Writerly Ways

Whether you’re in Stephen King’s ‘let it spin’ camp or a follower of those who meticulously outline everything in a novel, however you come to your plot, there has to be a plot. I just finished the tenth Sookie Stackhouse book and it’s a perfect example of what happens when a plot is weak or almost non-existent. In my review of the book, I picked out ten subplots and even more minor ones but without one unifying theme, the whole novel was a meandering mess.

I love a subplot, don’t get me wrong but you need at least one plot that unifies the book. In my last FMA big bang, I worried about that, grasping to get that plot in there (same thing with the follow up story I have in mind). Luckily for me, most of my novel idea come with some sort of back bone to hang the meat on.

I’ll admit, sometimes dealing with the character development and interaction leads me away from the main plot. I’ve worried about that especially in Voluntary Nightmare. I think the trick there is to have a least some tidbit that tethers the scene to the main plot.

Conflict is one of the things that drives most plots. It can be something overwhelming like a war to something as minor as self doubt before going out on the date. There is something the protagonist has to over come. Even with good conflict, if it doesn’t propel the story along, it’s not that helpful (points back to the above mentioned Sookie book. There was plenty of conflict but it didn’t hang together in any meaningful way).

I’m more of a ‘let it spin’ type but I do take notes on where I’d like the plot to go (then I usually forget what I named the file but that’s another story). I’ve also taken to writing down plot ideas and keeping them for later. So regardless of how you get to your plot, you have to have one. A story is more than a collection of scenes. They have to lead us somewhere.

Yearly count -

36679 / 75000 words. 49% done!
Editing – I edited everything I saw I would but Ties that Bind but we can blame the latter half of the week being nothing but doctor’s appts.

Writing new stuff – Made a little progress on Until the Ice Breaks, Kept Tears and Voluntary Nightmare.

I'm passing a new universal law

From this point forward, nothing will ever get dirty ever again. That way I shall never have to spring clean again in my life. Every time I hear someone likes to clean (Mom, brother, a few flisters), I have to think hard about hiring them a psychiatrist. They're obviously not right.

That was my whole day. Well not much of it since I'm still not feeling that well. I did get my last springkink done. That's something.


This house is about 26 miles from work but it’s the best thing I’ve seen yet wonders how much the extra 5 acres are.

check out this post there's some publication info on there I think some of us would be interested in. Also there is a bit of smut in that post.

And while you're at it check out this post It's on character mapping. It's very interesting.

So, cornerofmadness, your LiveJournal reveals…

You are… 3% unique (blame, for example, your interest in connor & angel), 5% peculiar, 50% interesting, 28% normal and 15% herdlike (partly because you, like everyone else, enjoy writing). When it comes to friends you are popular. In terms of the way you relate to people, you are wary of trusting strangers. Your writing style (based on a recent public entry) is conventional.

Your overall weirdness is: 15

(The average level of weirdness is: 28.
You are weirder than 32% of other LJers.)

Find out what your weirdness level is!

honestly this surprised me. it's like the first time I've ever been called non-weird and conventional (but i am wary of strangers)