There's much talk in the writing blogosphere about how much planning to do when getting started on your novel. This topic always makes me think about my children.
CHILD #1 Baby was due late August/early Sept. Husband was flying the C-5 back then. He was planning one last trip leaving July 23, and it was only four days long. The C-5 breaks down everywhere (meaning all over the freaking world and YOU try to find a spare C-5 engine in the middle of Africa, Japan, etc.) But even with possible engine failures, we thought a four day trip would probably only amount to a two-week trip...plenty of time before Baby is due. Anyway, we go to bed on the 21st and I wake up in the middle of the night to a huge wet spot on my side of the bed. Later that day, after much pain (because I'm one of those crazies who doesn't take pain meds), Baby is born. So much for our planning.
CHILD #2 Baby isn't due for weeks, but we are not to be fooled. We put together a "Birth Plan" noting Baby will probably arrive early. The Plan also includes a loooong list of other important things, like which soothing music to play during labor. But, hah! With almost zero pain, Baby is delivered quite out of the blue by a firefighter on my bedroom floor.
CHILD #3 We didn't even know I was pregnant for several weeks after conception. I think I said, "I wish I had a mustard sandwich." And then Husband and I looked at each other and went and bought a test. CHILD #3 has continued to surprise us in various ways ever since her birth.
CHILD #4 After the first three were girls, I planned on using all the girl stuff AGAIN. I was very surprised to hear, "It's a boy!" from my husband's mouth.
So....I plan my books a bit, but not too much. I think some good stuff can come out of surprises. How much planning do you do?
12 comments:
I get an idea in my head and I think about it for weeks or months. This is a rough draft, exploring many of the tangents that a broad premise could take.
I start writing by making a rough outline of events to see how the general story will unfold. At this stage I'm coming up with characters, but not naming them or describing them; I'm just reserving place for them in the story line. I will know sex, age, etc. but not hair and eye color and other physical attributes.
I write out a list of scenes, identifying the POV from which it will be shown and a few words describing the main point that will be drawn out.
Then I start writing. Names, physical attributes, and other intimate details come out in the action as I write. This is where my real creativity comes into play, and it is why I like to leave a good portion of my canvas blank, allowing my characters freedom to grow and develop through the storytelling. They say things that surprise me, which means other react in unplanned ways.
The story still unfolds the way I planned, but the subtleties in how it unfolds page by page are determined by my muse as I write.
I have yet to sketch out [insert symobolic tear drop here] in an outline, although symbolic tear drops have fallen on a few of my pages.
I admit it. I overplan. Only cuz I like twists and those are very hard to do off the cuff.
I also do a lot of world building.
This is such a fitting way to look at book planning! Sometimes you can plan everything out beginning to end and it still doesn't make the book go any more smoothly. I usually try to make a small outline and character sketch. I like to know the big twists in plot and hopefully the end. But with my WIP, some of that went out the window. Oh, well! It's still flowing and I couldn't ask for anything more :D (P.S. So far every book I've written has gone more as planned than child birth--one emergency C-section and another C-section three weeks early after an irregular heartbeat...but it all worked out.)
I start out with the title, the main characters (at least two), a setting, and a VERY general idea of the story. Then, I open my lap top and let the games and magic begin!
BTW: Mustard sandwich. Too damn funny!!! I ate shrimp alfredo every night for two months when I was pregnant with my first. I also loved the smell of cleaning products. I wanted to drink them. Thankfully, I had some self-control...
I really seem to fluctuate on this one. Sometimes I'm patient and plan a ton and sometimes not so much. I think for me, each WIP works differently.
Too much planning saps my enthusiasm for a story, so I get my main character and a few plot points in my head and then let her rip.
Which is why I have to revise the living piss out of everything I write and why I have about twenty stories started but only two completed.
I outline in my head and that's about it.
Whoa! You had one of your children in your bedroom?!
My third baby was a surprise too. We were planning on only having two children. We call him our bonus baby! I was eating ham roll ups like crazy and that didn't even clue me in that I was pregnant!
RICK: You are so organized! But if I remember right, your ms is a lot longer than mine. I do think if a person knows the story is going to take more than 100,000 words, it better be planned.
BIG PLAIN V: I do need more twists...I guess I was just hoping they'd come to me. Hah! Must plan twists!
CINDY: Oh my! Two emergency C-sections! But it's good practice for parenting, isn't it...you never know what kids are going to throw at you. Also, I love you mountain climbing post!
DEB: Shrimp alfredo?! That is one crazy craving...and cleaning products?! Thank God you had a doctor in the house!
PJ: You know, each ms must be different...I tried to plan my current one more than I have the other two. I stuck with the plan for awhile, but now I'm going off it. What's wrong with me?!
PMM: I think you subconsciously have a plan for everything in your life.
KELLY: What would we do without those little bonus babies?! Yum...ham roll ups!
Anita! I want to read more about your babies. Please write that book (I love your voice).
I'm still trying to figure out what kind of and how much planning is good for me. I've only written three novels, and all of them have been quite experimental, so I'm still learning!
THE FIRST CAROL: You are so nice! Maybe I will write that book. :)
MICHELLE: I think it's good to keep learning and when I read a whole body of an author's work, I'm always pleased to see improvement with experience...there are only a few great ones whose first books seem as good as their lasts to me.
I recently presented a workshop, then wrote an article from my notes, regarding this topic. Frankly, I believe writers are obsessed with plotting toys and tools. I'm one of those who prefers to write into the mist as much as possible. Too much planning steals the magic. I do have to write a narrative synopsis first for contract purposes, but that's it. I am, however, a firm believer in fleshing out characters with various techniques.
~Deb
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