? Dang! Why didn't someone tell me. All kidding aside, since I'm a pantser, I usually start with an idea/premise/etc. But one of my dreams is to go away with other writer friends and brainstorm an entire book, scene by scene with motivation, conflict . . . everything. I wonder how easy/hard writing a book that way would be.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, whenever I've had an idea that I couldn't get to immediately, I let it simmer on the back burner and have found when I do find time to write them, they usually turn out wonderful. Love my subconscious.
I like to write a very loose few papers describing the basic world, the basic characters and their motivations. More of an introduction to what I'm going to write...
ReplyDeleteAnd I daydream... I suppose that is more my simmer mode...a lot of mental drifting, letting the breeze blow through my head and shuffle things around...
I'm a card-carrying plotter, but before that I simmer :-). I have a simmer going for NANOWRIMO, too, but hope to get it plotted out before the dreaded November 1 arrives!
ReplyDeleteYa know, I was going to say- I just jump right in! I'm a hard core pantser- painfully so sometimes (which really makes working on multiple books a bit mad ;)).
ReplyDeleteBut I realized I think I simmer some! Funny thing is, my simmering- doesn't end up in the book. I just realized that many intial, "oh what about this" ideas about characters, situations, etc- even the ones that seemed BRILLIANT at the time- vanished when I finally started writing.
Maybe I seem to work through things that won't work even when I think they will? But my subconscious knows better? HMMMMM- now I'm just hurting my brain.
Great post Sarah- ya got me thinking!
Marissa, thanks for the comment! haha... I can't wait for you to read what comes about of that too. I love your feedback. I do the same thing. I always rush when I write. It's kind of nice to sit back and enjoy the journey sometimes. Although, not too much! lol I don't want to enjoy it so much that it takes forever. I haven't tried extensive outlines either. I agree though, I don't think I could pull one of those off.
ReplyDeleteDarcy, LOL! I'd love to do that too. Brainstorm out an entire book with other writers while in a hotel off somewhere cool. I imagine in some ways that would probably be easy since there wouldn't be stopping and wondering where the book goes next. That is true though, when I let something simmer in my head for a while, it tends to be easier and more vivid when it comes to writing it down. Thanks for the comment!
Maureen, I love to daydream as well! I got in trouble during elementary school for daydreaming too much. Haha! If that teacher only knew the extent of how daydreaming helps me with what I do! =) It's so awesome to play scenes over in my head and then replay them just a little differently over and over until I find just that right way. I also tend to go with basic characters, basic plot, etc and then dive in to experience the characters and better figure out who they are.
Suzanne, thanks for the comment! I really hope to get an outline going before NaNoWriMo too. I'll probably start gathering my thoughts together during October and getting them in order. It's awesome to know another Nano'er!
Marie, haha! I totally pantsed the novel I'm editing now. Just jumped in and it's been quite an experience since my subconscious knows more of what's going on with it than I do. I've been having to go over it again and again just to tweak continuity and make sure the characters don't behave too radically. I couldn't even imagine pantsing several books at once though! Maybe some of what you think through helps you get to better things when you're actually in the trenches of writing it. Wow, that is really cool that none of your initial thoughts vanish when writing. Thanks for the comment, Marie!