I used to call myself a pantster and claim that I was unable
to outline a book I’d want to write. (I can
outline a book that stinks … no
problem there.) But I’m not really a pantster in the sense that I take off
writing with no idea where I’m headed. I generally have several plot points in
mind: a beginning, a conflict, a few key events, and an ending.
These plot points are the dots in a mysterious picture that
will become my first draft. Connecting the dots is the challenge, and I never
see the big picture, including themes, until I’ve connected the last dot and
realize, Aha! Now I know what story I was
trying to tell. That’s why I always roll right into my second draft without
a break. It’s kind of like the real first draft, with the first one being an
exploratory venture.
E.L. Doctorow says, “Writing
is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your
headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” I think he must be
referring to my style of writing – dot-to-dot. Writing a first draft takes me
months and months, often with a hiatus in the middle because I’ve lost my way.
Revising a completed draft, by contrast, takes me only two or three weeks.
Unfortunately, when writing books under contract, I don’t
always have months and months to fumble my way through the first draft like I’m
playing Blindman’s Bluff. (Especially since I would never hand in a first draft to an editor. I’d prefer not to hand in
a second draft either.) I get very frustrated and angry with myself when I can’t
figure out how to reach the next dot – or if I realize the whole thing is
lacking a set of dots I wasn’t counting on. (Sub-plot? What sub-plot?!)
In recent weeks, I’ve been trying to do what I said in the
first paragraph of this post that I can’t
do: outline. I need to write a synopsis as a proposal for an option book, and
I’ve been trying to figure it out as a sort of “draft zero.” I sincerely hope
Doctorow is right. I’ve got my headlights on. I’m creeping forward one dot at a
time. The saving grace may be that I only need to figure out enough for a
synopsis to sell the book. IF the option gets picked up …
… the real first draft will probably be another adventure in
connecting the dots.
Dianne, I always have a general idea as well when I start a book - but funny enough I already know that end scene before I even write the first word. So I write to that end in mind. I can relate to the part about not having months and months to fumble around when under contract. But I have learned that I can OVER-outline and that hinders my writing. I get so stuck in every detail along the way that I forget that it could change in those inspirational, organic moments. I've discovered what works for me is creating a basic outline and then just start writing to see what happens - and that's where the magic comes in (and new characters can pop in and other characters leave). Then I shoot for that end I imagined first. Bottom line: everyone must explore, experiment, and create a recipe of success for them. What works for one writer may not work for another. Glad you found your recipe!
ReplyDeleteP.S. And funny enough, I just had to hand in my synopsis for book 3 option in my series last week. Wait and see too... :)
DeleteI'll keep my fingers crossed for you, Donna! And you are right about over-outlining. Some of the best parts of my books were never in my outlines.
DeleteLast night I listened to a podcast by Courtney Schafer, and she said exactly what you did - that she starts off knowing the beginning and ending, and a few plot points along the way, and then finds her way between them.
ReplyDeleteWith her second book, though, her publisher asked her to send a complete synopsis, and so she had to outline it all, and then found a bit of the discovery was gone in writing it, now that she already knew how each chapter would go.
So I hope you can find a way to pull it all together in a way that gives a good structure but keeps the magic of serendipity as well.
Steve, I had to submit a brief outline of the second book in my series, too, but the best parts of the book were things I hadn't even thought of when I wrote the outline. They got discovered in the writing. But that was for an already-contracted book -- and an admittedly skimpy outline ...
DeleteFor an option book, I feel like I have to put more detail into the proposal to sell the book, which does mean more advance outlining than I like. Hopefully, if they buy the book, they won't mind too much if stuff changes! ;)
Writing a first draft takes me forever. But then again, I have the luxury of time, with no possible contract in the offing (yet). So I have to set my own deadlines.
ReplyDeleteI consider myself an outliner, but even so, I have to make my way between points as well.
ReplyDelete