Modified plan for next year!
Dec. 20th, 2014 12:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Okay, I have two short story outlines now that I'm completely happy with. The novel outlines are still...
Problematic.
As you know, Bob, I am not a natural novelist. I also know this about myself, but I have at least two stories that want, very much, to be novels. I pantsed the hell out of the first novel, which actually worked (I think), but the second one (also pantsed) was a trainwreck. However, outlining things beforehand seems to have kicked my writing into a better gear, and these two novels need outlining. Extensively. But... I don't know how to do that. I'm stuck like a big stuck thing.
So, I have a copy of Dave Farland's "Million Dollar Outlines" coming, but it won't ship until the 30th because reasons, which doesn't give me time to read it, absorb it, and bang out the rest of either one of these outlines by January 1st. What I'm going to do instead of the original plan is write the two shorts whose outlines I'm happy with, then edit them and work on the outline for Angry Bitter Angel through January, and then just write Angry Bitter Angel for the remainder of January and February. In March, I'll go back to the original plan of "Short at a NaNo pace until the draft is done, then 1000 words per day on the novel while editing the short into a semblance of not sucking."
This will also teach me flexibility for changed circumstances, and to gather and use the numerous tools at my disposal. I got thrown off for this entire year because my January plans were derailed by getting sick, and I don't want that to happen again.
I'm kind of excited!
Problematic.
As you know, Bob, I am not a natural novelist. I also know this about myself, but I have at least two stories that want, very much, to be novels. I pantsed the hell out of the first novel, which actually worked (I think), but the second one (also pantsed) was a trainwreck. However, outlining things beforehand seems to have kicked my writing into a better gear, and these two novels need outlining. Extensively. But... I don't know how to do that. I'm stuck like a big stuck thing.
So, I have a copy of Dave Farland's "Million Dollar Outlines" coming, but it won't ship until the 30th because reasons, which doesn't give me time to read it, absorb it, and bang out the rest of either one of these outlines by January 1st. What I'm going to do instead of the original plan is write the two shorts whose outlines I'm happy with, then edit them and work on the outline for Angry Bitter Angel through January, and then just write Angry Bitter Angel for the remainder of January and February. In March, I'll go back to the original plan of "Short at a NaNo pace until the draft is done, then 1000 words per day on the novel while editing the short into a semblance of not sucking."
This will also teach me flexibility for changed circumstances, and to gather and use the numerous tools at my disposal. I got thrown off for this entire year because my January plans were derailed by getting sick, and I don't want that to happen again.
I'm kind of excited!
no subject
Date: 2014-12-20 11:21 pm (UTC)Start with an overview of the whole story, then fill in more details and more details so that you have a good, big picture of what has to happen. Move bits around and their effects until you're satisfied, and then fill in ALL the details by writing the actual chapters.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-20 11:37 pm (UTC)I tried using the Hollywood Formula for the Hitman in Hell story, but it, too, turned out to be inadequate once I figured out that it needed to be a novel.
If Dave's book doesn't help, well, then... I guess I'll just wing it! I pantsed the first novel and did the whole seven-point structure completely by instinct, it turns out. So I can do it. I just ... don't want to. :p