Showing posts with label plotting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plotting. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Struggles of SciFi
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Idea to Pages: Let the Plotting, Begin!
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Put the "Pro" in PROcrastinate
Okay, maybe two problems.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
A Plot Curveball
When I woke up this morning, I assumed my day would follow a particular pattern. Breakfast, work, home, writing, running, and bed. Not that exciting, I know. But it's my life.
Only not all went according to plan. In fact, a big part of my usual routine is missing. Which is rather upsetting. Though people around me like to act like everything is totally normal and fine.
Though unexpected surprises pretty much stink in real life, they are gold in books.
Ever read a book where you can perfectly predict what will happen? In the YA craze of dysotopian books, I've found a formula that most of them fit. Prepare yourself, it's Earth-shattering.
Usually dysotopian books are a series, and this series makes up three books (aka a trilogy). Book one involves a girl who lives in a society run by a tyrannical government. She falls in love with Boy 1. In book two, the girl realizes that the government is corrupt, and it needs to be overthrown. Boy 2 is introduced as a potential romantic interest. Hello, love triangle! Finally, in book three, the government is taken over by the rebels and the girl must choose between Boy 1 or Boy 2. The end.
This formula has worked for a lot of popular series today. But sticking to the status quo? No, thanks. Reading a book where you can predict the ending is boring.
So add a dash of unexpected! Throw in a situation that will completely throw your reader. Have them get to the ending and be like "No way!" (A positive "no way," not the ending to Allegiant kind!).
Which is a pretty good reaction to the end of a book, if I do say so myself.
Only not all went according to plan. In fact, a big part of my usual routine is missing. Which is rather upsetting. Though people around me like to act like everything is totally normal and fine.
Though unexpected surprises pretty much stink in real life, they are gold in books.
Ever read a book where you can perfectly predict what will happen? In the YA craze of dysotopian books, I've found a formula that most of them fit. Prepare yourself, it's Earth-shattering.
Usually dysotopian books are a series, and this series makes up three books (aka a trilogy). Book one involves a girl who lives in a society run by a tyrannical government. She falls in love with Boy 1. In book two, the girl realizes that the government is corrupt, and it needs to be overthrown. Boy 2 is introduced as a potential romantic interest. Hello, love triangle! Finally, in book three, the government is taken over by the rebels and the girl must choose between Boy 1 or Boy 2. The end.
This formula has worked for a lot of popular series today. But sticking to the status quo? No, thanks. Reading a book where you can predict the ending is boring.
So add a dash of unexpected! Throw in a situation that will completely throw your reader. Have them get to the ending and be like "No way!" (A positive "no way," not the ending to Allegiant kind!).
Which is a pretty good reaction to the end of a book, if I do say so myself.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Plotting in Pants
Plotter or pantser, that is the question...
Okay, well I suppose the first question really is: What are plotters and pantsers?
Plotters are the prepared people in our world. They know exactly where they want their book to go and start the process by creating an outline. This all takes place before they even start writing.
Pantsers are a free spirited bunch, jumping in front of computer and working magic with their fingers. They've really no idea where the story is going to take them, but that's the fun of it! No plans, no destinations, just words, words, words!
Any of this sound familiar to you? Are you a pantser or a plotter? Or maybe you fall in the grey area in-between. I like to call this location Plotting in Pants (PiP).
As I've developed my writing, I've figured out the best method for me. In my first book (which I rarely mention to anyone out of sheer embarrassment), I was a hard core pantser. I wrote without a plan... And it was a disaster.
Albeit at this time I was learning how the whole writing thing worked. It was a dark period in my life where I thought adverbs were like salt on fries, to be used generously.
Not so much.
Because I know you're an understanding reader, I'll share the horrible first line of that book with you: "The bone-chilling water was absolutely excruciating." And what was my character doing? Jumping into a pool. An indoor pool. How cold could it seriously be? Not bone-chilling, for goodness' sake.
Ahem. Moving on.
So after that blunder, I thought I'd give plotting a go. For my next book, Bound, I plotted about half and then pants-ed (is that a word?) the rest. It went okay, but I wasn't entirely happy with the results.
Now for my third book, and current work in progress, I am making use of the my PiP method. I have outlined my entire book, only the outline isn't a prison, but more of a guide. I can't begin to tell you how helpful it's been when I've gotten stuck or forgotten where I want my story to go.
Which happens more often than I'd like to mention.
But, in the end, your writing process is entirely up to you. Different methods work for different people. As you grow and experience through creating your books, you'll find the right groove.
The important thing, as always, is to write.
Okay, well I suppose the first question really is: What are plotters and pantsers?
Plotters are the prepared people in our world. They know exactly where they want their book to go and start the process by creating an outline. This all takes place before they even start writing.
Pantsers are a free spirited bunch, jumping in front of computer and working magic with their fingers. They've really no idea where the story is going to take them, but that's the fun of it! No plans, no destinations, just words, words, words!
Any of this sound familiar to you? Are you a pantser or a plotter? Or maybe you fall in the grey area in-between. I like to call this location Plotting in Pants (PiP).
As I've developed my writing, I've figured out the best method for me. In my first book (which I rarely mention to anyone out of sheer embarrassment), I was a hard core pantser. I wrote without a plan... And it was a disaster.
Albeit at this time I was learning how the whole writing thing worked. It was a dark period in my life where I thought adverbs were like salt on fries, to be used generously.
Not so much.
Because I know you're an understanding reader, I'll share the horrible first line of that book with you: "The bone-chilling water was absolutely excruciating." And what was my character doing? Jumping into a pool. An indoor pool. How cold could it seriously be? Not bone-chilling, for goodness' sake.
Ahem. Moving on.
So after that blunder, I thought I'd give plotting a go. For my next book, Bound, I plotted about half and then pants-ed (is that a word?) the rest. It went okay, but I wasn't entirely happy with the results.
Now for my third book, and current work in progress, I am making use of the my PiP method. I have outlined my entire book, only the outline isn't a prison, but more of a guide. I can't begin to tell you how helpful it's been when I've gotten stuck or forgotten where I want my story to go.
Which happens more often than I'd like to mention.
But, in the end, your writing process is entirely up to you. Different methods work for different people. As you grow and experience through creating your books, you'll find the right groove.
The important thing, as always, is to write.