Plot outlines come in all shapes and sizes. At one extreme we have “pantsers” - people who just sit down with an idea in mind, and start writing. At the other extreme we have people like me who wouldn’t dream of putting two words together without a detailed outline of the book.
The thought of working like a pantser brings me out in goose bumps. I have to have an outline before I start writing. I like to work with 60 chapters, so I start with 60 lines on a spreadsheet, and type in at least one line for each chapter. For me, writing a novel is like climbing a cliff face. The 60 notes are the footholds that will get me to the top. I spend weeks rearranging these notes, adding to them, shuffling them, testing each one for strength. I may even use index cards to help get them in the right order.
Under time pressure I might start to write with some of the footholds missing, hoping that they will come to me as I go along. But each of these is like a chasm, and as I approach one I have to stop until I’ve filled it in. Faced with a chasm of two or three chapters I become cranky and absent-minded; anything bigger than that - say 5 or 6 chapters - and I wake up screaming. It really is just like balancing on a tiny ledge with nowhere to go, trying not to look down.
Sometimes I come to one of my footholds and find it’s not strong enough to support my (i.e. the story’s) weight. I know it seemed okay when I wrote it, but now it’s turned to dust; there’s nothing there! I need to replace it before I can continue. Often when this happens, I can simply eliminate the chapter - jump up to the next foothold - and carry on.
Pantsers bemoan the necessity of outlining. They say a detailed outline stifles creativity and removes the fun and excitement of writing. I couldn’t disagree more. As I write, my outline changes (a lot). New ideas come to me and are incorporated into the story. Often, whole new characters are added while others disappear or merge. There’s plenty of room to be creative.
I can see how creativity could be stifled if your outline is too detailed, when you might feel you were writing in a straitjacket. I suppose, the trick is to start with an outline that is strong enough to get you through to the end of the story, but not so elaborate that you can’t breathe. To use yet another metaphor, I think it’s useful to think of the outline as a skeleton, the narrative the flesh that gives it form and life.
What about you? Do you outline or are you a wild pantser?
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Half-baked Approach
Note to self:
Okay, you’ve writing three quarters of your new YA book. You’ve reached the climax at the end of part 2, when “all seems lost.” You have an outline of the plot, you know what will happen next and how the story ends, but you have doubts. Is the storyline strong enough? Are the stakes high enough? Are the characters working? What about their inter-relationships? How should the story end?
Maybe this would be a good time to enlist the aid of some beta readers. Give what you've written a thorough line edit, weed out as many typos as possible. Then get some young people to read what you’ve written and tell you what they think, using a questionnaire something like this:
On a scale of 1-10:
Do the characters grab you?
Does the story interest you?
Do you want to read the rest of it?
Would you like to read a sequel?
And on a scale of 1-10, how badly do you want:
The budding romance(s) to bloom?
The villain to be beaten at his own game?
Or to die a horrible death?
Main character A to find what he’s looking for?
Main character B to find what she’s looking for?
The characters that have been cruelly separated to be reunited?
The society to survive the disaster/war?
The society to resolve its underlying problems?
Obviously, the questionnaire will need to be tailored to the individual manuscript, and you could add open questions like:
What did you think of the storyline?
Did you like the characters?
Was there anything in what you read that you thought was:
Stupid, Unbelievable, Lame, Great, Gross, Funny, Sad, Childish
The essential idea is to get this work done NOW, before you write the last part of the book. You may be surprised by the responses you get, and you may have to rethink the ending. You may have to rewrite some of what you've already written.
Okay, you’ve writing three quarters of your new YA book. You’ve reached the climax at the end of part 2, when “all seems lost.” You have an outline of the plot, you know what will happen next and how the story ends, but you have doubts. Is the storyline strong enough? Are the stakes high enough? Are the characters working? What about their inter-relationships? How should the story end?
Maybe this would be a good time to enlist the aid of some beta readers. Give what you've written a thorough line edit, weed out as many typos as possible. Then get some young people to read what you’ve written and tell you what they think, using a questionnaire something like this:
On a scale of 1-10:
Do the characters grab you?
Does the story interest you?
Do you want to read the rest of it?
Would you like to read a sequel?
And on a scale of 1-10, how badly do you want:
The budding romance(s) to bloom?
The villain to be beaten at his own game?
Or to die a horrible death?
Main character A to find what he’s looking for?
Main character B to find what she’s looking for?
The characters that have been cruelly separated to be reunited?
The society to survive the disaster/war?
The society to resolve its underlying problems?
Obviously, the questionnaire will need to be tailored to the individual manuscript, and you could add open questions like:
What did you think of the storyline?
Did you like the characters?
Was there anything in what you read that you thought was:
Stupid, Unbelievable, Lame, Great, Gross, Funny, Sad, Childish
The essential idea is to get this work done NOW, before you write the last part of the book. You may be surprised by the responses you get, and you may have to rethink the ending. You may have to rewrite some of what you've already written.
Monday, April 18, 2011
On Style
I have a well-thumbed copy of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style somewhere.
Someone recommended the Chicago Manual of Style, a book that covers every aspect of grammar. I found a few second hand copies on ebay selling for $70. Too expensive. So I went to the local library and asked if they could get me a copy. “Is this a fashion book?” the girl asked me. A reasonable assumption, I thought.
I would have thought the term “style” applied to writing should mean much more than whether or not an author puts his/her commas in the right places. To my mind, style should mean the author’s approach to the written word. My notion of style is the flavour of what we read. It springs from the writer’s background and the art that s/he puts into his/her prose. Who would expect a modern writer of women’s fiction to write in the same style as Jane Austen, say?
Here's a few examples:
PG Wodehouse wrote in a style a million miles removed from, say, Christopher Moore, although they both write laugh-out-loud comedy.
The styles of Charles Dickens and Albert Camus are poles apart, principally because Dickens uses so many words, Camus so few.
Raymond Chandler’s style is characterised by what he himself described as wisecracks, Oscar Wilde’s stock in trade was the aphorism, just as wise certainly, but lacking the same craic.
Alastair McLean and Joseph Kanon both wrote WWII stories, but would anybody confuse their styles?
Likewise, John le Carre and Len Deighton with the spy story. Two very different styles of writing. I could go on, of course, but I think I’ve made my point.
Someone recommended the Chicago Manual of Style, a book that covers every aspect of grammar. I found a few second hand copies on ebay selling for $70. Too expensive. So I went to the local library and asked if they could get me a copy. “Is this a fashion book?” the girl asked me. A reasonable assumption, I thought.
I would have thought the term “style” applied to writing should mean much more than whether or not an author puts his/her commas in the right places. To my mind, style should mean the author’s approach to the written word. My notion of style is the flavour of what we read. It springs from the writer’s background and the art that s/he puts into his/her prose. Who would expect a modern writer of women’s fiction to write in the same style as Jane Austen, say?
Here's a few examples:
PG Wodehouse wrote in a style a million miles removed from, say, Christopher Moore, although they both write laugh-out-loud comedy.
The styles of Charles Dickens and Albert Camus are poles apart, principally because Dickens uses so many words, Camus so few.
Raymond Chandler’s style is characterised by what he himself described as wisecracks, Oscar Wilde’s stock in trade was the aphorism, just as wise certainly, but lacking the same craic.
Alastair McLean and Joseph Kanon both wrote WWII stories, but would anybody confuse their styles?
Likewise, John le Carre and Len Deighton with the spy story. Two very different styles of writing. I could go on, of course, but I think I’ve made my point.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Point of View
As a reader, my own preference is for some variety in point of view. An alternative pov can enrich a narrative, and I often feel that books with only one can be flat, as if they lack a dimension.
On the other hand, it can be a difficult task to leap from one character to another without leaving the reader behind. To avoid this, I have two rules: 1) only one pov per chapter and 2) the pov must be clearly established early on in each chapter. IMO head-hopping is the only thing worse than reading a chunk of text (or dialogue) without a clear pov.
My YA work-in-progress has two main characters, a boy (Marko) and a girl (Janet). The way the story is structured, the boy is the main character, the girl a secondary character, although it’s a close thing. So far, I’ve written 25 chapters, 14 from Marko’s viewpoint, 7 from Janet’s, with 4 that could be from either. There is no obvious pattern to the pov switches. There are some chapters where either one or the other is not present (no contest), others where both are present, but the drama determines pov, and a few where the decision is a toss-up. Wherever the choice is not obvious, I’ve generally opted for Marko, as he is the main character.
What I mean by a pattern is this: I have a book here by Sophie McKenzie called Blood Ties. She has two main characters, Theo and Rachel. McKenzie’s approach is to share out the pov duties equally between the two. Theo gets all the odd chapters, Rachel all the even ones. I wonder if this approach is necessary, or even wise. Towards the end of the book it seems an artificial constraint.
On the other hand, I’m not sure if my approach is any better.
Anyone got any suggestions?
On the other hand, it can be a difficult task to leap from one character to another without leaving the reader behind. To avoid this, I have two rules: 1) only one pov per chapter and 2) the pov must be clearly established early on in each chapter. IMO head-hopping is the only thing worse than reading a chunk of text (or dialogue) without a clear pov.
My YA work-in-progress has two main characters, a boy (Marko) and a girl (Janet). The way the story is structured, the boy is the main character, the girl a secondary character, although it’s a close thing. So far, I’ve written 25 chapters, 14 from Marko’s viewpoint, 7 from Janet’s, with 4 that could be from either. There is no obvious pattern to the pov switches. There are some chapters where either one or the other is not present (no contest), others where both are present, but the drama determines pov, and a few where the decision is a toss-up. Wherever the choice is not obvious, I’ve generally opted for Marko, as he is the main character.
What I mean by a pattern is this: I have a book here by Sophie McKenzie called Blood Ties. She has two main characters, Theo and Rachel. McKenzie’s approach is to share out the pov duties equally between the two. Theo gets all the odd chapters, Rachel all the even ones. I wonder if this approach is necessary, or even wise. Towards the end of the book it seems an artificial constraint.
On the other hand, I’m not sure if my approach is any better.
Anyone got any suggestions?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Plausible Excuses 2
(for falling behind with your writing)
1.Incoming eMails must be answered
2. Blogs must be written. Mustn’t neglect your blog. That’s what networking is all about.
3. Read a couple of chapters. You can’t call yourself a writer without keeping up with your reading.
4. Check in at Facebook. Isn’t that what networking is all about?
5. And Twitter. Don’t neglect Twitter.
6. Other people’s blogs must be read and commented on. That’s what networking is all about, right?
7. Phone a friend. She talks the legs off a donkey, but isn’t that what friends are for?
8. Time for a quick lunch and check the news on TV. Another a shocking disaster!
9. Take an hour for some shuteye. You’ll wake refreshed and ready to write a storm.
10. Follow some of the links supplied in other people’s blogs, especially Nathan Bransford’s Blog. That’s what market intelligence is all about, right?
11. Some of those links are UTube videos. They’re usually fun. All work and no play, right?
12. Check in at Absolute Write. Someone may need a beta reader, a proofreader, a short critique. That’s what networking is really all about.
13. Spend an hour worrying about queries. Have you really given up on novels 1-9?
14. Have you checked the post yet today?
15. Right, put the kettle on and edit what you wrote yesterday. Then,
16. Write something new, if there’s any time left.
17. What’s on TV tonight.
18. Another exhausting day. You wrote only 300 words, but it’s good stuff.
19. Tomorrow you’ll do better. Maybe you should get up earlier.
20. If only you could get more sleep.
1.Incoming eMails must be answered
2. Blogs must be written. Mustn’t neglect your blog. That’s what networking is all about.
3. Read a couple of chapters. You can’t call yourself a writer without keeping up with your reading.
4. Check in at Facebook. Isn’t that what networking is all about?
5. And Twitter. Don’t neglect Twitter.
6. Other people’s blogs must be read and commented on. That’s what networking is all about, right?
7. Phone a friend. She talks the legs off a donkey, but isn’t that what friends are for?
8. Time for a quick lunch and check the news on TV. Another a shocking disaster!
9. Take an hour for some shuteye. You’ll wake refreshed and ready to write a storm.
10. Follow some of the links supplied in other people’s blogs, especially Nathan Bransford’s Blog. That’s what market intelligence is all about, right?
11. Some of those links are UTube videos. They’re usually fun. All work and no play, right?
12. Check in at Absolute Write. Someone may need a beta reader, a proofreader, a short critique. That’s what networking is really all about.
13. Spend an hour worrying about queries. Have you really given up on novels 1-9?
14. Have you checked the post yet today?
15. Right, put the kettle on and edit what you wrote yesterday. Then,
16. Write something new, if there’s any time left.
17. What’s on TV tonight.
18. Another exhausting day. You wrote only 300 words, but it’s good stuff.
19. Tomorrow you’ll do better. Maybe you should get up earlier.
20. If only you could get more sleep.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Plausible Excuses
(...for losing at golf)
1. A seriously wicked party the night before.
2. Injuries. Like: tennis elbow, housemaid’s knee, a hangnail, athlete’s foot.
3. Other health issues: Sclerosis of the liver, shortness of breath, double vision, tinnitus, mild insanity, varicose veins, backache, terminal dandruff.
4. Something in your shoe: a nail, a stone, an unwelcome insect.
5. An unhappy childhood.
6. An impending divorce, causing insomnia, lethargy and imminent penury.
7. Multiple Personality Disorder.
8. Apathy, Antipathy, Hydropathy, Sociopathy, Homeopathy.
9. The other guy sneezed just as you started your downswing.
10. You were struck by lightning (again).
11. Social unrest, a revolution, or a Biblical Plague.
12 A broken seven iron.
13. One of the phobias. Arithmophobia (numbers), Kakorrhaphiophobia (failure), Pluviophobia (rain), Pentheraphobia (mothers-in-law), Agoraphobia (open spaces) are all popular choices.
14. An allergy. Grass pollen is the most popular.
15. For Professionals: The Caddy gave me the wrong club/ yardage/ put too many clubs in the bag/ forgot to pack my medication/ lunch/ gum.
16. PTSD, PMT, HRT, ADHD.
17. Bankruptcy.
18. If all else fails, blame one of these: Bad luck, Kismet, Astrology, Witchcraft, Leprechauns, St Nicklaus.
1. A seriously wicked party the night before.
2. Injuries. Like: tennis elbow, housemaid’s knee, a hangnail, athlete’s foot.
3. Other health issues: Sclerosis of the liver, shortness of breath, double vision, tinnitus, mild insanity, varicose veins, backache, terminal dandruff.
4. Something in your shoe: a nail, a stone, an unwelcome insect.
5. An unhappy childhood.
6. An impending divorce, causing insomnia, lethargy and imminent penury.
7. Multiple Personality Disorder.
8. Apathy, Antipathy, Hydropathy, Sociopathy, Homeopathy.
9. The other guy sneezed just as you started your downswing.
10. You were struck by lightning (again).
11. Social unrest, a revolution, or a Biblical Plague.
12 A broken seven iron.
13. One of the phobias. Arithmophobia (numbers), Kakorrhaphiophobia (failure), Pluviophobia (rain), Pentheraphobia (mothers-in-law), Agoraphobia (open spaces) are all popular choices.
14. An allergy. Grass pollen is the most popular.
15. For Professionals: The Caddy gave me the wrong club/ yardage/ put too many clubs in the bag/ forgot to pack my medication/ lunch/ gum.
16. PTSD, PMT, HRT, ADHD.
17. Bankruptcy.
18. If all else fails, blame one of these: Bad luck, Kismet, Astrology, Witchcraft, Leprechauns, St Nicklaus.
Friday, April 8, 2011
The Rules of Golf
(For the season that's in it, with the first Major of the year under way)
1. On the first tee, make sure your phone is switched ON. Find an annoying ringtone here
2. When playing a shot, never let go of the club.
3. Keep out of the line of fire at all times, and expect the unexpected shank or flying club.
4. On the greens, you may repair plug marks, potholes, divots, major excavations and meteorite craters, but not spike-marks.
5. Psychedelic clothing is mandatory. Matching colours are the mark of the amateur.
6. Sand traps are sometimes called bunkers. Don’t be fooled by this.
7. Never show surprise when you sink a putt; it’s a sign of weakness.
8. Petulant displays are inevitable, but remember to repair all divots on the greens.
9. For Amateurs, one curse-word per hole is the accepted norm. The Professional may swear at his caddy after every shot.
10. Never play a shot over water. Avoid courses with lakes or rivers.
11. Experienced golfers know how to cough or sneeze just as the other guy is starting his downswing. You should practice this.
12. Try not to laugh at the other guy’s efforts. If the other guy laughs at you, use a seven iron.
13. If your ball goes into the rough, declare it lost immediately and reload. You don’t want to go in there; if you found the ball, chances are you’d never be able to get it out.
14. The guys behind are always faster. The guys in front are always slower.
15. One good shot per round is all any reasonable golfer can hope for.
16. If it rains, call it a day. Who needs the extra aggravation?
17. Stay out of lateral water hazards. You never know what might be lurking in there.
18. Know your Plausible Excuses. Always carry a copy in your bag.
Tomorrow: The Plausible Excuses.
1. On the first tee, make sure your phone is switched ON. Find an annoying ringtone here
2. When playing a shot, never let go of the club.
3. Keep out of the line of fire at all times, and expect the unexpected shank or flying club.
4. On the greens, you may repair plug marks, potholes, divots, major excavations and meteorite craters, but not spike-marks.
5. Psychedelic clothing is mandatory. Matching colours are the mark of the amateur.
6. Sand traps are sometimes called bunkers. Don’t be fooled by this.
7. Never show surprise when you sink a putt; it’s a sign of weakness.
8. Petulant displays are inevitable, but remember to repair all divots on the greens.
9. For Amateurs, one curse-word per hole is the accepted norm. The Professional may swear at his caddy after every shot.
10. Never play a shot over water. Avoid courses with lakes or rivers.
11. Experienced golfers know how to cough or sneeze just as the other guy is starting his downswing. You should practice this.
12. Try not to laugh at the other guy’s efforts. If the other guy laughs at you, use a seven iron.
13. If your ball goes into the rough, declare it lost immediately and reload. You don’t want to go in there; if you found the ball, chances are you’d never be able to get it out.
14. The guys behind are always faster. The guys in front are always slower.
15. One good shot per round is all any reasonable golfer can hope for.
16. If it rains, call it a day. Who needs the extra aggravation?
17. Stay out of lateral water hazards. You never know what might be lurking in there.
18. Know your Plausible Excuses. Always carry a copy in your bag.
Tomorrow: The Plausible Excuses.
Monday, April 4, 2011
My First Book (blog 2)
Following that commercial line edit, and after reading a mountain of how-to-write books, I took a year to complete a number of further edits and rewrites of my first book. The first chapter changed at least 300 times, and I rewrote the ending maybe 20 times.
There are a number of reputable literary consultancies in the UK, who provide genuine editorial services for aspiring writers. I decided to try one of these.
This time, the edit was completed by someone who concentrated on the plot. He didn’t like it. The villain was too villainous, the main characters’ perils were too infrequent and not perilous enough, and the ending made no sense. Worst of all, the plot did not follow Hollywood’s classical three-act structure. He recommended that I read The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler.
I bought a copy of Vogler’s book. Sure enough, I could see that my book was climaxing in all the wrong places. The problem was that I had tied the plot into the progress of the Crusade, and I wanted it to be historically accurate. I set about another rewrite with Vogler’s three-act structure uppermost in my mind.
At this stage I sent out a few more queries. Having no positive responses, I returned to Book 2 – another historical novel, set in Berlin during WWII. I completed Book 2 and Book 3 (a crime thriller) before returning to My First Book.
The very first editor had suggested that the book might be good for the Young Adult market, so I rewrote it for the Young Adult market. This meant removing explicit sexual content (maybe two paragraphs), rewriting the ending and the first three chapters (again) and reducing the length of the book from 90,000 to 70,000 words.
I decided to send it out for another professional edit at this stage. (Yes, I know, but I was worried about stepping into YA territory. I needed some reassurance that my book wasn’t going to cause some serious adolescent unrest.)
This editor spotted one large plot hole that arose when I shortened the text. She said that the villain was entirely believable. She seemed happy with the ending. There was no comment about the accuracy of historical detail, which I took as a positive indicator.
So there you have it. I’ve been working on this book – on and off – for 15 years. I’ve spent about EUR 2,000 on editing services, and the book remains unpublished and unrepresented.
Perhaps it’s time to self-publish it as an ebook.
Either that or forget about it.
There are a number of reputable literary consultancies in the UK, who provide genuine editorial services for aspiring writers. I decided to try one of these.
This time, the edit was completed by someone who concentrated on the plot. He didn’t like it. The villain was too villainous, the main characters’ perils were too infrequent and not perilous enough, and the ending made no sense. Worst of all, the plot did not follow Hollywood’s classical three-act structure. He recommended that I read The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler.
I bought a copy of Vogler’s book. Sure enough, I could see that my book was climaxing in all the wrong places. The problem was that I had tied the plot into the progress of the Crusade, and I wanted it to be historically accurate. I set about another rewrite with Vogler’s three-act structure uppermost in my mind.
At this stage I sent out a few more queries. Having no positive responses, I returned to Book 2 – another historical novel, set in Berlin during WWII. I completed Book 2 and Book 3 (a crime thriller) before returning to My First Book.
The very first editor had suggested that the book might be good for the Young Adult market, so I rewrote it for the Young Adult market. This meant removing explicit sexual content (maybe two paragraphs), rewriting the ending and the first three chapters (again) and reducing the length of the book from 90,000 to 70,000 words.
I decided to send it out for another professional edit at this stage. (Yes, I know, but I was worried about stepping into YA territory. I needed some reassurance that my book wasn’t going to cause some serious adolescent unrest.)
This editor spotted one large plot hole that arose when I shortened the text. She said that the villain was entirely believable. She seemed happy with the ending. There was no comment about the accuracy of historical detail, which I took as a positive indicator.
So there you have it. I’ve been working on this book – on and off – for 15 years. I’ve spent about EUR 2,000 on editing services, and the book remains unpublished and unrepresented.
Perhaps it’s time to self-publish it as an ebook.
Either that or forget about it.
Friday, April 1, 2011
eBook editors?
I’m now planning to self-publish on Kindle. It seems this is the way of the future. Joe Konrath and Barry Eisler have published an eye-opening conversation on the subject here
Near the end of that discussion, Barry says:
“To turn a manuscript into an actual book and get it into the hands of a reader, we still need an editor, line editor, copyeditor, proofreader, jacket copy writer, bio writer, cover art designer, and digital formatter.”
I wonder if this is true. I have read here that Scrivener version 2, the software package running on Apple computers, will convert text into various formats for epublishing, including the .MOBI Kindle format.
One notable bestselling book that I have read on Kindle shows no evidence of having been edited or even proofread by anyone.
I accept the need for a cover art designer. As for the rest, surely I can write my own blurb (jacket copy) and my own bio, and do I really need all those editors? And if not, who ensures the quality of what's published?
Near the end of that discussion, Barry says:
“To turn a manuscript into an actual book and get it into the hands of a reader, we still need an editor, line editor, copyeditor, proofreader, jacket copy writer, bio writer, cover art designer, and digital formatter.”
I wonder if this is true. I have read here that Scrivener version 2, the software package running on Apple computers, will convert text into various formats for epublishing, including the .MOBI Kindle format.
One notable bestselling book that I have read on Kindle shows no evidence of having been edited or even proofread by anyone.
I accept the need for a cover art designer. As for the rest, surely I can write my own blurb (jacket copy) and my own bio, and do I really need all those editors? And if not, who ensures the quality of what's published?
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