SaltwaterServr
Blank Paper Offends Me
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I got inspired to write one a few weeks back. I haven't done the most important part, promising myself I'm going to write it.
I've done a bit of research into methods of writing a fictional novel. Some I like, some I don't. There's one author that says just write and when you're done you'll know it. Sounds like a huge waste of time to me. I found the Snowflake method and like elements of that.
I do like the idea of planning enough of the various plot elements in parts and pieces that you'll know who your characters are. Then you go and make a personality profile sheet for each of the main and secondary characters so that you'll "know" ahead of time how they should respond in voice and actions in a given situation.
I found that finding the "growth" of the protagonist and antagonist and writing that helps define what happens throughout, to a degree.
So far I've taken a 15 word sentence to describe the plot, expanded it to 3 Acts and an ending with a single paragraph to define what happens in each Act. Now I'm going through parts of Act 1 and Act 2 to determine how those plot elements come together for the ending of that Act and the beginning of the next Act.
Example, I have the antagonist introduced at the beginning of Act 2 although he was a shadow figure and part of Act 1. Since he was in Act 1, I'm going into his back story at how he started as a L.A. defense attorney and how he ended up in a mud brick village in Afghanistan negotiating a multi-million dollar heroin deal. That's pretty much how the end of Act 1 closes and introduces you to Act 2 being in Mexico with a my protagonist going after Mexican drug cartel leadership.
It seems natural to an extent to do it that way. Once I get partially through Act 2, I'll start to make notes for Act 3 so that I can see how those two elements blend together. Same for the ending and Act 3.
I'm having a pretty fun time doing the research and the various scenes for Act 1. I know how I want to introduce the plot elements unlike some books that say "X happened in May, 1998, said Thomas" and expect you to ride along. I want to show you in the book how you could get away with stealing 6 ICBM warheads in Russia and how the characters on both sides of that deal were either duped or crapping solid gold bullets as they did it.
I want to show the characters, even some minor ones, as having everyday vices, sins and personalities. Last night, I wrote the summary of an Oval Office scene where one of the senior advisors to the President is woke up in the early morning for an emergency briefing at White House. She takes the call, and accidentally wakes up her intern who is nude in her bed. The intern, a younger woman, ends up going with her to her office because they're both still frisky and it would be a sexual adventure to make love in her office. Anyway, the scene is a few paragraphs but at the end of it you know the senior advisor has a voracious and curiosity-driven sexual appetite for women but is married to keep up appearances in the male dominated world of the upper echelon of the political game.
So, for anyone who has attempted a book, any pointers? Is there a method you've used to get through it? Any developmental ideas or processes? How do you keep it from bogging down within the story?
Any help or ideas would be appreciated.
I've done a bit of research into methods of writing a fictional novel. Some I like, some I don't. There's one author that says just write and when you're done you'll know it. Sounds like a huge waste of time to me. I found the Snowflake method and like elements of that.
I do like the idea of planning enough of the various plot elements in parts and pieces that you'll know who your characters are. Then you go and make a personality profile sheet for each of the main and secondary characters so that you'll "know" ahead of time how they should respond in voice and actions in a given situation.
I found that finding the "growth" of the protagonist and antagonist and writing that helps define what happens throughout, to a degree.
So far I've taken a 15 word sentence to describe the plot, expanded it to 3 Acts and an ending with a single paragraph to define what happens in each Act. Now I'm going through parts of Act 1 and Act 2 to determine how those plot elements come together for the ending of that Act and the beginning of the next Act.
Example, I have the antagonist introduced at the beginning of Act 2 although he was a shadow figure and part of Act 1. Since he was in Act 1, I'm going into his back story at how he started as a L.A. defense attorney and how he ended up in a mud brick village in Afghanistan negotiating a multi-million dollar heroin deal. That's pretty much how the end of Act 1 closes and introduces you to Act 2 being in Mexico with a my protagonist going after Mexican drug cartel leadership.
It seems natural to an extent to do it that way. Once I get partially through Act 2, I'll start to make notes for Act 3 so that I can see how those two elements blend together. Same for the ending and Act 3.
I'm having a pretty fun time doing the research and the various scenes for Act 1. I know how I want to introduce the plot elements unlike some books that say "X happened in May, 1998, said Thomas" and expect you to ride along. I want to show you in the book how you could get away with stealing 6 ICBM warheads in Russia and how the characters on both sides of that deal were either duped or crapping solid gold bullets as they did it.
I want to show the characters, even some minor ones, as having everyday vices, sins and personalities. Last night, I wrote the summary of an Oval Office scene where one of the senior advisors to the President is woke up in the early morning for an emergency briefing at White House. She takes the call, and accidentally wakes up her intern who is nude in her bed. The intern, a younger woman, ends up going with her to her office because they're both still frisky and it would be a sexual adventure to make love in her office. Anyway, the scene is a few paragraphs but at the end of it you know the senior advisor has a voracious and curiosity-driven sexual appetite for women but is married to keep up appearances in the male dominated world of the upper echelon of the political game.
So, for anyone who has attempted a book, any pointers? Is there a method you've used to get through it? Any developmental ideas or processes? How do you keep it from bogging down within the story?
Any help or ideas would be appreciated.
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