M. B. Weston’s Writing Diary: 03/04/15

Finding your plot can often feel like a snipe hunt. Generally it lasts until the wee hours of the morning, and you come back empty-handed and grouchy.

After combing through the rough draft of this urban-fantasy novella, I’ve got a killer first have and an intense last quarter. However, I’m still missing 3 chapters… (Basically the last half of my rising action.) I spent a few hours racking my brain on this, trying to figure out what ought to happen, but… 

Last night, I felt like I was stuck out in the middle of a field during a snipe hunt (while all the hunt organizers were laughing at me). (I blame the muse in this one.)

Fortunately, I know the answer to this one. Anytime I have trouble finding the plot, I generally have to get into the story instead of trying to figure it out on my own. This means tonight I ignore my lack of plot in chapters 8-10 and edit chapter 1. My goal: edit one chapter a day, which I think will get me through the second round of edits in 13 days–assuming I find my plot.

After that, I have about 10 days to polish it up, and then I have to send it out to beta readers. (My goal is to have it done by March 31, which gives me 15 days to fix anything the beta readers find.)

Anyway, that’s my solution to this little “where’s my plot” problem. I’m just going to get inside the story and write. Because April 15 isn’t going away, and I haven’t yet found a Tardis.

How about you? Have you ever tried finding a plot only to find out it’s as elusive as a “snipe”? What did you do?

Toodles!