One of the
few things that I’d rather not do when writing is plan. Seems silly, I know,
but the initial “dirty work” isn’t my favorite part. Sure, I like figuring out
some things like the plot, but I’d rather just plunge ahead with the story and
write it. What’s the problem with that?
May seem
like an obvious answer, but even though I’ve learned that I NEED to plan
things, I still ask that question. As a writer, you may think that you know
every piece of your story (and I’m not saying that you don’t), but sometimes
that isn’t the case. You need to write down what’s going to happen and sort of
“see” it, rather than have it just in your mind. I’ve found it’s very helpful
to me to write things out. I don’t mean just typing them out, although I’ve
been doing that more. The act of writing and forming the letters—the words,
sentences, paragraphs—cements something in your mind in a way not possible with
typing. This is where an outline or overview (post coming on that soon…) really
helps.
Even if you
don’t fully outline your novel, you always want to know where you’ll end
up—your story goal. I heard something once that it’s the beginning and end of
something that people remember. Think about some place that you drive to often,
maybe church or the store. Now you may be able to picture the entire route, but
the beginning point and end point are clearer, yes? It’s the same way with a
story. People remember most what’s at the beginning, but especially the end.
It’s so much
easier to write towards a goal than just come up with it as you go along. By
having a set goal, you as the author are more motivated to see it achieved.
That in turn (hopefully) makes your characters more motivated to achieve the
actual goal.
Several
novels ago, I decided that I didn’t need to actually have a set story goal. I
thought that I could figure it out as I went along. That novel ended up being a
complete disaster. My characters weren’t motivated at all, weren’t very
developed and the story bounced all over the place. Things happened for the
sake of happening while I racked my brain to find a story goal. When I finally
got to the end, it didn’t work. The goal didn’t feel real and that’s because I
didn’t have it in mind (and my characters didn’t either).
Another
thing I would suggest when you’re planning your novel is to get feedback from
others. This helps me so much, probably the most of anything I try to do in the
process. The author is so close to their story world and much of the time, we
tend to “zoom in” on one aspect: a specific scene, a character—you name it.
When we get feedback from others who aren’t so close to the story, it helps you
to see the bigger picture. They can point out plot holes that you may have
missed or inconsistencies. Getting at least a second opinion—generally more
than that—is something I try to do before I start writing a story. Let the
people willing to help you give some advice.
I know I’ve
mentioned this before, but it seems important enough that I need to reiterate
it again. Don’t let fear stop you. A lot of the time, that’s what holds me back
from sending an overview or an excerpt to someone who would otherwise be able
to give me a great critique. I’ll admit, I AM afraid to be laughed at
sometimes. As hard as it is, (try to) forget about it. Attach the file and hit
the send button. Now yes, I know that’s easier said than done. The feeling I
get before I send part of my writing off sometimes is what I think I might feel
if I were setting off a bunch of nuclear weapons.
 |
| Nuclear weapons...I may have to use that in a story. |
Keep
writing!
~Katie
