Going With Your Gut
I don't plan out scenes. Not totally, anyway. For big story-altering scenes I have a very good idea of what happens and what it needs to do, so I go into those with my eyes open. But what about the other scenes? The ones that connect this to that?
Many times, I'm not sure where it's going exactly, but I know what needs to happen in the story, so I trust my writing instincts to shepherd it along. This has been the case in the first few scenes of Book V, where I know the tone I want to set, and the overall goals of the early moments, but I don't know exactly what the characters are going to say, or exactly which beats I'm going to introduce.
I follow my gut. And I don't really question that choice anymore. Earlier in my writing journey I would have hesitated a lot more to Leeroy Jenkins my way through a book, but now, especially with the Ashes series, I've learned to trust that the ground is actually there, and I'm not just leaping into empty space. I know these characters and this world so well, I can let the story tell itself in some cases, more so once I have the overall book outlined.
I count on it, really. I don't write complete outlines, and I've stopped trying. I know all the major plot points and where they happen, but leave the bits in between to what I come up with on the day, and it's worked out pretty well so far! One advantage is that it forces you to come up with solutions. When you're in the scene, you have to put the words down, and that means committing to something, even if you change it later. Sometimes you surprise yourself, and "improvise" your way into something that you can use for the entire rest of the book! A subplot, or a key to unlocking an element of the pain plot, and so on.
I can't recommend this technique to beginning writers, when it's really important to learn what you're doing first, and internalize what the purpose of different story elements are, especially when it pertains to structure and character arcs. I've learned to do it this way because it works for me, and it's something I'm only publicly admitting I do now, while I'm writing my seventh(!) novel.
The time before you start a story is always the most intimidating, when all you have is a white screen and a handful of notes to go on. But once you get stuck in and you're putting words down and solving problems, success begets success, and you stop worrying. (Or, I do, at any rate.) You can always fix stuff later! There is a lot to be said for experience, but you won't have any if you don't get any. It sounds like a tautology, and maybe it is, but what I'm trying to say is: you can't learn what works for you if you don't go through the process of finding out.
Everyone writes differently, there is no one way, otherwise we would all do it. Find yours and let the magic flow.
Many times, I'm not sure where it's going exactly, but I know what needs to happen in the story, so I trust my writing instincts to shepherd it along. This has been the case in the first few scenes of Book V, where I know the tone I want to set, and the overall goals of the early moments, but I don't know exactly what the characters are going to say, or exactly which beats I'm going to introduce.
I follow my gut. And I don't really question that choice anymore. Earlier in my writing journey I would have hesitated a lot more to Leeroy Jenkins my way through a book, but now, especially with the Ashes series, I've learned to trust that the ground is actually there, and I'm not just leaping into empty space. I know these characters and this world so well, I can let the story tell itself in some cases, more so once I have the overall book outlined.
I count on it, really. I don't write complete outlines, and I've stopped trying. I know all the major plot points and where they happen, but leave the bits in between to what I come up with on the day, and it's worked out pretty well so far! One advantage is that it forces you to come up with solutions. When you're in the scene, you have to put the words down, and that means committing to something, even if you change it later. Sometimes you surprise yourself, and "improvise" your way into something that you can use for the entire rest of the book! A subplot, or a key to unlocking an element of the pain plot, and so on.
I can't recommend this technique to beginning writers, when it's really important to learn what you're doing first, and internalize what the purpose of different story elements are, especially when it pertains to structure and character arcs. I've learned to do it this way because it works for me, and it's something I'm only publicly admitting I do now, while I'm writing my seventh(!) novel.
The time before you start a story is always the most intimidating, when all you have is a white screen and a handful of notes to go on. But once you get stuck in and you're putting words down and solving problems, success begets success, and you stop worrying. (Or, I do, at any rate.) You can always fix stuff later! There is a lot to be said for experience, but you won't have any if you don't get any. It sounds like a tautology, and maybe it is, but what I'm trying to say is: you can't learn what works for you if you don't go through the process of finding out.
Everyone writes differently, there is no one way, otherwise we would all do it. Find yours and let the magic flow.
No comments have been added yet.
