Support System
So, as I mentioned the other day, the series I'm working on has 11 books planned. (The only way it'd possibly increase is if one of them needs to be broken up because of length issues). Well, this series has a very complex over-arcing plot. That's what I call the things that tie each book together. Each book has an individual plot that gets resolved at the end of the book--no cliffhanger endings from me--and in that respect, they're stand-alone books. But...each book's plot will be so tightly interwoven with the over-arcing plot, that with the exception of the first two books, you can't read them out of order. Well, I guess you could, but it wouldn't make a ton of sense.
Because this over-arcing plot is so complex and so tightly woven, I did something I rarely do. I created a series outline. I spent months figuring out as much of this plot as I could and how it would relate to each book. Then I wrote out the outline, focusing only on how the over-arcing plot plays into each of the 11 books. (It's also how I figured out there'd be 11 books.)
For most of the books I have, at best, vague ideas of what their individual plots will be. The biggest reason I made this outline is because I wanted to make sure none of these tightly woven threads comes out of nowhere. I want it so that when anything is revealed in later books, you can go back through the earlier ones and see where I hinted at or set in motion these threads. There's nothing I hate more than reading a series and coming across a plot element that the author tried to so hard to convince us was the part of the plan all along. Those instances are so transparent. I never want that to be the case in my series and have worked very hard to ensure this.
This means I've done some things, primarily in book 2 (Wayworn) that could be considered unconventional. While The Unwritten Journey (book 1) gets the ball rolling on things, it's Wayworn that starts the avalanche. There are many many things in this book (that you won't realize the extent of their significance of until book 3 at the soonest) that have been put in because they are not only needed for the plot of that book, but make it so that when HUGE spoilers/reveals come in Book 3 and onward, you don't feel like anything came out of left field.
Because of these...unconventional...choices I've made, I've become a magnet for naysayers. Granted, almost every single naysayer has, at most, read only bits and pieces of my book and are therefore only assuming they know the ins and outs of my work. But it still hurts. It still shakes my confidence to the core. There have been many times over the past two years where I've almost completely lost faith in my series. Where my confidence in my abilities as a writer has been virtually non-existent.
What has kept me going when I felt I should just give up? My incredible support system. Since I began to seriously pursue writing, my husband and my best friend have been with me every step of the way. And a few months ago, I was privileged to add another friend to my support system. (I have others who are very supportive and I love you all and thank you for everything, but these three are my core). Not only do these three refuse to let me give up, but they listen patiently to me ramble incessantly about my writing. They let me use them as a sounding board to brainstorm and work out of the finer and stickier details of my plot. They read my stuff--in many cases as I'm writing it--and, while they don't pump my ego (cause that can be dangerous) they encourage me to keep going. They rein me in when I start going off on wild tangents or heading toward left field. And most importantly, they believe in me and my books. They trust me to know what I'm doing and are willing to follow where I lead them. Plus, all three of them are writers themselves, so they understand my writer's brain and never tell me I need to see a shrink. *grin*
Why am I nattering on about all of this? Well, because yesterday I showed my series outline to the newest addition to my support system. I can count on one hand how many people besides myself have seen this. I was on pins and needles the entire time she was reading it because I'm so used to people telling me I can't do this. It just won't work. But, bless her soul, she did the opposite. She got so excited and told me how much she loved my ideas. She _believed_ in them. Her enthusiasm and support nearly brought tears to my eyes.
This has been in the forefront of my mind since yesterday. And while I have always been thankful for my wonderful support system, I have a renewed surge of gratitude for them. So I want to take this chance to publicly thank the three of them for everything. Thank you for the endless hours of listening to me, for all the reading/critting/reining me in that you've done. And most of all, thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for having faith in me and my work. Thank you for continuing to push me when I don't feel so motivated. I love you so much for it.
Because this over-arcing plot is so complex and so tightly woven, I did something I rarely do. I created a series outline. I spent months figuring out as much of this plot as I could and how it would relate to each book. Then I wrote out the outline, focusing only on how the over-arcing plot plays into each of the 11 books. (It's also how I figured out there'd be 11 books.)
For most of the books I have, at best, vague ideas of what their individual plots will be. The biggest reason I made this outline is because I wanted to make sure none of these tightly woven threads comes out of nowhere. I want it so that when anything is revealed in later books, you can go back through the earlier ones and see where I hinted at or set in motion these threads. There's nothing I hate more than reading a series and coming across a plot element that the author tried to so hard to convince us was the part of the plan all along. Those instances are so transparent. I never want that to be the case in my series and have worked very hard to ensure this.
This means I've done some things, primarily in book 2 (Wayworn) that could be considered unconventional. While The Unwritten Journey (book 1) gets the ball rolling on things, it's Wayworn that starts the avalanche. There are many many things in this book (that you won't realize the extent of their significance of until book 3 at the soonest) that have been put in because they are not only needed for the plot of that book, but make it so that when HUGE spoilers/reveals come in Book 3 and onward, you don't feel like anything came out of left field.
Because of these...unconventional...choices I've made, I've become a magnet for naysayers. Granted, almost every single naysayer has, at most, read only bits and pieces of my book and are therefore only assuming they know the ins and outs of my work. But it still hurts. It still shakes my confidence to the core. There have been many times over the past two years where I've almost completely lost faith in my series. Where my confidence in my abilities as a writer has been virtually non-existent.
What has kept me going when I felt I should just give up? My incredible support system. Since I began to seriously pursue writing, my husband and my best friend have been with me every step of the way. And a few months ago, I was privileged to add another friend to my support system. (I have others who are very supportive and I love you all and thank you for everything, but these three are my core). Not only do these three refuse to let me give up, but they listen patiently to me ramble incessantly about my writing. They let me use them as a sounding board to brainstorm and work out of the finer and stickier details of my plot. They read my stuff--in many cases as I'm writing it--and, while they don't pump my ego (cause that can be dangerous) they encourage me to keep going. They rein me in when I start going off on wild tangents or heading toward left field. And most importantly, they believe in me and my books. They trust me to know what I'm doing and are willing to follow where I lead them. Plus, all three of them are writers themselves, so they understand my writer's brain and never tell me I need to see a shrink. *grin*
Why am I nattering on about all of this? Well, because yesterday I showed my series outline to the newest addition to my support system. I can count on one hand how many people besides myself have seen this. I was on pins and needles the entire time she was reading it because I'm so used to people telling me I can't do this. It just won't work. But, bless her soul, she did the opposite. She got so excited and told me how much she loved my ideas. She _believed_ in them. Her enthusiasm and support nearly brought tears to my eyes.
This has been in the forefront of my mind since yesterday. And while I have always been thankful for my wonderful support system, I have a renewed surge of gratitude for them. So I want to take this chance to publicly thank the three of them for everything. Thank you for the endless hours of listening to me, for all the reading/critting/reining me in that you've done. And most of all, thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for having faith in me and my work. Thank you for continuing to push me when I don't feel so motivated. I love you so much for it.