I’m sure everyone has noticed how little I’ve been posting here recently, although in my defense I’ve posted 12-13 new blogs on The Written Connection. I’ll confess to you, it’s because I’m doing something very new and hard on my novel, and even though I haven’t written a single word on the novel itself, I’ve made a lot of progress.
Remember how I said I was trying noveling in reverse? It helped a little bit, but the same issue that has been cropping up over and over again happened even trying to write that way. The last chapter I mentioned writing is still usable, but every time I fill in a plot hole, regardless of which end of the novel I’m working on, it changes something else that I just wrote and I lose yet more words.
I’m tired of chasing my own tail this way. I’ve probably written and deleted 500,000 words just trying to get this paltry 60,000 exactly the way I want it. Enough is enough.
So I’ve been working on something new since my last blog post. Newer than noveling in reverse…I’m outlining. I write down each chapter, what happens, what’s going on in each plot thread, and how to resolve the plot hole in that particular section. So far I’ve gotten 3 chapters done, and yes, I’ve had to go back and make some changes to several chapters to make those changes work.
The difference? It’s a one line sentence of what I’m eventually going to change rather than a full chapter with thousands of words I need to completely rewrite.
I’m also dashing out to the store to get myself a piece of posterboard to graph this bad boy on. If it works, I’ll show it to you. ^^
Happy writing everyone! I’m diving back in for another go.
A.M. Kuska's Blog 
Jan 31, 2011 @ 18:57:55
You pursue writing with a strategy. I like that, and I believe it will bring you success as you hone your skill and discover what works best for you. Blessings to you…
Jan 31, 2011 @ 19:12:18
The problem is that I haven’t found the strategy that works best for me yet. I get the feeling that finishing this novel is going to be the best achievement I’ve ever managed just because by finishing it I’ll have figured out how I function best.
Thank you for the blessings. They are always appreciated!
Jan 31, 2011 @ 19:10:52
Posterboard is good. I like the big, blank desk blotters with lots of big, blank pages. I can cluster, draw arrows, scribble and doodle to my heart’s content. And I don’t even have a desk! Wrapping paper from the post office is also good, as is butcher paper, or those rolls of paper you can get at toy stores or educational stores. Or you could get totally traditional and use index cards. 😉
Holly writes down her questions and her what ifs in a little notebook before she goes to outline, and that’s pretty cool. Steno tablets do it for me. Have fun, and make your own heart sing! And remember that an outline is not a penal code–it’s more like a guideline, har. :)TX
Jan 31, 2011 @ 19:13:21
Do you by chance have a photo of your blotter/butcher paper/whatever after you’ve delved into the writing world for awhile? It’s okay if it doesn’t make sense. I’d just like to see what others are doing in the writing community.
Feb 05, 2011 @ 00:37:54
No–I don’t have a photo of my desk blotter, but here’s a link to a bit that resembles my desk blotter work.
http://texannesideways.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/beginning-the-web/
Here’s my Scrivener screen shot of the first 12 cards.
http://texannesideways.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/first-twelve-scene-cards/
There are so many ways to do this–one or more of the systems you run across or devise for yourself will work perfectly for you. Cheers! :)TX
Feb 01, 2011 @ 00:13:43
My husband is using something called The Ten Scene Tool from The Writer’s Little Helper. It’s really been helping him with his fantasy novel. Unfortunately it’s not been that helpful to me. (My novel has four protagonists, so figuring out how to build the action so that the climax for each character occurs realistically but not simultaneously is difficult.)
Feb 01, 2011 @ 00:55:38
I looked up that book as soon as I read your comment. 🙂 It looks like a wonderful book! Next time I drop by Borders I will see if I can pick it up.
Feb 01, 2011 @ 01:19:39
I’m a total believer in outling before I start each new novel. Like you, it drives me NUTS if I have to go back and keep changing, rearranging, and doing a lot of extra BS to the manuscript in progress. I start with a basic outline of the whole story, then keep filling it in and changing it around as I go, and it helps me to remember to put in those scenes that pop into my mind early on, when I get to that part of the novel, instead of having a cussing fit later on and having to rip up a chapter to add it.
Good luck with the novel!
Feb 01, 2011 @ 15:21:41
Unfortunately a lot of my plot creation is me banging characters together, hoping to see something happen. >.< I need a lot of my original process to get the story started, but at the same time I also need a way of doing a final tighten up without changing each chapter 10 times.
Thank you for wishing me luck. 🙂
Feb 01, 2011 @ 22:07:36
Post it notes! A different colour for each character….don’t know why this works but it really does!
Feb 02, 2011 @ 01:20:55
Where do you stick them though? On your monitor?
Feb 02, 2011 @ 09:09:36
I get large sheets of card, and then place the post its in the order of ‘scenes’ – it was something I discovered whilst scriptwriting. You can then just move around the scenes as the story develops.
Feb 02, 2011 @ 15:46:08
….
*light bulb flash*
I just bought a whole bunch of posterboard in the hopes of making some sort of graph to track my progress. You are so completely brilliant! I will definitely try your sticky note idea!! ^^
Feb 02, 2011 @ 16:39:11
Good luck, I really hope it works now!
Feb 02, 2011 @ 03:55:51
Someday I may try working from an outline. Of course it will depend upon the story. Some people do all their writing from outlines and a part of me suspects that they are able to accomplish a great deal this way. Time will tell.
I hope this works for you!
Feb 02, 2011 @ 15:45:03
At this point I’ll try anything. I’ve never outlined before. >.< Outlining an old novel seems rediculous, but it has already saved me from 2 major rewrites. I'm only to chapter 6 in the outlining too…
Feb 02, 2011 @ 16:48:25
I can barely understand how hard it is to fabricate the right words, how can I dare..?
I really hope that your several methods work. Bless you!
Feb 02, 2011 @ 18:29:50
Oh Jguno, I think you understand better than anyone else. Trying to come up with the perfect story is very similar to learning another language. The basics are easier, it’s the details that end up being hard!
I appreciate your kind words. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. 🙂
Post it notes – key to planning your novel « Reading, writing and the bits inbetween
Feb 02, 2011 @ 19:56:44
Feb 03, 2011 @ 12:55:11
I think it’s great to have a rough written-outline first and I hope it works for you; plus, it saves mass editing because you’re not actually ‘writing’ – you’re plotting. Once you have the formula that works for you, I think you’ll be able to write many books with your determination xx
Feb 04, 2011 @ 16:47:36
That was my motivation for trying outlining in the first place. It’s depressing to lose so many words to a change in the plot only one chapter after I finish the last bit!
Outlining Part II – Thanks for your help! | A.M. Kuska's Blog
Feb 05, 2011 @ 00:22:58
Feb 09, 2011 @ 22:00:47
Great post, and I love your approach. A tutor once said to me, ‘Writing is re-writing.’ It didn’t mean much until I started on the first novel. By re-write seventeen, I got the message 🙂
It’s all a process and you have to find what works for you.
Kudos! I’m subscribing!
Feb 09, 2011 @ 23:30:52
Seventeen? Kudos to you for continuing on!