I’ve recently entered the brainstorming stage of my next book. It’s a fun, crazy time. Sometimes my mood is rainbows. Sometimes it’s angst. Right now my mood wants lists (as it often does), so here you go: a step-by-step guide to plotting a book. All you writers out there, this is for you. You’re welcome.
1. Find the most inconvenient time/place. Showers are good. Cars, too. Lying in bed, comfortable, mostly asleep? Perfect.
2. Think about something else.
3. Bolt of lightning crashes above you, singeing little bits of your hair as it sizzles past. Geez, that was close.
4. You’ve got it! THE idea! (By the way, you’re brilliant. Good job.)
5. Ignore it or write it down? Debate the options. Decide to wait. You are wet/busy steering/warm and comfortable. The idea can hold…Can’t it?
6. Suddenly remember the last time you told yourself that. Disgraced and petulant, that particular World’s Best Idea slunk away, never to return again. The only things you remember about it are that it had something to do with the letter ‘R’ and it felt like perfection on a milkshake. So, yeah, not helpful.
7. Curse your memory. Curse the timing of lightning. Curse the notepad, which always parts ways with the pen you were certain you put it next to. Curse writing. Who invented it, anyway? It’s their fault you’re even in this mess.
8. Find both the pen and the notebook. Finally.
9. The pen even works. It’s a miracle. Celebrate.
10. But not too long, because ideas have an expiration date, and this one’s nearing it.
11. Grab a towel/pull off the road/sit up in the dark.
12. Write. Begin to feel giddy. This is the best idea ever! Ooh! And there’s a nice subplot! And a turning point! The first? Second? Whatever. You’ll figure it out.
13. Maybe later, though, since you ARE naked and freezing and hogging the bathroom/getting honked at/burning under the glare of a grumbly spouse who JUST WANTS YOU TO TURN OUT THE LIGHT ALREADY. These people do not understand the joys of writing, poor things. They deserve your pity.
14. There’s no time for pity. You have an idea to write. Get back to work.
15. When you are satisfied, stash the notebook and pen and resume your mundane, non-writing task, all the while planning time to type in those pages and further flesh out your idea before you a) forget what you meant by “arrow moonbeam swirl” and b) forget how to read your own handwriting.
16. Repeat process until book is outlined. Then repeat throughout the writing phase. And revisions. And after you turn in your revisions. And basically until you start a new book. And maybe even a little after that.
BONUS STEP: Later, when you are visiting an elementary school, describing your writing process, an earnest third grader will ask you where your ideas come from. A few good answers may cross your mind: Wal*Mart, the newspapers, dreams. But ultimately you will find yourself telling the truth: “Bad timing. My best ideas come from the worst timing.”
This post came at the right time for me. I was plotting tonight. Not easy, but I came up with something that I’ll probably be tweaking the next few days.
That’s fantastic! Good luck with your plotting. You always come up with good stuff; I bet last night’s session was no different. 🙂
I love the fact that I get to stop to celebrate the pen working. This is the plotting process I will follow from now on, no contest.
Ha! Yes. You have to celebrate everything that goes well when you’re writing, don’t you? Even working pens. Otherwise it’s that much harder to make it through the tough times.
I’m working on a new concept…Your steps are working:)
Oh, I’m so glad! After all, my goal with this post was to provide the definitive guide to planning a novel. Wouldn’t want to think it fell short in any way. 😀
Ha! This is so great~ I’m gearing up to plot another WIP and these steps really hit home 🙂
Any time, Jess! So glad I could help. 😉
Good luck plotting!
Ain’t this the truth! Funny how I used to think I was the only one who got ideas in the shower and while driving, but more and more writers are saying the same thing. So I must not be too strange… either that or we all are strange! 🙂
I thought I was the only one, too! In fact, the first time I mentioned that I’d had this great idea in the shower I felt very weird about it. Then the person laughed and said that’s where they get all their great ideas, too! Since then lots of people have said the same thing. Maybe we creative types aren’t so different after all.
Ha! I can relate to this. Once I had an idea on the highway, 200 miles from my destination. I had to keep replaying it in my head like a mental case, so I wouldn’t forget the idea.
Oh, no! I’ve done the same thing so I sympathize with you completely. Hope you were able to remember all the details for when you got there.
It does Caryn. I’m always the first person they ask. lol.
Have a good night/day. Not sure what time it is there. 🙂
Evening. 5:23 to be exact. And summer. It’s summer here. Enjoy your cold weather! We’ll have it in six months. I’m almost looking forward to it.
This was so spot on! Especially that giddy feeling…
Thanks, Lydia! That giddy feeling is the best, isn’t it?
I’ll send the cold over right now. lol… It was so cold this morning. I hate it. lol.
I’m looking forward to spring and summer here. I feel so much more alive.
I LOVE THIS!!! This was so down-to-earth, and so true!
Thanks, Tif! Crazy how similar the process is for so many writers, isn’t it?