Plotting Their Demise…

Do you hear the evil laughter? That is the echo from ME last night.

You see, I had reached a place in my WiP where I felt a little like I was spinning my wheels… running in place like the Python Arthurians storming the castle and never making any progress whatsoever.

So I did what I do…

Plotting

I got naked and got in the bath…

[oops… wrong bathtub activity]

...then I thought… okay, where do I need this all to be for the NEXT book to start? I proceeded to outline one of the perspectives through about ¾ of book 3… then thought a little more… decided who my second perspective is going to be and plotted a little of HIS story—I may actually include Athena’s perspective again too—she was one of two in the first book, but she is central to how all the characters intersect and she will be central in the final action of the trilogy. Three PoVs probably makes it longer, but I REALLY like her, and I think she will add to the power of the story.

Looking at most of what I want to happen in Book 3 really opened me up to what still needed to happen in book 2. It helped me re-outline the primary action for the rest of the book (I actually worked backword from the end to where I am in the writing in order to plot it) and I think it will flow more easily for longer…



The Evil in Me

It is a wacky thing though… plotting two deaths and the loss of identity of a 3rd character. Why am I enjoying this so much? Is that natural? Are writers a sadistic lot compared to normal people, or does this actually allow us a release that doesn’t harm anyone and so in the long run we’re nicer? Can I run with that line, even if it's not true?

I DO have a hard time not redeeming my bad guys… I learned this writing a fan fiction about the Malfoy Family… I just couldn’t leave anyone completely rotten if I got in their head for any length of time (though on principle I have avoided writing from the perspective of Umbridge or Bellatrix… no redeeming THEM). It may have something to do with my underlying beliefs that in the absence of true psychosis, most people who do bad things, do them because they’ve been damaged by circumstances, whether teachings, experiences, or deep neglect. People aren’t naturally evil—they are MADE that way… which always makes me want to UNMAKE them that way.

So like I tell people…

I’m not evil. I’m just naughty.



And a Status Check-In

On NaNoWriMo I have completed 38K+ words and I’ve made an observation… I am part of the ‘Ann Arbor’ region and my miserable Regioneers (865 of them—doesn’t that seem high for a city of only 200,000?) have amassed and average of 14,841 words… that puts us in 414th place of 484 (and me at 2 1/2 times the average). Now I don’t think anyone at or above that average is doing that badly… this is still a winnable project with 11 days left (granted, that is more than 3000 words a day, but it could be done)… yet I digress… my REAL observation is the Fan Fiction Veterans I have signed up with are ROCKING. Nearly all of us are at or approaching 30,000 or better, and a couple are ahead of me (which honestly, I’m not sure I expected by this point… I am better at the marathon thing than a lot of people I know… a little at a time, keep plugging away—in fact my graph of progress doesn’t have ANY days with no words-- just under 900 was my lowest day—that is not the norm)

So I am recommending for any tentative writers, or writers who write sporadically, to find a community in which to share that will DEMAND regular updates, as the fan fiction world has for this group. I think there are places for other kinds of stories, though I don’t know any to recommend, but I feel like that discipline, learned in that setting, has been VERY good for us as a group.  I'm very proud...

That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

Outlining Orgy

So like everything else in my life, I typically fly by the seat of my pantslessness on outlines... sort of... I outline, but vaguely, and only when it sort of occurs to me what I can't possibly forget to include and how it ought to flow. I start with the set-up, a few characters, and if an ending doesn't occur to me soon, I know I have some thinking to do before committing (the simmering stage). Then I map a few key events and start writing, not REALLY outlining, ever, but mapping a main point per chapter when it finally occurs to me... much easier to write with a path.

So COINCIDENCE is the second in a trilogy, and the first is DONE and the last is partially planned, so I knew where this one had to END, but the middle has been more murky as I dug in... how to get from point A to point C is obviously B, but what font? Do I need serifs? Uppercase? Lowercase? Am I overdoing the metaphor?

I was plugging away regardless, but on my (YAY) power walk this morning, I went back to a thought that had occurred to me when I first added the main twist that stuck... and I dug deeper... and I think I understand now where I have to go! That all sounds a little cryptic, but I feel like it has to, because unlike hints in a first book, hints about a second give TOO MUCH on the first.

Teasers on my thought process...

This trilogy started with a dream that I was writing and felt 'watched' and realized there were kids living in the walls and hidden rooms of my house.

Second block... a song from The Living End about a woman who misunderstands her husband's 'double life'.

Then the letters thing I've blogged about before that stuck Athena into the mix... and a whole lot of spiraling mojo having to do with Romania, Portland, etc.

FIRST BOOK DONE, POOF, VOILA, JUST LIKE THAT.

First NEW block for book 2...

Offspring song about the kid who turns out mysteriously to be a pretty good assassin (though the song isn't clear if it is metaphor)--whatever the case... an unlikely bad guy.

And I was plugging away, but without the serious mojo... But that idea, of an unlikely bad guy... someone who does the wrong things for the right reasons... planted a Star Wars thought... Anekin. So I've been looking at his motivations and my OWN plans have finally begun to solidify for at least this strand of the story. YAY!

I love it when things finally fall into place.


More News

I am officially signed up for NaNoWriMo and if anyone wants to buddy me there, I would LOVE some friends along for the ride. I am hartjohnson, as I didn't know people used silly, fun names until I signed up. Even before it starts it feels a little crazy and chaotic... I think I'm supposed to be at a meet up right now, but life got in the way...

Naughty N

Most of you probably haven't noticed, but for NaBloWriMo, my intention was to follow a pattern of Alliterative Titles. I like alliteration anyway, but there was a certain rightness to dedicating October to my favorite childhood letter “LMNOP”. You see, until about five years of age, I was convinced this was like 'W'--just one long letter.

My problem is N has not been behaving.

Odd, that. A letter I feel such attachment to because of words like Naked, Nude, Naughty, and Nifty, would come up short for titles. The problem is one of nouns, I think. Naked Nerd might very well describe me, but it doesn't have a lot of page appeal. Naughty nuisance? Nude noodle? The things that go with these words just really aren't all that conducive to alliteration.

Sad.

I suspect O might have similar problems.

I suppose though, I should take my lessons where they find me. The general one here is that if you plan to follow a theme, try to test its plausibility before committing. Some plans just aren't meant to be. That seems true for novels, blogs, home decoration, and family vacations. Even a really good idea can fall apart if you don't check some of the details and test the waters a bit.

Speaking of Shuffling details...

LONG LIVE THE POWER WALK!

Friday I grumbled about book 2 of the Trilogy, [working title COINCIDENCE—it is the only one of the three I'm not really happy with]. A certain main character wasn't behaving. In fact I couldn't get her to fall into regular past tense. Everything was past perfect and contemplative. She wouldn't just DO anything.

Saturday's power walk though, resolved the problem. I was starting too late.

LEGACY ends in a certain place (as books will do) and that is the place I was trying to START COINCIDENCE. But both lead characters haven't spoken much, in fact Andrea is brand new (a few sitings from afar notwithstanding). I needed to start earlier, to give her a chance to lay her own groundwork.

I scrapped all I'd done, putting it in a notes stack, so some might show up later, but I started for her with packing to move to Portland, and with Kade at a significant event during LEGACY. (I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you). He too, needs some emotional and psychological grounding before we get to new stuff.

I still wrote a little from the perspective of Andrea's husband, Jim... you see... she's misattributing... poor gal. So I needed to get a feel for what he REALLY was about.

I've managed a chapter and a half now and it isn't the mad flying circus that LEGACY was, but I think it will now flow...

So LONG LIVE THE POWER WALK!

That's my story and I'm sticking with it.