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

[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.

When I know the beginning and the ending I start to slot scenes together. A sentence or a para that says a discovers x, or b confronts y. Then I build the outline by adding scenes and shuffling them around until I'm happy with the order, the level of detail and the structure.

Plotting is paramount. I need to keep the reader interested and turning pages. So I make sure I have something intriguing to end each chapter and make each scene drive the story forward. If the scene isn't establishing character, imparting information, laying red herrings, putting the hero's life or sanity at risk then I cut it.

If I was writing literary fiction it would be different but for SF mystery/thrillers each scene has to earn its place the hard way.

And when I'm stuck I list all the ways the scene could develop. I brainstorm. No idea is too strange. Eventually I either find what I want or realise the scene was a mistake. So I step back to the previous one and repeat the process.

As for beginning to write - I usually reach a point near the end of the outlining process where I can no longer contain myself. Then I write.

[irreparable]

Those are excellent points, I didn't think of it that way. Especially in terms of SF/fantasy/mystery. Do you find that you jot things down on paper before going to write the story or do you keep it all in your head? Thanks for answering all my questions, btw, I really appreciate it!

[chrisdolley]

I keep things in my head until I have enough to forget - then I put it on paper. And I never start a novel unless I have an outline.

Also, writing the outline is a good test of your ideas and saves you wasting time on an idea that isn't really going anywhere. If an idea survives the outline stage then you know there's enough there to carry a book.

[irreparable]

Ah cool - glad I'm not the only one who does that. I had an idea for the 2004 Nanowrimo, which, once I started, I realised I hadn't fleshed out enough and so by the 12K word mark, I'd run out of ideas and had no idea where to go with it. Needless to say, I didn't finish Nano that year.