Now I know why I needed a Plot

Not so very long ago I was writing the second in a series of middle-grade novels. It was going pretty well, as I remember. But then I got distracted when someone invited me to join textnovel. I set my magical teenagers aside so I could write a romantic mystery. Then I worked on my website and my blog. And then I caught up with some reading, long overdue.

Last weekend I decided it was time to get back to those mysterious teens. And today I finally got round to opening the file. I was pleased to see I'd already written forty out of fifty chapters. How hard could this be? So I greeted my characters with glee, rereading from chapter one and happily pleased to remember the tale. I watched their new school year begin. And then...

And then I realized I hadn't the faintest idea what I'd written. Plotlines that I'd completely forgotten were taking me places I'd no recollection of seeing. It was fun, for sure, and I was thoroughly intrigued with the read till it all came to a halt. And now I'm wondering, where on earth do I go from here?

Don't get me wrong; I do have a plot. Sort of. But it's not the every chapter planned and quartered kind of thing. I know which major events are still to come, but don't know how, and the brain's freezing over. Perhaps a good night's sleep will help, or a leisurely walk round the green. I certainly hope something does because I want to know what happens next. D'you suppose this is writers' block, or just writers' idiocy? I should never have stopped. Or else I should've written a proper plot.

Comments

Linda Kage said…
Yeah, I agree. Having a clear plot is pretty important to a story. I believe it's a good idea that you step back and take a break to think things through and figure out what needs figured out. Never know, you might realize you already have a strong one there, it just wasn't what you thought it was.

Good Luck!
November 13, 2009 at 6:19 AM
Steph said…
Maybe that's the problem I'm having with my next book. The plot is kind of all over the place. But then again, so am I.

Thanks for your nice review on Amazon. And yes, sadly, it was all true. :)
November 13, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Sheila Deeth said…
Nice to see you here Stephanie. I think I'm all over the place at the moment too, but Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming, and my Mum and my sons will be here. A little chaos is probably par for the course.
November 13, 2009 at 1:27 PM
Lauren M. Hunter said…
Eep! I vote for it being just writer's block, and I like your idea of going for a walk to get it sorted out. I can always untangle plot threads better when I'm on the move.
November 13, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Laura Eno said…
Some people can bounce back and forth between 3 different MS too. I can't, but most of the time I will write the last chapter near the beginning so that I know what I'm steering towards. It can change a bit, but it usually stays pretty true. Just keep going with it, you'll push through.
November 13, 2009 at 5:44 PM
Sheila Deeth said…
I started writing again today. Now the characters won't let go. It seems like they've got so much to tell me after their time away. I'm still not sure where they're taking me but the ride's kind of fun. Thanks for the encouragement.
November 13, 2009 at 11:33 PM
maryrussel said…
I'm glad I'm not the only one who does that. I'm having that problem with three of the books I am writing right now. They are all in limbo while I try to determine how to get where I want to go from here.
November 14, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Jean Henry Mead said…
That's what happens to me when I allow my characters to take over and run with the plot, but I'm a seat of the pants writer who rarely knows what I'm going to write when I sit down at the computer. It works for me. :-)

Jean
http://mysteriouspeople.blogspot.com/
November 15, 2009 at 1:24 PM
Bearman said…
Boy I wish my characters would do the heavy lifting for a while. It's tiring coming up with new gags all the time.
November 16, 2009 at 8:15 AM
Helen Ginger said…
This is exactly why I tell writers to write "The End," then set it aside for at least two week (a year would be better), then go back and read it. It will feel new and you'll see it with fresh eyes.

You may see new places you can take your characters. Or you may cut out stuff that now seem unnecessary. I'm glad you're taking a second look at it.

Helen
Straight From Hel
November 16, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Stephanie Faris said…
That's why I'm always afraid to set something aside to work on something else, but sometimes it's necessary. If I don't have notes as to where I was going, I forget. I guess sometimes when you come back to it, though, with a fresh perspective, you might come up with something you hadn't thought of before.
November 16, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Connect those Connections

Taken from a talk I gave on Sunday at the Writers' Mill. This is a very low-level approach to getting connected, from one beginner to another... Internet Writing, Marketing and Networking If you’ve got an email address you’re on the internet. If you’ve got a book out or an article in a magazine, you’re into marketing. If you’ve got friends, you’re networking. And if you use Google, you can do almost anything. Google Google is your friend. Google “how to join facebook” “How to join goodreads” “How to join Twitter” etc… Google “facebook badges” “blogger widgets” etc… to spice up your pages. Anything you want to know, a nice simple question to google will almost certainly tell you. But keep safe . Don’t just click on the first link you see. Make sure it looks vaguely genuine. “F*@!book.com/badges” might take you somewhere you don’t want your computer to go. “Facebook.com/badges” tells you all about badges. Why would you want to join all these interne...
Read more

Eternal curse might hide a blessing too.

Image
Today is the official launch day for Toi Thomas's paranormal romance, Eternal Curse, and I was lucky enough to be offered a free preview copy some while ago. The novel creates an intriguing mythology of angelic beings and the Fall, binding it nicely to modern day characters in search of meaning for their lives. There's an interesting blend of the paranormal, faith and science, and the story has a nicely old-fashioned feel with separate underlying tales taking center stage on the way to resolution. So... here's the cover, the blurb, and my review: ABOUT THE BOOK 'You have plenty of time to change your mind. You have not yet seen the monster I can be.' Giovanni has been waiting his whole life to meet someone like Mira, someone from the outside world who might be able to help him. He wonders if there really is help for him as he continues to hold tightly onto dark secrets and even darker memories. Giovanni wants to be hopeful and he wants to accept Mira...
Read more

Author or transcriber, reader or visitor, greatest or least? Meet Kathryn Elizabeth Jones

Image
 Today I'm delighted to welcome Kathryn Elizabeth Jones, author of " I walked with Jesus ," to my blog. I very much enjoyed her short stories retelling miracles from the life of Christ - we clearly have faith and short fiction in common with each other.  I loved how historical, real, and relevant Kathryn's stories felt. You can find my review here:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4904771188 . I'd love to meet the author and chat in person, but inviting her to my blog is the next best thing, so I asked her to let me and you how she finds her audience. Here's what she told me. Why I think my audience is beginning to find me by  Kathryn Elizabeth Jones One of the hardest things to do as an author, other than writing or marketing a book, is to find that often illusive audience. It’s easier with mysteries or children’s picture books, probably because you know who reads them; adults and teens who love sleuthing and children and their parents who love reading....
Read more