All posts tagged: plot

Write on, Wednesday! To Plot, or Not to Plot…that is the Question

By Leslie Lindsay As most of you know, I am feverishly working on a novel.  Second draft revisions…rewrites, or whatever you want to call ’em are tough.  The first draft was all composed on the fly.  That is, I am a pantser (as in seat-of-my-pants).  I first heard that term when I attended the Write-by-the-Lake retreat this past June.  I heard it again when I was reading the latest issue of Writer’s Digest (March/April 2013). So, let’s back up to that statement at the top:  Second-draft revisions are tough.  As I’ve been working through this draft with my wonderful writing partner (who reads, critiques, gives, suggestions, and kicks my butt), I’ve been seriously considering starting the next book with a good old-fashioned outline, thinking it would make those 2nd draft revisions much easier.  After reading this article in WD, I am wrong, wrong, wrong!  Take what you want–work how you want–but for me, the outline may not be my bestfriend.  It’s too limiting.  It’s too old-school, it’s too predictable…and it sort of takes the fun …

Write On, Wednesday: Dealing with Structure

By Leslie Lindsay  (image retrieved from myhsj.org) I have my novel-in-process right here with me.  Yes, its in electronic form on my handy-dandy lap-top and in binder form sitting on the table next to me.  I have another binder full of hand-outs  hints, tips, ideas, inspiration from from time at the Write by the Lake writer’s retreat back in June.  I don’t want to do anything about it.  Nope.  Nada.  No way.  “It’s hard!” I whine.  (Well, if it were easy, everyone would write a book).  But I know I need to.  Here’s what needs to happen:  I need to take all of my prose and turn into something a little more mangable.  I thought I was a person who could write without an outline…I preferred it that way.  Hey–if I knew every twist and turn ahead of time, what’s the point in writing?  For me, writing is a discovery process.  It’s about being in the moment and seeing where my fingers take me.  It’s pretty darn fun.  But back to structure.  I started out …