Plotting or Plodding, or Both?

by Paula Gail Benson

About a month ago, I began noodling with an idea for a novel. I started writing in a notebook, with a cover that had the phrase: “Wherever life takes you--trust your journey.” Following that advice, I started generally with entries about what I would like to write. I had a strong idea for a protagonist and gradually figured out the people who surrounded her.

On the fourth entry, I heard my protagonist’s first words: “I am a relic.” And then, her best friend’s response.

I con...