Let the Writing Commence!

I haven't been blogging for a little while. I also haven't written my personal diary in quite a while. This is for one simple reason: I'm writing!

This photo perfectly illustrates how it's been going.

I used KM Weiland's amazing plotting books to help me with my outline and extended outline. I really enjoyed writing my extended outline because it allowed me to get the story out, go back and make changes, edit and include everything I wanted to put in without writing out endless pages. I don't have to think about the wording or the exact ideas, while getting the story out.

It's been great.

I miss the extended outline days.

It's the opening to my novel that I'm struggling with the most. I love this book, I think I've finally hit upon an idea that really works, that has depth and that I really enjoy writing. Well, I did enjoy writing it. It's the opening to this story I'm finding tricky.

I want it to set the scene. I want to introduce the main character. I want to intrigue the reader. I don't know why I'm finding it so difficult.

I can see the scene in my head. It's raining. Lexi, my main protagonist, is upset that she's had to move house.

This is my current opening line:

'The rain clouds were so thick that lunchtime felt like evening. The streets were busy with hurrying umbrellas and gleaming raincoats. Lexi glared through the car window as heavy raindrops pattered the glass. The weather was miserable. So was Lexi.'

What I'm hoping is that this opening line is enough to make the reader ask a few questions:

1. Who is Lexi?
2. Why is she miserable?
3. Where is she going in the car?
4. What's going to happen in the rain?

But will they ask questions or will they not read on? From the looks of all the authors I follow on Twitter, we all have this crippling self doubt. 

I've just written a version of the opening that I really like and I've sent it over to a beta read to check through for me and see if it works. He also read previous versions of the opening but hopefully this one works the best. 

I've written a further 7 scenes in this draft of the book, based on the outline and extended outline I made. I just keep coming back to this opening which is slowing progress. 

I think, however, I'm going to start writing the scenes out of sequence. I do have their plans very detailed written in order. I even added extra bits as I needed them when referenced in later scenes, zipping back and forth throughout my outlines. 

This explains why I have been absent from my blog, however. It's because I've been writing my book by hand and not using a computer at all. 

The thing is, I'm wondering if it might be easier, now that I have written my extended outline, I should write my first draft on the computer? I did find it much easier when I typed up a version to email to my beta reader. 

I'll give it a try. I certainly type faster than I write by hand! 

Happy New Year everyone! May 2018 be your year for happiness and good health! 

How to Write Your Best Book

I was struggling with my novel. I knew something wasn't right about my book (see my previous blog posts). Even reading it myself I knew I'd gone wrong somewhere but I couldn't put my finger on it.

So, I asked a published author what they do.

Science Fiction author, Scott McGlasson, who wrote Nock pointed me in the direction of K. M. Weiland's book, Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success. I'm not really someone who reads 'How to' books, not since Sol Stein was talking about using language to suit your character. He said that kindergarten teachers don't use 'big words'. (I teach the kids about phonemes and digraphs, but anyway.) I wasn't too chuffed by the characterisation.

K.M. Weiland's book has been amazing!

I now know what was wrong with my book: conflict! There wasn't any! Apart from the main plot, there was no conflict in scenes, between characters. There was nothing to encourage the reader to keep reading.

I've been scribbling some new scenes since reading K. M. Weiland's book and there is more conflict, plot progression and characterisation in those few scenes than in my entire 4th draft!

I'm now focusing on following K.M. Weiland's tips and I'm replotting the novel. I'm trying to let everything I've read so far guide the path of the story. I know where I want my characters to end up, but I'm looking more about the conflict in each scene, if the story moves forward because of my plot and if we learn something about the characters. I'm also looking at character arc, which I think my first drafts lacked.

I find character arc quite difficult. I like my characters, like my children, and I don't think they need to change. However, that's the problem. They do need to change because that's what happens in books.

Take Lexi for example. She's bold and fearless, she's impulsive
and inquisitive but this means she gets into risky situations. I'm trying to make her arc so that she learns to think before she acts. She's going to get into a situation where she thinks being bold and impulsive is the right thing to do, but it has disastrous consequences so she self reflects and realises that she needs to change.

But, that hasn't happened in the drafts so far. I'm going to be able to do that now I'm being really reflective and plotting this new novel in lots of detail.

That's where I am at the moment, thinking about all of this. It's making my head spin a little bit but I am enjoying the challenge. Hopefully, I will create a story that's fun and different and page turner-ing!