|
|
Posts filed under 'Teen Author Challenge'
October 20th, 2009
Happy NCTE National Day on Writing! (And yes, I keep wanting to say “of Writing” too.)  What a perfect day for a little writing inspiration:
Exclusive TAC Quote of the Week
“The most useful advice I ever came across about writing was from Julia Cameron in The Right to Write. Cameron discusses the importance of writing fearlessly, without the weight of our own self-judgments. People put so much pressure on themselves to produce polished writing on the first try, and this pressure is often what paralyzes the writing process. The important thing is to keep writing and worry about making it shine later. Final drafts often bear little resemblance to first drafts, and that’s okay. It is better to write badly than not write at all. You can’t fix what you haven’t written.”
~ Sarah Quigley
TMI
(Penguin, 4/09)
Teen Author Challenge, Week 14
As you cruise along with your writing goals, it’s not uncommon to hit an occasional snag in the story. One of the best tools I’ve found for those times when I can’t figure out what to do next is the simple question:
What if…?
What if? is great because it’s kind of a catch-all brainstorming tool. You can use it for character issues…
– What if she was an only-child instead of the oldest of seven?
– What if he thinks his friend is trying to help but his friend is actually trying to sabotage the project?
Or for plotting issues…
– What if instead of going to a fancy restaurant for their first date, he takes her to a hoedown and Miss Prim and Proper eats her first barbecue pork sandwich… getting it all down the front of her new blouse?
Or even for shaking up the entire story…
– What if his dad isn’t really his dad?
Try playing What if? the next time you need a little help on where to go next with your story. And have fun!
Buzz Tip of the Week
Awesome agent Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency shares her philosophy behind why she posts her deals in Publishers Marketplace’s Deal Lunch. The post is from a while back but it’s a fabulous look at some of the reasons agents do and don’t post sale news.
Your Weekly Challenge
How did you do on your writing last week? Comment below with your weekly results from last Tuesday through today so we can cheer your progress! And give the “What if?” game a try if you think the story could benefit from it!
The Teen Author Challenge Contest
Throughout the year-long Teen Author Challenge (TAC ends June 2010!), I’ll be giving away a book of the winner’s choice from my personal writing shelf. Why am I doing this? Because becoming a skilled writer has two important parts: learning about your craft and practicing your craft. That’s why active participation in each weekly challenge is so important!
So what can you win? Books to choose from include:
1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
2. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
3. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
4. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
5. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
6. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Everyone who participates via the comments on the Teen Author Challenge posts will be entered into this monthly contest.
Go forth and be creative!
October 13th, 2009
Exclusive TAC Quote of the Week
“The worse advice I ever got was write what you know. I would encourage aspiring writers to write whatever they can imagine, dream, and research well. Also, my definition of a writer is NOT someone who gets published. My definition of a writer is someone who writes a little bit most days of the week and who finishes the pieces they begin. Write a little bit every day and you will keep your sub-conscious juices working on the story all the time, even when you are not writing. Then you will have wonderful ah-ha moments when ideas snap together in your brain. That is one of the most fun parts of writing.”
~ Dia Calhoun
Aria of the Sea
Buzz Tip of the Week
Sometimes when you’re cruising along with your goals, it helps to see your progress visually. I’m a big believer in making charts that I can check off because it makes me feel like I’m accomplishing great things. And really, who can resist shiny gold stars?
But I also love technology, and this little gem is a fun way to track your progress on your goals. It’s called Joe’s Goals and you can enter your weekly goals, check them off (it puts nice little smiley faces when you accomplish a task), and see at a glance how you’re doing. And it’s not just for writing either. It’s great for tracking all of your weekly goals, from household duties to practicing to working out. A very Jack-of-all-trades kind of tool (or a Joe-of-all-trades, as the case may be.)
www.joesgoals.com
Check it out and see if it motivates you to keep up the pace with your weekly writing goals!
Your Weekly Challenge
How did you do on your writing last week? Comment below with your weekly results from last Tuesday through today so we can cheer your progress! And let us know how you’re tracking your progress each week. Do you have something you get to check off when you complete your writing assignments?
The Teen Author Challenge Contest
Throughout the year-long Teen Author Challenge (TAC ends June 2010!), I’ll be giving away a book of the winner’s choice from my personal writing shelf. Why am I doing this? Because becoming a skilled writer has two important parts: learning about your craft and practicing your craft. That’s why active participation in each weekly challenge is so important!
So what can you win? Books to choose from include:
1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
2. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
3. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
4. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
5. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
6. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Everyone who participates via the comments on the Teen Author Challenge posts will be entered into this monthly contest.
Go forth and be creative!
October 6th, 2009
Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’… keep those pages rollin’! To help you along, here’s our weekly dose of inspiration…
Exclusive TAC Quote of the Week
“Writing is not a talent, but a skill. Practice practice practice.”
~ Sarah MacLean
The Season
(Scholastic, 3/09)
Teen Author Challenge, Week 12
Now that you’re getting into the swing of things with our productivity challenge, you may be having a reality check of sorts. You may have bitten off more than you can chew with your weekly goal or, on the opposite extreme, you may find that your weekly goal isn’t large enough to keep your momentum going. (Or you may find out you’re like Goldilocks and your goal is “just right”.)
If your goal needs adjusting, it’s okay to make that adjustment now. Better to belly up to the writing bar with more realistic expectations than have your progress go belly up because you give up in frustration (or fizzle out because you never gain the momentum you need to make writing regularly a habit).
The big thing to remember is to be realistic. Take into account the craziness that you may encounter from school projects, work projects, travel, etc. Make your goal something you can still achieve even when those things interfere with your best laid plans. Or if you think your goal isn’t big enough yet, go ahead and bump it up a notch… BUT make sure to keep a healthy dose of realism handy. Achievability is key!
Buzz Tip of the Week
If you’ve never seen the Writer’s Digest “101 Best Web Sites for Writers” list, it’s a terrific directory of online resources that can benefit writers at every stage of their careers. It’s updated every year with the best of the best and, for your convenience, is divided into eight categories:
– Agent blogs
– Writing communities
– Publishing resources
– Jobs and markets
– Creativity and challenges
– Genres/niches
– General resources
– Fun for writers
Check out the full list here:
www.writersdigest.com/101BestSites
Your Weekly Challenge
How did you do on your writing last week? Comment below with your weekly results from last Tuesday through today so we can cheer your progress! If you’re going to take advantage of this opportunity to tweak your goal, post about that below and let us know how it’s changing. Up, down, sideways… whatever will make the best approach for you to reach your goals and still have fun in the process.
Because writing may not always be fun. But if it’s never fun, that’s a problem that needs a’fixin pronto!
The Teen Author Challenge Contest
Throughout the year-long Teen Author Challenge (TAC ends June 2010!), I’ll be giving away a book of the winner’s choice from my personal writing shelf. Why am I doing this? Because becoming a skilled writer has two important parts: learning about your craft and practicing your craft. That’s why active participation in each weekly challenge is so important!
So what can you win? Books to choose from include:
1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
2. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
3. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
4. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
5. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
6. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Everyone who participates via the comments on the Teen Author Challenge posts will be entered into this monthly contest.
Go forth and be creative!
September 29th, 2009
We’re rolling on our productivity challenge now. Week 2 of our 4-month challenge. To kick things off, here’s our weekly dose of inspiration…
Exclusive TAC Quote of the Week
“The best advice I’ve ever received about writing is that its real name should be RE-writing. What you put down on the page is just the beginning of the process—the work you do to polish and expand that original seed is what separates average writers from great ones.”
~ Katherine Marsh
The Twilight Prisoner
(Hyperion, 4/09)
2008 Edgar award winner
Teen Author Challenge, Week 11
As you get comfortable with your weekly goals, you may find yourself questioning what you’re writing. Sometimes there’s a good reason for this. For instance, if you sit down to write with only a glimmer of an idea, it’s easy to go off on a tangent and write yourself into a corner. And even with the most detailed outline, it may not turn out on the page exactly the way you thought it would.
Every writer works differently, but one of the best things you can do for yourself is really quite simple:
Give yourself permission to be bad.
And by bad, I mean really, horribly, run-for-the-hills B-A-D.
I know it’s easy to think that published authors lay down words of gold on their first draft every single time they put fingers to the keyboard. But if you ever asked your favorite authors about this, they would… after busting out in fits of laughter… tell you it simply isn’t so. Oh, how they wish it was, but it’s just not the case.
Yes, they have moments where they sit back and go “Wow, that scene rocked.” When they’re in The Zone and the story is really flowing. But more times than not, they write a scene knowing full well that it’s not perfect. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s very often necessary in order to get the book finished. As Katherine says so well above, it’s the REwriting that counts most. My favorite quote is the oft-quoted Nora Roberts gem “You can fix a bad page, but you can’t fix a blank one.”
Get the words on the page the best you can. And give yourself permission to be bad. Every writer is sometimes. I promise you.
Buzz Tip of the Week
Okay, this is seriously cool! Have you ever found a book that you would LOVE to tell everyone on the planet about but DON’T because you can’t figure out how to pronounce the author’s name? Or you tell people the book title but then pretend you can’t remember the author’s name to avoid sounding like a yutz?
Well, no more, dear friends! I came across this awesome resource a while back that solves that very problem. It’s the Author Name Pronounciation Guide at TeachingBooks.net. Authors can create an audio clip where they pronounce their name. Readers can give it a listen to clear up any confusion. Is that sweet or what?
http://www.teachingbooks.net/pronunciations.cgi
Your Weekly Challenge
How did you do on your writing last week? Comment below with your weekly results from last Tuesday through today so we can cheer your progress! If you didn’t quite reach your goal, you’ll still want to check in. Let us help you past any doubts you’re having or obstacles you’re facing. If you want to make your dream of being a published author a reality, you have to do the work. Nobody’s going to do it for you (despite how much we might wish they could).
The Teen Author Challenge Contest
Throughout the year-long Teen Author Challenge (TAC ends June 2010!), I’ll be giving away a book of the winner’s choice from my personal writing shelf. Why am I doing this? Because becoming a skilled writer has two important parts: learning about your craft and practicing your craft. That’s why active participation in each weekly challenge is so important!
So what can you win? Books to choose from include:
1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
2. Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook
3. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
4. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
5. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
6. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
7. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
8. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Everyone who participates via the comments on the Teen Author Challenge posts will be entered into this monthly contest.
Go forth and be creative!
September 22nd, 2009
Before we kick things off this week, I wanted to announce the winner of the Teen Author Challenge logo contest! If you haven’t seen the terrific entries, be sure to check out yesterday’s post. Thanks again to Thao (Serene Hours), Vania (Vania’s Life Captures), and Kelsey (Reading Keeps You Sane) for their fabulous logos. We appreciate you!
The official Teen Author Challenge logo!
And here it is, in all its glory…
That means the winner of a $25 bookstore gift card of your choice is:
Kelsey!
Reading Keeps You Sane
Congratulations Kelsey! Please contact me here with your mailing address to receive your prize.
If you are actively participating in the Teen Author Challenge–that means doing the work and commenting at least occasionally on the TAC posts–you are welcome to post the official TAC logo on your web site or blog with a link back to the new TAC welcome page (http://www.kaycassidy.com/TAC). Thanks for being a part of the challenge!
And now, for our weekly dose of inspiration…
Exclusive TAC Quote of the Week
“It’s simple, but really, the best advice I ever got was: Write because you love it. There’s no other reason to do it, really.”
~ Neesha Meminger
Shine, Coconut Moon (Simon & Schuster, 3/09)
Short and sweet, right? Sometimes the best advice is.
Teen Author Challenge, Week 10
Since we’re diving into the productivity challenge part of our year-long Teen Author Challenge, I’m going to switch gears and offer up some different fare for the weekly posts. Some weeks I’ll be hosting exclusive features (like TAC interviews with young debut authors – including some still in their teens!) and other weeks… like this week… I’ll be sharing a special quickie Buzz Tip of the Week.
Buzz Tips are things that aspiring writers–no matter where you are on your path–can benefit from. Buzz Tips might be tidbits about the business, insights from agents and editors, craft resources, or anything else that’s noteworthy for your writing career.
My philosophy is that it’s never too early to understand how the writing business works and how to make the most of the resources available to you. After all, this is a job like any other. If you want to be successful in the long term, understanding how the business works is always a good thing.
But… and this is a BIG but… your desire to learn about the business should never overpower the actual work you’re putting forth on your writing. Writing first, business second. Always. If you don’t put the writing first, all the business savvy in the world won’t get you where you want to go.
Basically, I want you to view these Buzz Tips of the Week as extras. Bonus tips for you as a reward for doing the real work of getting those words on the page in keeping with your TAC productivity goal!
Ready? Okay, here we go.
Buzz Tip of the Week
Here’s a great blog interview with editor Stacey Barney from Penguin Putnum on agent Sara Crowe’s blog. Sara asks her about what happens post-acquisition and my fellow Tenner, Heidi Kling, asks about author promotion efforts. Stacey gives a great overview of how, at her particular house, the process works. Every editor and publicist has their own opinion on what an author’s responsibility is for marketing, and Stacey offers her views here. Enjoy!
http://acrowesnest.blogspot.com/2008/09/putnam-editor-stacey-barney-talks-to-us_18.html
Your Weekly Challenge
How did you do on your writing last week? Comment below with your weekly results from last Tuesday through today so we can cheer your progress! If you didn’t quite reach your goal, you’ll still want to check in. Let us help you past any doubts you’re having or obstacles you’re facing. Because you CAN do this. I promise you. You just have to stay committed and go for your dream!
And remember, every TAC challenger who meets their productivity goal every week of the 4-month productivity challenge will get a super awesome reward! But you can only qualify if you meet your goal AND post your progress in the comments every single week. Go go go!
The Teen Author Challenge Contest
Throughout the year-long Teen Author Challenge (TAC ends June 2010!), I’ll be giving away a book of the winner’s choice from my personal writing shelf. Why am I doing this? Because becoming a skilled writer has two important parts: learning about your craft and practicing your craft. That’s why active participation in each weekly challenge is so important!
So what can you win? Books to choose from include:
1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
2. Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook
3. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
4. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
5. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
6. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
7. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
8. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Everyone who participates via the comments on the Teen Author Challenge posts will be entered into this monthly contest.
Go forth and be creative!
September 15th, 2009
For the last eight weeks, we’ve talked about different aspects of preparing a manuscript. We’ve covered creating a story concept that pops, understanding hooks, character development, and plotting vs. pantsing. This week, it’s time to put our money where our collective mouths are.
It’s time to dive into your first draft. And that’s where our inspiration for the week comes in.
Exclusive TAC Quote of the Week
“For all the advice you get, there’s only one piece that is immutable and universal. The only way to write a book is to write it. So no matter what buts or ifs, distractions or attractions catch your eye, abandon them all. The only way to write a book is to write it–so sit down and get to work!”
~ Saundra Mitchell
Shadowed Summer
(Random House Children’s, 2/09)
Teen Author Challenge, Week 9
Okay, deep breath… here we go. Are you ready? This is your chance to prove to yourself that you CAN write this book. You might be starting from page one or you might be continuing a work-in-progress. Both of those are perfectly fine. You’ll simply pick up wherever you are and Go like Flo.
Because we’re working our way through the entire process of writing and polishing a book from start to finish during this year-long challenge, we don’t have the luxury of taking all the time in the world to write our first draft. And that’s actually a good thing. Once you become a published author, especially if you sell in a multi-book contract, you’re going to have to write to deadline. If you’re in this for the long haul, you might as well start things off right and learn how to write regularly.
Writing regularly means different things to different people. For our purposes, it means writing to honor a schedule that we have set for ourselves. Deciding what that schedule should be is entirely up to you. But today’s post is all about setting production goals for your writing. There are tons of different ways to set production goals, so I’ll highlight a few of the more common methods used by professional writers.
Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan
The first thing you’re going to do for this portion of the Teen Author Challenge is set a goal for how much work you’re going to do. Since this is a weekly challenge, you’re going to be checking in with your progress every week. (Makes sense, right?) But how you’re going to track your progress is your choice. Here are a few of the many ways you can track your first draft progress.
1. Track by hours
Some writers keep a time log of hours spent actually working on the story. This means BICHOK time only (Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard). Time spent out on the deck thinking about your book doesn’t count. This is strictly time that your fingers are moving on the keyboard and words are spilling out onto the screen.
If you choose this method, you’ll set a certain amount of time you will spend BICHOKing every week. It might be five hours, it might be twenty hours. Whatever you feel like you can consistently accomplish. Consistency is key. Treat this like a job, and it’ll treat you like a real bonafide writer in return.
2. Track by pages
Some authors track by new pages written each week. They’ll either keep a written log by their computer or have a spreadsheet where they track each day’s ending page count. If you choose this method, you’ll set a certain number of pages to write every week.
The page count method is ONLY for new writing. Deleting a six-page scene and rewriting it does not count as six new pages toward your page count goal. That’s editing. It doesn’t count for your production goal here because there are writers who could spend years rewriting the same scene over and over and never reach the end of the book. But that’s not you, right? You’re here to get the job done. That means writing new pages and reaching The End.
3. Track by word count
Most word processing programs make this easy. There’s either a toolbar option for showing your word count or even a running total of your word count on the bottom status bar. Again, the key here is tracking your daily total so you can tally it up at the end of the week. You would need to write a certain number of new words every week (remember, new first draft words only, no rewriting).
4. Track by scenes
Tracking by scenes means you need to write a certain number of complete scenes each week. This is actually how I work. I discovered that if I tracked by page count or word count, it was easy for me to throw down pages of meaningless fluff or banter just to hit my goal for the day. That kind of defeats the purpose, right?
Since I’m a plotter and know in advance what scenes I need to write, I figure out how long I have to finish the first draft and then divide the number of scenes I have to go by the number of days I have left in my goal. That’s how many scenes I need to write each day. I do a little finessing to make my weekend workload lighter (to accommodate having an actual life while I’m first drafting) and then tally it up. That’s my weekly scenes goal. If you choose this method, you’ll set a goal for how many complete scenes you will write each week.
A note about goal setting:
I’ve taught goal setting workshops professionally–for corporate professionals and for writers–so I could wax philosophical about the need to create meaningful and realistic goals. But instead, I’ll just ask you to remember one thing:
Always set yourself up for success.
Too often, people set outrageously high goals for themselves because, in the excitement of the moment, they believe they can conquer the world in 17 days. And then they have a bad day, and they stumble, and they convince themselves they’ll never be able to catch up.
Always set yourself up for success.
As you work on this week’s challenge below, remember that your goal should be something you can absolutely achieve. You can always exceed your goal (and celebrate with donuts… or maybe that’s just me), but you should be able to meet your goal even when life throws you a minor league curve ball. (We’ll talk about dealing with major league curve balls later.)
Your Weekly Challenge
So this is it. Time for you to tell the world, “World? I am a writer. And writers write. I am committed to finishing this manuscript and will write [insert your goal here] every week until this manuscript is finished.”
And here’s how you’re going to do just that.
For the next four months, you will be writing new pages in your manuscript. Depending on your goals and where you are in the story right now, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will have a completed manuscript by the end of four months. What it means is that you will have four solid months’ worth of new pages written on your story and conditioned yourself to write consistently in the process. Two huge wins by any writer’s measuring stick. By then, the habit of writing regularly will be deeply ingrained in you and you’ll be able to continue on with your weekly goal until you type The End.
So let’s get to goal setting, shall we?
1. Choose your method
Choose the method you will use to track your progress every week. And yes, I mean EVERY week. You might choose one of the common methods above or use your own. As long as you can quantify it by saying “I wrote X number of blah blah units” for your weekly check-in, you’re golden.
2. Set your goal
Decide how many hours (or pages or words or scenes or whatever) you’re going to write every week until the manuscript is completely finished. If you want to finish the manuscript in a given amount of time, you may want to ballpark how many pages/words/scenes you have to go and work backward to figure out how much you need to write each week to finish on time.
3. Give yourself a reality check
Now imagine the worst week you’ve had this year. When things were crazy, life intruded on your best laid plans… how much do you think you could reasonably have written during that time if you were committed to this challenge? I hope you would’ve still found time to write, but chances are it might be much less than the goal you set for yourself in step #2. Take the time to think about some common obstacles you might face–travel plans, upcoming projects, etc.–and adjust your goal if needed. You’ll thank me for it later, I promise.
4. Share your goal and become an official Teen Author Challenger!
Ah, the moment of truth. For this week’s participation, you’re going to share the weekly goal you’ve set for the next four months. This is your moment to prove you’re serious about this writing gig and become a full-fledged Teen Author Challenger!
Beginning next Tuesday, you’ll be checking in every week for the next four months and sharing your progress on the previous week’s goal. That’s part of committing to the Teen Author Challenge and being a real and true participant. So make sure it’s a goal you’re truly comfortable with, one that keeps you making steady progress but leaves your sanity intact!
Special Productivity Contest!!!
I’ll be cheering on your progress every week, but I’m going to be doing something extra super amazing cool for Challengers who share their goal and check in every single week for the next four months. Plus, I’ll be doing impromptu giveaways throughout the four-month productivity challenge… but only for people who are actually doing the work of writing new words (and checking in to let us know)!
Getting tons of work done PLUS getting cool perks? What’s not to love, right? So let’s get rolling!
And, of course, that’s in addition to the regular…
The Teen Author Challenge Contest
Throughout the year-long Teen Author Challenge (TAC ends June 2010!), I’ll be giving away a book of the winner’s choice from my personal writing shelf. Why am I doing this? Because becoming a skilled writer has two important parts: learning about your craft and practicing your craft. That’s why active participation in each weekly challenge is so important!
So what can you win? Books to choose from include:
1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
2. Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook
3. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
4. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
5. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
6. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
7. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
8. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Everyone who participates via the comments on the Teen Author Challenge posts will be entered into this monthly contest.
Let’s see those goals, Challengers! It’s time for you to show the world what you’re made of!
September 8th, 2009
Before we get rolling with TAC, be sure to check out Jennifer Hopwood’s lie from Friday’s Librarian Spotlight feature. Did you guess it?
As we wrap up our four-part plotting/pantsing mini-series this week, I’m going to be talking about what my plotting method is.
On the pantsing to plotting spectrum, I’m way the heck over on the plotting side. I’m not in off-the-charts plotting land, but I can see it from my office window.
Before I sit down to write, I need to know exactly what happens in the story and why. That means doing a scene-by-scene outline of the entire story in advance. For me, plotting is the largest chunk of my writing process. I’ll jot down ideas, move things around, and spend a lot of time playing “What if?”
But…
No matter how much time I spend plotting, sometimes… sometimes… even the best laid plans can go awry. Which is why I’m kicking things off this week with this inspirational quote from Laurel Snyder.
Exclusive TAC Quote of the Week
“Your job, as a writer, is to get out of the way. You have to learn to sit back, read what you have scribbled down, and pay attention to where the story is taking you—to the best place the story is taking you. Even if that doesn’t happen to be where you meant it to go. Incidentally, the same advice holds true for taking a road trip, making delicious soup, or having a really good conversation. Tight control is the enemy of accidental wonderfulness.”
~ Laurel Snyder
Any Which Wall
(Random House, 5/09)
Teen Author Challenge, Week 8
We’ve talked about a lot of plotting and pantsing methods over the last few weeks. And many of you have asked which method I use. I actually use a modified version of Michael Hauge’s Six-Stage Plotting Method (a three-act structure).
I wish I could say that I discovered this method was a perfect fit for me in the very beginning and I’ve been plotting happily ever since. And I guess I could say that. If I wanted to be a Lying McLiarPants.
The truth is I tried just about every plotting method out there over the course of about six years. Some were too simplistic and some were so complex that I’d end up plotting myself in circles.
I had written an early draft of The Cinderella Society using a mish-mash of plotting techniques. And had loads of false starts along the way. But I had the good fortune to sit through two workshops by Michael Hauge at the RWA national conference in Dallas during the summer of 2007. Some of the finer points of his technique didn’t resonate with me, but the fundamentals did. Michael created a modified version of the three-act play structure that was based on the one thing I naturally understood:
Turning Points
Every story has turning points. Turning points are when everything your character has been working toward changes, for better or for worse. Sometimes a turning point means finally taking a step forward, getting a long-awaited win on the journey to success. Sometimes it means taking a step backward (or five or ten steps backward) when things go awry or the hero veers off the path he’s meant to be on.
Just out of curiosity, I came home and mapped out that early draft of The Cinderella Society on Hauge’s basic plotting chart and… lo and behold… my turning points in the story mapped almost exactly to the turning points he laid out on the chart. Hauge has an excellent article on his web site explaining his Six-Stage Plotting Method in great detail. I highly recommend reading it. There’s a ton going on in his method, only some of which I use in my own plotting efforts. And he uses very cool movie examples (Erin Brockovich and Gladiator) to highlight each phase of his process.
Each of Hauge’s six stages are separated by a turning point with a special significance. Seeing him clearly explain each of those five turning points and what their significance is was a huge lightbulb moment for me. It was how my mind naturally thought about story structure though I’d never been able to articulate it before. The turning points help me make sure my pacing is even and my turning points are big enough to sustain the middle of the book. In its most basic form, here’s how his turning point system works.
Turning Point #1 – OPPORTUNITY (10% into the manuscript)
The main character (we’ll make her a female, our heroine) gets an opportunity (surprise, right?) to do something or be something entirely different. Our heroine’s ordinary world is going to change dramatically if she grabs this opportunity and runs with it.
Turning Point #2 – CHANGE OF PLANS (25% into the manuscript)
Everything’s been moving along in one direction with our heroine working toward her new goal (as a result of the Opportunity). But now there’s a change, a little shift in the direction. Sometimes it’s a big surprise and sometimes it’s a subtle change, not even noticeable to the character herself. But it’s a change that’s put our heroine on a new path, whether she realizes it or not.
Turning Point #3 – POINT OF NO RETURN (50% into the manuscript)
This turning point is all about choices. It’s about making a choice that means there is absolutely no going back. It might be a decision that burns bridges or that takes away a safety net (real or perceived) that the character has had up until that point. If the going ever got too rough, our heroine knew she could throw in the towel or turn back. But not anymore. Once she passes this turning point, it’s Vegas or bust.
Turning Point #4 – Major Setback (75% into the manuscript)
So the heroine is working her butt off and doing everything she can to overcome the obstacles thrown in her path. And just as she thinks she’s got success in sight… whammo. Something happens that throws everything she’s worked so hard for into complete turmoil. Often, the character (and occasionally the reader) may think there’s no way our heroine can possibly succeed now.
Turning Point #5 – Climax (90% into the manuscript)
But our heroine is no sissy missy. She’s made of stronger stuff than that. So she makes one last run for her dream, no matter what the odds. And it all ends with this turning point where she either does or doesn’t accomplish the final goal. It all comes down to this.
So there you go, a really rough (okay, extremely rough) breakdown of Hauge’s five turning points. For me, knowing what these five points are in the story overall helps me to break down what happens in between them more logically. Logic is king in my plotting world.
For me, however, this is only the beginning. I need to know exactly how to get from each turning point to the next before I sit down to write or I end up filling pages with scene after scene of entertaining (at least to me) fluff. The plotting process often takes me months of preparation. But the good news is that once I know what each scene’s purpose is, my first draft only takes a matter of weeks to write.
When I scrapped two years’ worth of work on The Cinderella Society and blew the story wide open with a new bigger society premise, it literally took months for me to piece it all together. But the first draft only took me 25 days to write. That’s the great thing about the method for me. When I sit down to write, I know the story inside and out. But the way those scenes happen–the dialogue, the humor, the character quirks–unfold very organically on the page. They often surprise me. So it’s the best of both worlds for me.
But that’s just what works for me. And it took a lo-o-ong time to figure out that’s how I work best. The great thing is that once you know what works for you, it is a tremendous confidence booster. It also relieves an enormous amount of “What in the heck am I doing???” stress.
That’s always a plus.
And thus ends our plotting/pantsing mini-series. We’ve covered a lot of different techniques and you’ve had the chance to play with many of them. Which is good because next we’re getting ready to put our money where our mouths are. That’s right, next week we begin the meat of the Teen Author Challenge: completing our first draft.
But first, today’s challenge!
Your Weekly Challenge
Grab your Teen Author Challenge notebook and write down the names of the five turning points above. Take fifteen minutes and jot down notes about the scene that defines each turning point in your own story. See if you can map out the major turning points to give your story a bit more structure than you started out with.
For this week’s participation, post a note below about how this process felt to you. Sharing something cool that you discovered about your story along the way gets you an extra entry into the Teen Author Challenge monthly giveaway!
The Teen Author Challenge Contest
Throughout the year-long Teen Author Challenge (TAC ends June 2010!), I’ll be giving away a book of the winner’s choice from my personal writing shelf. Why am I doing this? Because becoming a skilled writer has two important parts: learning about your craft and practicing your craft. That’s why active participation in each weekly challenge is so important!
So what can you win? Books to choose from include:
1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
2. Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook
3. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
4. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
5. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
6. Mastering Point of View by Sherri Szeman
7. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
8. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
9. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Everyone who participates via the comments on the Teen Author Challenge posts will be entered into this monthly contest.
Go forth and be creative!
September 1st, 2009
Welcome to Week 8 of the Teen Author Challenge!
This week, we’re going to shift our focus from plotting to pantsing. But first, some inspiration from the incomparable Lisa Schroeder.
Exclusive TAC Quote of the Week
“Keep writing. Spend time working on craft, learning about the elements that make a great book, and apply what you learn to new projects. So many people think it’s all about selling a book, and they get caught up in the little things about the submission process. Submit and let it go. Then start writing a new book. Try to forget about the other one and put your energy into writing a great book. Your first book may be okay. Okay isn’t good enough. Your second book may be good. Good isn’t good enough. Your third, fourth and fifth books may be really good. Still, it’s not good enough. It has to be great. Fantastic. The most amazing thing you’ve ever read. With each book, you’ll get better. So write, write, and write some more.”
~ Lisa Schroeder
FAR FROM YOU
(Simon Pulse, 12/08)
Teen Author Challenge, Week 8
For the last three weeks, we’ve talked about different ways of plotting in advance. And each week, I’ve mentioned that not everyone is a born plotter. For some people, plotting everything out in advance either a) takes all the fun out of the story, b) is generally insanity-producing, or c) both.
My fellow Tenner and agent mate, Rachel Hawkins, has graciously agreed to give us the ten-cent tour of her brain as it operates during the pantsing process of writing a book. It is both hilarious (as Rach always is) and an interesting look at how fabulous books get written all the time with nary an outline or plotting chart in sight. Thanks for sharing, Rach!
By the way, Rachel spells pantsing as pantzing. Which is likely a regional thing (potato potahto). But no matter how we spell it, pantsing = pantzing = writing by the seat of your pants.
Stop the (Plotting) Insanity!
First off, thanks so much to Kay for letting me talk about my mad “pantzing” skillz today! I had no idea there was such interest in this fascinating process! Okay, so the main factors for successful pantzing are A) the element of surprise, and B) a good grip on the pants before you yank them down. Many a pantzing has gone awry due to…. Oh, wait. I think maybe Kay wanted me to talk about the OTHER, more writerly-pantzing. You know, the one where you are a crazy person who writes a book without outlining stuff first.
I am that type of crazy person. Maybe it’s a rebellion against my English teacher past, where I had to teach (and grade. *shudder*) formal outlines, but I’ve always been a pantzer. Because my “process” is so loose- and still very much a work in progress!- it’s a little tough to talk about, but here goes!
For me, a project always starts with two things: a main character and a situation. Sometimes the character comes first, sometimes the situation. Sometimes they occur to me at the same time, which causes me to do the Dance of Writerly Joy (I’d post a video of me dancing it, but it’s pretty scandalous, and this is a G-rated blog. ) Once I have those things in mind, I just start writing. One of my favorite things about writing a book this way is the way characters and plotlines spring up to surprise me. I think it makes the plot twists and relationships a little more organic.
Once the book is underway, I work on it all the time. That doesn’t mean I’m writing ten hours a day, but it does mean I’m always thinking about the book and keeping myself open to any new ideas that might further the plot (and I apologize for how New Age-y that sounds. I should just get some incense and a muu-muu.)
There are some drawbacks to this kind of writing. For one thing, doing things all “loosey-goosey” as my Grammy would say, means that I wind up at a lot of dead ends. Whole chapters, subplots, and characters have to be sacrificed once the book really starts taking shape- usually around 30K words in. And the book inevitably stalls out for a time when I write myself into a corner that I then have to extricate myself from. This makes me do The Dance of Writerly Sorrow, which involves emo music, the rending of garments, and a poster of Robert Pattinson. It’s not pretty.
But despite all of that, I wouldn’t write any other way. For me, pantzing allows me to discover things right alongside my characters. It lets me play in that world longer, and know it inside and out. It’s messy and difficult sometimes, but so worth it.
Plus, let’s face it, “pantzing “ is a way funnier word than “plotting.”
~ Rachel Hawkins
HEX HALL
(Hyperion, March 2, 2010)
So there’s an example of a tried and true pantser. There are many successful pantsing authors out there, so if this method works for you, go with it!
Now what if you love the idea of pantsing but feel like you can’t get started without having something down on paper? Good news… even if you have pantsing tendencies, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have any structure in your writing. As I’ve mentioned many times before, it’s totally cool to come up with your own custom plotting method that suits the way your mind works. Fellow Egmont USA author Lindsay Eland takes just that kind of approach.
Lindsay honors her pantsing tendencies by using a combination of free writing/brainstorming and outlining to create a synopsis that guides her through a story. It allows her to let some of the story unfold naturally on the page but helps keep her on track as she writes. For her, it’s the best of both worlds. Thanks for sharing your process, Linds!
Brainstorming Your Way to Synopsis Land
When I first started writing middle grade novels, I was definitely a “pantser.” I opened up a blank document from Word and let my fingers fly across the keyboard (thanks to my ninth grade typing teacher… I’m pretty fast).
Unfortunately, I found that I would write strong and furiously for twenty to fifty pages and then stop suddenly only to realize that I had no idea where I was going and what I was doing and who the characters were.
There are sadly many of these examples laying in the cemetery of my computer Word documents that I have solemnly laid to rest. So what is a writer to do? Especially a writer who doesn’t like outlines or strict rules and spent more time in English reading the next chapter in A Tale of Two Cities than learning how to write from a web.
It was when I looked back at my senior year in high school when my English teacher, a small Jewish Buddhist, taught me to free write. Writing without stopping all the thoughts you have rushing around wildly in your brain.
So I began taking my ideas and brainstorming them in my notebooks. Pages and pages of free writing that helped me work through characters, plots, holes, dialogue, and themes.
But of course, when I was done free writing I found that I had three pages of jumbled thoughts that held the basis of my story somewhere in between the lines. That’s when I decided I needed to bring it all together cohesively into the wonderful synopsis.
And maybe I’m weird, but I love writing synopses! I really do!
So now, my small short ideas that come to me when I’m walking through the fruit aisle at the grocery store, or the dialogue I overhear at the park, go into a small notebook I take with me everywhere. Then, when I’m ready to try and take an idea and make it into a real-live, breathing story, I get out my bigger notebook and my Helix .5 black pen and free write. Then comes the synopsis that is there to help me when I’ve taken my story to the Land of Oz and need to come back home.
~ Lindsay Eland
SCONES AND SENSIBILITY
(Egmont USA, December 22, 2009)
So there you go. Two variations of the pantsing method to give you more to ponder. I’m going to wrap up our plotting vs. pantsing discussion next week with a quick rundown of what my own method is since many of you have emailed asking about that. I’ll also share a bit about how I finally figured out what my process was and how it literally changed my career when I did.
Your Weekly Challenge
Grab your Teen Author Challenge notebook and jot down your reaction to today’s pantsing descriptions. How do they make you feel as a writer? How do you think your story would fare by following either approach? Again, it’s all about trying things on for size until you find that perfect fit.
The Teen Author Challenge Contest
Throughout the year-long Teen Author Challenge (TAC ends June 2010!), I’ll be giving away a book of the winner’s choice from my personal writing shelf. Why am I doing this? Because becoming a skilled writer has two important parts: learning about your craft and practicing your craft. That’s why active participation in each weekly challenge is so important!
So what can you win? Books to choose from include:
1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
2. Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook
3. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
4. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
5. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
6. Mastering Point of View by Sherri Szeman
7. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
8. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
9. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Everyone who participates via the comments on the Teen Author Challenge posts will be entered into this monthly contest.
Go forth and be creative!
August 25th, 2009
Welcome to Week 7 of the Teen Author Challenge! It’s a dual blogging Tuesday today with the Teen Author Challenge here and sharing my Five during launch week of Living Your Five. Be sure to check out my inaugural Five post and comment for your chance to win a signed ARC of The Cinderella Society!
Before we get into today’s challenge post… we have a winner to announce! The winner of a signed copy of Miss Match (generously donated by Wendy Toliver herself!) is…
Liviania!
(aka In Bed with Books)
Congratulations, Liviana! Please contact me here with your mailing address to receive your prize. (And be sure to check out Wendy’s lie!)
This week, we’re going to continue our mini-series on different plotting strategies to help you grab the reins of your own writing process. To kick things off, a bit of inspiration from the fabulous Rachel Caine.
Exclusive TAC Quote of the Week
“There are only two tricks to writing, as related to me from the hallowed lips of Joe Bob Briggs: (1) put your butt in the chair, and (2) write. All the other things are nice-to-haves; they help you get better, they help you sell, they help you sell more, etc.
But there is absolutely no substitute for making the incredibly difficult commitment of sitting down and doing the work, and then doing it again, and again.
Thanks, Joe Bob.”
~ Rachel Caine
Carpe Corpus (Penguin, 6/09)
Book 6 of the New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires series
Teen Author Challenge, Week 7
So we’re wrapping up our discussion about different plotting techniques today with the goal of showing you just a few of the many ways you can map out a story in advance. As I’ve mentioned many times before, your mileage may vary and you should always opt for the vehicle of your choice based on what resonates with you… not just because fab author #146 said this is what she happens to use.
And for those of you who run trembling to your secret hideout in fear of anything that starts with plot and ends with -ing, never fear! I have a hilarious introduction to the world of pantsing lined up for you next week from my Tenner buddy Rachel Hawkins plus a pantsing/plotting combo technique from my fellow Egmont buddy Lindsay Eland.
This week, I’m going to bring you two different plotting methods from two fabulous Tenner. Variety is the spice of life, I say! First up is fellow Tenner Guadalupe Garcia McCall with her version of Freytag’s Plot Pyramid. I’m something of a plotting method sponge, but this was the first I’d heard of this one. If you’re not familiar with Freytag’s Plot Pyramid, you can see one here. But… I also found the coolest link to an online template thing where you can type in the different pieces and print out a customized pyramid for your story. Technology score! Here’s the link:
www.readwritethink.org/materials/plot-diagram/
(Side note: Also, if you are like me and do not know what denouement means because you took German/Spanish/Russian instead of French in high school, it means the ending/resolution.)
Thanks to Guadelupe for sharing your writing process with us!
My Writing Process – Freytag’s Plot Pyramid
It’s exciting to get that first glimmer of an idea, that glimpse into someone else’s life. And because the excitement is so overwhelming, I usually run with it. I sit at my desk, open a new journal, and start writing, madly sometimes, until I’m exhausted and I can’t remember the last time I made sense to anyone else but myself. On those nights, my husband says I’m not obsessed with my writing, I’m possessed. It’s addictive this writing thing.
Unfortunately, I can’t ride the wave of obsession every night and hope to finish my novel without knowing where I’m going with a story or how I’m going to get there. So, after the initial passion wears off, and I’m stuck without a clue as to what comes next, I get serious. I pull out the one tool that has always made sense to me, Freytag‘s Chart.
On the dining room table, I draw Freytag’s Plot Pyramid on a big piece of butcher paper and label its parts: exposition, rising action, complication, climax, falling action, and denouement.
EXPOSITION
It’s all very simple, really. For me, using Freytag’s chart to plot a story is like riding a roller coaster. I start off slow. Getting to know the people around me, anticipating that first drop, and looking at the scenery as we chug along up that first incline is like writing about the characters, the setting, and the conflict in the exposition. It sets me up for a brand new and hopefully exciting ride.
RISING ACTION/COMPLICATION
That first drop, and every twist and turn after that make my characters hold their breath, burst out laughing, shriek, and sometimes even close their eyes. Those great, scary, wildly exciting moments are part of the rising action, the complications that make the ride so very worth the price of admission.
Plotting every single one of those moments for my characters is important, because these plot points have to build on each other. Every twist and turn in my story is a direct result of the last one, intricately connected, like the metal bars holding that coaster together. So this is when I get serious and pull out the Post It Notes. I document every dip and swerve on a different Post It Note and move them up and down, along the incline, until I know exactly where they fit, building off each other and supporting the storyline as they go along. This buildup is essential to the storyline. Without these complications, I would have no plot.
CLIMAX
Just when I think my characters can’t take any more of this excitement, I find myself leading them to the very top of the coaster. That’s when they know there’s no going back. At this point, I don’t know how my characters are going to react. They may laugh, they may scream, they may even cry, but, whatever happens, I know the end is near. So I do what every writer does, I push them over the edge and watch them fall off the mountain.
FALLING ACTION/DENOUEMENT
Characters are funny creatures. They don’t always do what you expect them to do, but, somehow, they always manage to find the courage to survive. They look deep within themselves and make whatever changes need to be made to live through the ordeals, the rollercoaster, I’ve put them through. They step out of their coaster car seats transformed, and they live happier lives for it.
So that’s it. That’s my technique for plotting. I scribble my thoughts on Post It Notes and move them around a humongous sketch of Freytag’s Chart until they sing me a song. Only then, when I’m listening to that lovely melody perfectly in tune with the voice in my heart, can I start writing again.
Of course, I may change my mind about a point or two, or three or four, but it doesn’t matter. The Post It Notes can be moved around, rewritten, revised, even thrown out, but Freytag’s Chart is always underneath them, keeping them all aligned.
~ Guadalupe Garcia McCall
A Mesquite in the Rose Garden
(Lee & Low, Fall 2010)
Your Weekly Challenge
It’s a quick, timed challenge this week! You’re going to take five minutes RIGHT NOW. No cheating and putting it off until the timing is perfect. If you wait until you have time, you’ll never get a story written. You have to make time. That means doing the challenge right now.
1) Grab a sheet of paper and draw a Freytag Plot Pyramid that’s as large as the sheet. (Go here to see the pyramid graphic again.)
2) Take five minutes right now–and not one second longer!–and use a pencil to write down every plot point you can think of in the story, putting it wherever you think it might possibly go on the pyramid. If you don’t know where it would go, put it anywhere for now. The key is quantity–the more points you get down, the better. Post Its are okay to use, but writing on the page itself is perfectly fine too. (That’s why you’re using pencil.)
3) When your five minutes are up, step back and take a look at how the story lays out on the paper. Grab your Teen Author Challenge notebook and jot down everything you discovered about your story during this five-minute plotting bonanza. This includes better understanding how it all fits together, any new ideas that came to mind, etc.
4) Now jot down your notes about how this process felt to you. Was it a natural fit? Is it something you’d like to revisit and spend some more time on? If so, take more time with it this week and rock on with your fab self!
For this week’s participation, comment on whether this process worked for you or not. Sharing something cool that you discovered about your character or the story along the way gets you an extra entry into the Teen Author Challenge monthly giveaway!
The Teen Author Challenge Contest
Throughout the year-long Teen Author Challenge (TAC ends June 2010!), I’ll be giving away a book of the winner’s choice from my personal writing shelf. Why am I doing this? Because becoming a skilled writer has two important parts: learning about your craft and practicing your craft. That’s why active participation in each weekly challenge is so important!
So what can you win? Books to choose from include:
1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
2. Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook
3. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
4. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
5. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
6. Mastering Point of View by Sherri Szeman
7. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
8. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
9. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Everyone who participates via the comments on the Teen Author Challenge posts will be entered into this monthly contest.
Go forth and be creative!
August 18th, 2009
Welcome to Week 6 of the Teen Author Challenge!
A quick note… I’m doing an impromptu Google Friend Connect giveaway. Since we’re nearing 100 after only a month, I thought it would be fun to celebrate the 100 milestone by giving away an ARC of The Cinderella Society as soon as we pass it. So if you haven’t Google Friended yet, be sure to do it now. The ARC will go to one of the friends listed when we reach 100. Someone’s gotta win, why not you?
And now, down to business.
This week, we’re going to continue our discussion of different plotting strategies that can help you get a handle on your creative process. But first, a bit of inspiration from the wonderful Alyson Noel.
Exclusive TAC Quote of the Week
“Getting published is hard—and staying published is hard too. And once you’ve gotten past the gate keepers there’s a whole new legion of people just waiting to reject you—foreign publishers, reviewers, Hollywood, it never ends. You’ll spend loads of time in front of your computer, declining invitations from family and friends so you can hang out with your characters a little longer, get that chapter just right, or meet a deadline. You’ll have great moments and not so great moments, triumphs and defeats (sometimes within the same day!). But if you’re driven to do it—and let’s face it, writers write, it’s what we do—then you’ll keep plugging away, reminding yourself that it only takes one ‘yes’ to get you where you want to be.”
~ Alyson Noël
Blue Moon (St. Martin’s Press, 7/09)
#1 New York Times bestseller
Teen Author Challenge, Week 6
Before we dive back into plotting, I want to reiterate the one essential truth that I mentioned last week:
There is no right or wrong way to write a book.
We’re talking about plotting techniques (and will get to the world of pantsing as well) simply to introduce you to the many different ways of getting ready to write. Last week, Sara Hantz talked about the well-known snowflake method. I also mentioned several other well-known plotting methods taught by some of the top writing/screenwriting coaches in the industry.
But you don’t have to use a famous plotting technique to be effective. Sometimes you get a tip from another writer or come up with something completely on your own. And sometimes it’s a combination of the two. This week, I’m delighted to bring you a great custom plotting technique from fellow Tenner C.J. Omololu. C.J. actually wrote an article about her plotting technique in the Summer 2009 issue of Once Upon a Time magazine. She graciously agreed to summarize her process for you here as well. (Thanks, C.J.!)
How to Write a Book – Nine Steps for Plotting Fiction
Okay, maybe this should be called “How I Write a Book”. I love books on writing – my two favorites are On Writing by Stephen King and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. I’m always fascinated by the process that each writer goes through when they write and by seeing how other people work, I have pulled together a process that has worked pretty well for me over the past few years.
Among writers of middle grade and young adult novels, the age-old question is do you outline or let it fly? I used to be a die-hard let-it-flyer, rejecting the notion of plotting out a book because it killed the creative spirit. In my mind, outliners didn’t give their muse room to roam, to let the story unfold in front of them and missed the thrilling experience of letting the characters drive your story, often to places that you’d never thought about before. And then, I got an agent.
One of the brilliant things about my agent is that while she is very nice, she is also direct. After we signed together, one of her first comments about a current work in progress was “you’ve got a nice situation here—where’s the plot”? In my love for my characters and their issues, I’d forgotten to actually have enough motivation, desire and action to move the story forward. Not only did this waste time and cause a lot of rewriting, but it often results in the “muddle middles” where you know how the story is going to end, but you have no idea how you are going to get there.
I spend a lot of time on the message boards at www.verlakay.com. One of the threads on the message boards one day was about plotting, and someone had posted an idea about plotting fiction in nine easy steps. I tried it, and it worked really well for me because it is a nice balance between a full outline and letting the creativity flow. Without further ado, and with a heavy nod to the brilliant writers on www.verlakay.com, I present to you my version of the Nine Steps for Plotting Fiction.
First, get a piece of paper. I like something large, like 11×14 so you have a little room to write. Fold it in thirds lengthwise and in thirds widthwise. Open it up and you will have nine equal squares. These squares may or may not represent chapters, depending on the length of your story. They can just as easily represent sections of the book as the arc of your story builds. You will number the squares 1-9, and put the following in each numbered square:
Square #1. Trigger
This is the reason that you are writing the book in the first place. What sets the story in motion and why should the reader spend time with your work? Think long and hard about what the trigger really is, with not a lot of backstory or lead-in. Your triggering event should happen very early in the book – the first sentence isn’t too soon.
Square #2. Characterization
Some writers argue that character is more important that plot. This may or may not be true, but you need to have strong characters in order for your reader to want to keep reading your book. You have to make them care. This box is where you explore the character of your protagonist. Why is this character in the story and how does the triggering event affect him or her? Again, don’t rely on a lot of backstory here—simply the reaction to the trigger can tell a lot about the character.
Square #3. First Turning Point
Because of the trigger and the strong characterization of the protagonist, the reader is engaged in the story. Now you throw in a twist. This can be positive or negative, but should lay the groundwork for the negative turning point you are going to put in square number six. You will notice on your paper, square three is touching square six. This is because what happens in this square affects what comes in the later square.
Square #4. Exposition
You can slow it down a little here and give the reader a breather. Now is the time to fill them in on anything else that is important. Notice that this box is underneath square one—you can now give the reader some information on the triggering event. It also touches box seven, so you should also give hints about how the antagonist will win (temporarily). This may include a character flaw, a relationship with another character or some history that will contribute to the story in the future.
Square #5. Connections
You will see that this box is the very center of the story and it must connect all the squares that touch it (that’s all of them). This box should build upon the things you introduced in boxes two and four and can also give the impression of a false resolution to the problem before you move on to the craziness that is box six. Make sure you have included some foreshadowing of the revelation that will come in box eight. This is the most difficult box to write, but it is also the most important.
Square #6. Negative Turning Point
This is where all heck breaks loose. Bad stuff happens and it looks like all is lost. Of course, box nine will turn that all around, but the reader won’t know that at this point.
Square #7. Antagonist Wins
Building on box six, it looks like the bad guy is going to triumph here. Make sure you use the characterization in box two and the story from box four as you write how your main character deals with this defeat.
Square #8. Revelation
The big “a ha!” moment. The revelation for the main character will turn everything around. The main character will connect the pieces of the story, overcome the obstacles you have laid out in boxes six and seven and use the information in box five in their understanding.
Square #9. Protagonist Wins
Box six is turned on its head and the character uses the revelation in box eight in order to triumph over their obstacles. Congratulations – you now have well rounded characters in a plot that moves the reader along to a satisfying conclusion!
Like all good “how-tos”, your mileage may vary when using this plotting tool. For me, it is a great way to lay out the plot points while still giving your characters freedom to evolve and develop. I find that just having a few sentences that lay out what comes ahead causes much less pain when it comes to writing the middle part of the book.
~ C.J. Omololu
Dirty Little Secrets
(Walker, February 2010)
Your Weekly Challenge
Grab a piece of paper, fold it into nine squares, and give this method a quick try. Since you don’t know if this method will work for you, don’t spend more than five minutes on any block at first. That means in just 45 minutes you’ll have walked through C.J.’s entire process at least on a first pass.
If this method resonates with you, go back through and spend as much time on the squares as you want and consider it a major win that you’ve found something that might work for you! If this method doesn’t resonate with you (remember, every writer works differently!), take the best parts of what you came up with and jot them down in your Teen Author Challenge notebook. It’s a win because you came up with ideas you can use for your own personal plotting or pantsing method plus you’ll have discovered more about what does and doesn’t work for you from a plotting perspective.
For this week’s participation, comment on whether this process worked for you or not. Sharing something cool that you discovered about your character or the story along the way gets you an extra entry into the Teen Author Challenge monthly giveaway!
The Teen Author Challenge Contest
Throughout the year-long Teen Author Challenge (TAC ends June 2010!), I’ll be giving away a book of the winner’s choice from my personal writing shelf. Why am I doing this? Because becoming a skilled writer has two important parts: learning about your craft and practicing your craft. That’s why active participation in each weekly challenge is so important!
So what can you win? Books to choose from include:
1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
2. Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook
3. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall
4. The Career Novelist by Donald Maass
5. Writing Dialogue by Tom Chiarella
6. Mastering Point of View by Sherri Szeman
7. Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
8. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass
9. Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon
Everyone who participates via the comments on the Teen Author Challenge posts will be entered into this monthly contest.
Go forth and be creative!
Next Posts
Previous Posts
|
Project FMGM proposal
COMPLETE!
|
