My Thoughts on Plotting

I wanted to relay my thoughts on how I plot a novel. There is not one way to do this. This is my version because there are no rules in writing a novel, and some books are made to be written a specific way. I believe whatever it takes to get to the end of the dreaded first draft, and it works for you is your plan of action, your modus operandi. The first thing you need is an idea for a great book. Something that you are passionate and excited about.

After I find a good storyline, I make a list from one to ten. At number one is the beginning of the novel and at number ten I write an ending, then I start plotting in sequence how I want the story to progress. As you can tell this is a basic over view of the book. I did not invent this plotting. I read it on some website. I just cannot recall where I found it. Now, at this point I am usually not satisfied with what I wrote. Usually, I brainstorm ideas and story arcs. Anything to keep my creative juices flowing. Most of the time I have to rewrite my 10 plot points, a couple of times. This process can take days to several months.

Now, you are wondering, when I am ready to write my first draft. Well, it depends. I let the ideas ferment in my head. I know when I am ready when I am excited about my project. Other times I just start writing. This plot system can be more intricate if one chooses. The ten plot points can be expanded as chapters or story arcs. I also suggest to read the Snowflake method of writing for another take on plotting: http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php.

So, these is some of my ideas on plotting. I cannot say I always follow these steps. If you read my previous blog, dear reader, you know I wrote my second novel with the minimum amount of planning. Whatever works.

Good luck and happy writing.

Writing my Second Novel

When I wrote my second novel, I noticed how different it was from writing my first novel. One of the main difference was confidence that I could actually finish a story from conception to ending. I even tried to change the way I plotted. For my first novel, I made character charts, outlines, maps and summaries, which stopped me from actually writing the book. I would not say it was a waste of time. The outline and summaries helped me, to a degree, but when I started to write the first draft, the outline did not work.

So, for the second book. I brainstormed the beginning and the end, created some characters and started writing. What really influenced me was reading Stephen King's book "On Writing." He advocated just writing the book and not to plot. I finish my first draft of my second novel in about five months, which was a far cry from my first novel which took me seven years to complete a first draft.

Have I learned a lot? I think so. I am still learning to what works for me. I know my books are not perfect. However, I will keep working until my books get better.

Action Figures and Why I Write

As a kid, I played for hours with my action figures with my neighbor. I had a Boba Fett, several different types of Storm Troopers, a Luke Skywalker and a Darth Vader. My neighbor use to bring his toys, and he had the awesome gadgets. Besides having action figures, he had a whole slew of cool vehicles and other things such as robots that eyes that light up. We had epic fights and death-defying situations in the backyard of our own minds. The whole balance of our fantasy world was in our hands.

As things go, I got older and my toys became shelved in my closet. I was a teenager, and I started noticing girls and my whole world changed. One fine weekend, my mom's friends came for a house visit. They brought a little boy in tow with them. He seem to be bored listening to the grow-ups talk. My mom took me aside and asked me to give the kid, some of my action figures. I relented at first, but looking at the boy changed my mind. I gave him all the toys I had hidden away.

After high school, my friends and I went different ways. Some of them went too far colleges, and others just drifted away. I got to say it was a lonely time. Later while I was bored, I browsed inside a book store looking at the magazine's racks (I was not at that time a reader of books). I drifted down the aisles to the fiction sections. I bought a book by Terry Brooks and a Stephen King novel. My world of make-believe seemed to surface again except this time fiction horror and fantasy were my action figures. I became obsessed reading all the novels I could buy.

After I finish my first novel, I see my readers as the little boy bored and wanting some entertainment from their stressful lives. I want to impart to my dear readers a gift of exciting worlds and thrilling battles. Please let me take you on a journey.