NaNo 2013 Inspiration, Day 21

[hd-writers-mod.livejournal.com]

To Plot or Not To Plot

It depends on you, the sort of writer you are. It depends on your appetite for hard work. It depends on your eye for an emerging shape. If you feel writing to a plot outline deadens the story for you, makes writing merely a 'connect the dots' exercise, then try the non-plot way, knowing that you will work for longer, work harder, by writing dross that has to be condensed into diamond through analysis, thought, self-challenge and ruthlessness.

If your every attempt to write that 'swim-in-the-sea' ends in failure, change strategy and try a plot outline again. You might find that it's actually a relief, but you'll also find that you are still analysing, challenging yourself, thinking hard, being ruthless. You are doing it before you write, not after. Because writing, really writing, is thinking about your story. A novel isn't a bunch of noodles a machine can extrude, it's an act of complete conscious creation.

Writing to a plot, writing without a plot, both take work. Each approach has its benefits and drawbacks. In the end, they both come down to understanding that your story has a shape, that it has requirements to fulfill, that it has an essence. It's your job to make it emerge from your brain. You can do this by chiselling out out marble, or building it up in clay. What you are left with, either way, is art.

Copyright Caro Clarke

Read more at caroclarke.com

Do you prefer to plot or not?

Do you use any writing tools for it?

It’s Day 21 of your NaNo challenge, whether you’re writing a huge piece or just writing every day because you must – at which point do you reach and you realise you should have plotted, or you shouldn’t have plotted.

While you're here, check in below and let us know how you did yesterday with your writing, and how you're doing overall!

Whether you're ahead or behind, remember, ALL WORDS ARE AWESOME WORDS and just by writing you are making progress.

Need some encouragement or cheerleading or just a place to vent your frustrations? Let us know!

Comments

[cyn-ful.livejournal.com]

I so did not even plot. I knew who my main character was. I put him into a situation and said, "What if?" It ended up with a pretty good story. One of my friends from church has already shredded it for me. So, I will be adding more words and changing some words, BUT I was able to follow my story because I didn't have a set goal. I was not sure where it was going to go. I was just amazed at how it all truly pulled together. Some of her notes where like..>WHY and then it was later that it was answered and the funny thing was that it wasn't planned, it all fell in perfectly. Not saying it is perfect, far from it, but it is written and ready for the shredding and second draft now.

[digthewriter]

I LOVE it when that happens!

[cyn-ful.livejournal.com]

Me too! My best work always happens that way.

[josephinestone.livejournal.com]

How did I, of all people, not comment on this one?

I don't plot really short stories, but if I want them to be longer then yes I plot. I use the Dramatica theory (and the software, as it is pretty difficult to use the theory without it.) It is pretty in depth and complicated but Narrative First (http://narrativefirst.com/) and How To Write a Book Now (http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/plot-outline.html) break down the main concepts pretty well.