Outlines, Characters and the Art of Twisty Writing

[chrisdolley]

I thought it might be fun to add the occasional snippet or thought on the writing process as I work on my time travel - or is it? - mystery novel, Hidden in TimeCurrently I'm immersed in teen 1969. A time before the school run. A time of black and white TVs, Chelsea Boots and hipsters. Zaegar and Evans are at number one with 'In the year 2525' and

Comments

[irreparable]

This is fascinating to read - I've always wondered how different authors approach their writing, some don't use plot plans, some do, etc. Can I ask how you get your original idea that makes you think 'righto, this is going to be a story'? It's something that really interests me. :)

[chrisdolley]

They come from everywhere. A misheard conversation, a book, a film, the news, a dream. I might be watching an SF mystery which turns out to be about x but halfway through I thought it might be about y, which then makes me think if I combined that with z it would have made a better film.

And all those ideas are filed away - plots, worlds, characters, scenes, situations - until they're needed.

Resonance was a chance combination of three ideas I'd had kicking around my head for years. Then one day I realised that they weren't three seperate ideas but three facets of the same plot. And what made it magical was the fact that the three ideas meshed so well. I liked the idea of an obsessive compulsive narrator and when I put him together with the Resonance theory and my multiverse, I realised that Graham couldn't have turned out any other way. Everything fitted.

[irreparable]

So, if you don't mind me being nosey, when you get the basic idea, do write a plan/outline to start with or go straight into writing the story? I'm taking a good, hard look at my own writing as I have the writers block from hell in 3D, and wondering if maybe I started in a different way as opposed to just sitting down and writing what comes out of my head, it might work better, or, in fact at all.

[chrisdolley]

I outline as much as I can. Mulling the plot over, jotting down notes, building up pen pictures of all the major players etc

[anonymous]

I'm an unapologetic wannabe writer. I started my novel 6 years ago. I didn't do an outline. I knew exactly where I was going. Unfortunately, real world events overtook me and my ending became implausible since it actually happened. What fun is that?

At any rate, every once in a while, I pull up my manuscript, update the cultural references......and then hit a wall! I really like the first 40,000 words I've written. The next 3,000 words kind of suck and lead nowhere.

I really wish I could come up with an ending to head toward. The few friends I've shown the writing to have said they thought it was great and want to know what happens next. So do I.

BTW, I found my way here via Scalzi's "Whatever". I've become a regular lurker and plan to buy "Resonance" in my next Amazon pile-up. Love the blog. Sure I'm gonna love the book.

BTW 2. Is your character in the room with Hot Avengers' Emma Peel, or with 70 yr.-old Diana Rigg (presumably a little less hot)? Just asking. (Mind-twisty stuff going on here.)

-Nathan

[chrisdolley]

>I really wish I could come up with an ending to head toward.

Which is why I never start a novel now without knowing the ending:) Been there, torn hair out.

So, for me, the ending is the most important part of the book. Followed by the beginning. So, when outlining I spend a disproportionate amount of time on those and won't start writing until I'm happy with both.

The middle, I see as a piece of elastic. It can stretch or contract according to how many words I have to play with and it's never exactly as I expected it to be when I started. Some new idea always comes along and improves the original outline.

Glad you like the blog and definitely approve of your purchasing plans:) And this Emma Peel is the same age as Jack. Or so she says...

[sallytuppence]

flesh...weaving?

[chrisdolley]

It's a horror story:)