I’m working on a new novel. To be clear, by “working on” I mostly mean “gazing into space” and “playing computer solitaire”. On occasion, though, I do actual plotting. I’ve even created a few characters and half a premise. (Go, me! Woohoo!) The voice is jelling, the characters jabbering, the setting settling in. It’s starting to feel like a book.
It’s such a relief to let go of the old, to be into something new. I’m half here, half in my writing, lost among possibilities, feeling for the shape of the thing, probing, questioning. Anything is possible, but everything is not. Everything is too much. So when new ideas sprout, I turn them over in my mind, maybe stop the stroller or the car or dinner to jot them down in my little spiral notebook. Some will survive. Some won’t. Only time and writing and revisions will tell.
Soon I’ll feel out the story with a chapter or two and, when I’ve dribbled enough, I’ll make an outline because, yes, I’m one of those people, the ones who prefer minor outlines to major revisions, planning to fumbling, plotting to pantsing. Plus, plans just plain make me happy.
In the meantime, though, I doodle in dialogue, half-formed conversations winding down the page, nameless characters asking me, over and over and over again, “What if?” And my answer is, so often, “Let’s see.” Because it’s a first draft, and anything can happen.
I love this phase.
I love that phase, too, Caryn!! Enjoy the delight of possibility — it’s such a wonderful place to be ;). Also, you reminded me of a film (I think it was The Wonder Boys) where one of the main themes as far as writing was that writers have to make choices… I try to remind myself of that often, LOL.
So true! And one seemingly-minor choice can take the manuscript in a whole new direction – or stall it out entirely.
It’s a great phase–thinking about what can be and just letting it flow. I have a new project I’m working on along with edits on the old one.
And if you’re anything like me, Lois, you’re enjoying that new project a lot more than edits on your old one! Of course, some people LOVE to revise. Enjoy both projects!
How awesome!!! And yes, that first blush of the idea is such a magical time. Everything is possible, everything can play. It’s wonderful and I’m so happy for you–enjoy!!!
Thanks! I know you mentioned that you’d started something new lately, too. Hope it’s going well for you and is still lots and lots of fun.
Such a lovely and optomistic post! Lately, I break out in a sweat when confronted with blank pages, but I’m working on harnessing the anxiety. I think if I can get to where you are–seeing the fun and joy in the writing, then all will be well. So thanks for that.
And, YES, Adele has arrived and I love it. Here is a link to a stream of the entire album just in case you need some background for your writing….
http://bit.ly/dFbmqv
Congrats on the “starting to feel like a book”! I’m different from you however, at this stage I play Freecell!
I love this phase too! With my other projects, I just jumped right in, but I’m really taking time to let things marinate with this one.
What a wonderful stage! I’m a plotter/outliner as well. I like having some direction to start out and it doesn’t mean that the characters can’t take things in another direction.
Good luck!
Hi Caryn! I am a plotter, too…and I’m proud of it! While my original outlines often seem laughable when I get to the end, I need something to work toward.
Plotters of the world, unite!
Pamala – Thanks! Hard not to be optimistic when I’m excited about a new book. 🙂 I’m so sorry to hear that writing/plotting have been tough for you lately. I’m sending good vibes your way so you can find the joy in writing again. And thanks for the link. I’m going to listen tomorrow.
Conda – LOL! Yes, clearly we are worlds apart. Oh, but do you ever play Bubble Shooter? Also a fantastic plotting device.
Jess – That helps so much, doesn’t it? I hope it saves you lots of revisions later on.
Vicki – Good to know I’m not alone in plotting. Seems most people I know are pantsers, so I feel like I’m being too anal but, hey, it WORKS, right?
Stephanie – Hi back! Yay! Another plotter. And I know what you mean about looking back at your original outlines and laughing. I save my work in many different drafts, and it’s kind of fun to look back and see what I had at the beginning.
Awesome! How exciting!
I love starting something new but I am not much of an outliner. Or a planner. At all. (So I spend MOST of my time revising.) That’s OK. It’s fun to take whole chunks of something and move them around.
(Stressful and time consuming and incredibly inefficient. But fun.) 😉