Developing a Plotline

 

Since publishing my first novel, Flight of the Crow http://amzn.to/XGyoU2 the comments I’ve gotten the most frequently at book readings or just in conversation are: “I’ve always wanted to write a book” or, “I’m going to write a novel someday.” When I ask if they’ve started, the responses are likely to be “too busy” or “I haven’t decided what to write about.” If someone is occupied most of their day (a full time job for example), they need to prioritize their time. 10 minute interludes where they can write an idea on a pad of paper, or a regular trip to the library for research, etc.

I’m currently in the editing phase of my second novel, Eye of the Crow. One thing that stayed consistent between the two novels is that the finished product bears little resemblance to the original outline. For me, I have to get something down on paper, then edit and re-edit until it is readable. The story is constantly changing.

Ernest Hemingway once said that the most difficult part of writing is staring at a blank piece of paper. Don’t let that detour you! Write or type an idea and the paper will no longer be bare.

What should I write?

Start with a subject you’re interested in and have some experience with. Sounds obvious, but there’s a lot of research that will need to be done and it has to keep your attention.

My love is mysteries and private detective novels, so that’s what I concentrate on. Flight of the Crow is about a private detective; Tony Crow who needs a cane to walk because of an injury he suffered as a police officer. I also use a cane and I can use my own experience with the difficulties in doing that.

Where does the idea for the story come from?

This is a tough question and in my opinion you need to be observant and use your imagination. A story might originate from an article you read in the newspaper or a narrative you saw on the Internet, or perhaps that interesting person you observed at the coffee shop. Use your creativity, that’s the important thing.

Let’s use a coffee shop to illustrate my point.

A man just walked in and sat at the table next to you. What does he look like?

Is he waiting for someone?

What kind of coffee did he order?

What was he wearing? Sunglasses–even though the inside of the coffee shop is not well lit?

If this was my story and it was going to be a mystery, I’d begin by describing the character drinking the cup of coffee. He’s sitting in a corner of the dark coffee shop, but didn’t remove his sunglasses. Why? Is he afraid of being recognized? The more you look at him, the more familiar he appears to be. Is that the same man you saw on the news last night, wanted for a serious crime? Maybe he’s an international spy and wanted for espionage? Should you call the police?

Maybe your favorite genre is not mysteries, but perhaps romance. Let’s change this scenario to a woman who walks into a coffee shop. She’s also wearing sunglasses, but when she sits at a table, she takes them off and you can see her eyes are red. Has she been crying? She looks down at her coffee, but doesn’t drink. Is she seeing the reflection of her forbidden love in the dark liquid?

I know this is oversimplification, but the point I’m trying to make is to write on that blank piece of paper that Ernst Hemingway talked about, no matter how rough, then change what you don’t like and add to the parts that you do. Let it evolve, it most likely won’t come out the way you wrote it the first time. It’s similar to building a house. Get the frame constructed and worry about the color of the paint and carpet until your happy with the frame, or in a writer’s point of view, the first draft.

First drafts are never pretty and changes are almost always necessary–in my experience, a lot of changes–but before long you’ll begin to see a story emerge. You might decide to continue or delete the entire thing and try something else. Don’t be afraid to fail. If you’re afraid of failing, then chances are you’ll never get started. I’m not talking about failing once; plan on crashing numerous times.

That might not work for everyone, but for me it’s how I get started.

If you have any tips or comments about developing a plotline, please leave them in the comment section below.