A Writer's Journey

Stories are full of twists and turns, so is the writing process. After cutting my aforementioned scene and switching to another, massive writer’s block ensued, which usually tells me I have to go back and fix whatever dead end path I went down. So I went back and re-added the deleted scene, realizing in the process that for now I have enough tension to continue building on.

Part of me feels like I wasted some of my precious writing time exploring my other scene option but my other half realizes I’m in good company. Here’s a quote from Oscar Wilde, “I have spent most of the day putting in a comma and the rest of the day taking it out.”

The other day I wrote about the difficulty of keeping a vision in place, especially when characters don’t respond the way I need them too. I was planning on going back and tweaking my beginning but when I went back to my manuscript I realized an Option C ….. Cut the scene giving all the problems and go in an entirely new direction.

Ahhh. The freeing spirit of such a choice. And, thankfully, what I have now adds much more zing to the character’s situation. ;)

Every book starts with a vision. An idea of where the plot is going, what the character will learn through all the twists and turns, and what new perspective the reader will walk away with when your book is put down. But a vision is the easy part. It’s trying to maintain that vision once your character is let loose on the page and starts making decisions you never intended or how a side character doesn’t shape into how you thought he or she would. Then the decision must be made. Do I let my story unfold on it’s own and let loose of the master reigns hoping I come up with a story that is at least as good as the one I imagined. Or do I tighten the reigns and guide my character’s life along my first impressions?

Many writers deal with this issue in different ways. Some reign in, some let loose, many use a combination of the two. And some don’t start with a vision at all, just a blank sheet and an opening line.

I’m at a decision making choice for my story. And what it boils down to is that some decisions a character makes leads to no tension, no plot. But do I force an unnatural response out of my main character just to further my own design? I’ve never been a fan of a book that makes that unnatural twist to baby the plot. But I’m even less of a fan of a book with no plot….because that’s the kind that doesn’t get published.

The answer would seem to be that backing up is in order to ensure that the choice that leads to a plot with tension becomes the most natural one for the character, which involves some foreshadowing and character chiseling. I suppose that is what drafts are for, a lot of chiseling to eek out that awesome book.

Goals are a dangerous thing for a writer. The goal to be published, win an award, make a million dollars are all out of the hands of the writer. Instead we make goals to finish a manuscript, query x number of times this month, revise the first five chapters this week and to do those things we have control over.

My biggest writing goal had always been to create a book I am proud of. Knowing how hard I am on myself and how critical I can be I’ve always felt that if I could create something I was proud of I’d have a shot at getting published. And if not then I’d have a heck of book to pass along to my friends and family.

While reading SECOND SIGHT, by Cheryl B. Klein, I started what was meant to be a rewrite of my “side novel” and has turned in to a prequel to that novel. I’m excited. For the first time in the four+ years that I’ve been writing, I have started something I am proud of.

A common bit of writing advice is to up the stakes for the main character. What does she care most deeply about and how is it at risk? I know I need to up the stakes for my main character but to do that I first need to go deeper, and learn more of her back story. What does she most want in the world? What are the obstacles in her way to achieve what she wants? Or how is it in danger?  Is her desire a physical object or something less tangible?

The stakes in a story, which create the plot arc of the story, can be about an internal desire like acceptance, love, or finding ones place in the world. This type of story is often literary because the main focus is on the internal struggling of the character. Commercial fiction often has a more tangible stake, or desire, that creates the plot arc- an ancient artifact that needs finding, a villian to overcome and destroy, the end of the world to prevent, or an oppressive government to overthrow.

Great fiction, in my opinion, combines these elements. In Harry Potter the main character desires a loving family, and acceptance from his peers. He gets these from Ron and Hermoine, although these relationships are often threatened creating an internal plot arc. Harry also faces a prophecy tying him to the ultimate villain, and rests the fate of the world on his shoulders giving him an external plot arc. In Star Wars Luke tries to find his place in the world, and wants to prove himself. He has to resolve his family relationships and overthrow Darth Vadar and in turn the Emperor. His internal and external plot arcs collide in an explosive way.

For my current writing project a literary plot arc fits perfectly with the story I want to tell.   I’ve spent the last few days pondering my MC and her past. Trying to figure out what she wants the most. A physical plot will help her achieve or not achieve her desire and create the tension in the book.

Cheryl Klein, Associate Editor with Arthur A. Levine Books, which is a highly respected imprint of Scholastic and the publisher of the American Harry Potter, recently shared some  questions on her blog to help writers strengthen their plots. Here is the link: http://chavelaque.blogspot.com/2011/06/plot-questions.html I’ll be using these questions tonight as I try to outline the next draft of my novel.