I decided to take a break from Monday Minutes Challenge. The reason is because I'm juggling myself between a lot of ideas right now. So I decided to write a post about my writing struggles.I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but I'm a planner. A lot of people I know aren't, but I am. Usually, I know everything about the characters and their relationships with others before I start writing. Knowing how it's going to end is a priority before I start a book. Once I got most of it plotted out in my head, I start plotting the next book. And the next. Yes, I am definately a planner.
You might think that makes the job easier. Sometimes it does, but there's always a catch. My stories must be character driven. While I plot, I focus too much on my characters and forget my conflict details. This was a sci-fi novel, the first one I attempted. So the conflict wasn't like others I'd written.
With my newest story, I knew the characters like I knew my best friends. I started the first draft and I adored my characters. But there were conflict details I just couldn't figure out. Reluctantly, I put it away and started on a new story. That didn't work out too well. The sci-fi story came back and realized I had to go back to my other story. Being a planner, I couldn't do that until I knew exactly what the conflict was.
In the midst of my problem, a friend and I had a long, detailed conversation about Jane Austen. (Yes, I'm a nerd) She told me how Jane Austen wrote her books in letters as a first draft. Then she wrote them in a book!
Light bulb! I've enjoyed writing letters anyway. Later, I wrote a letter in my main character's perspective, explaining everything that happened in my book. Since it wasn't going to be published, I didn't have to worry about wording or errors. As long as it made sense, it was fine.
Once I finished that, I started my book again. I kept some scenes from my original draft, but most of it was new stuff. I'm 21,000's into the thing. It needs help, believe me. But this time, I know what's going on. I know what's going to happen. For a planner, that's a great feeling.
Are you a planner or a pantser? What are your writing struggles? When they get in the way of things, what do you do about them! Post a comment below! I'd love to hear them!
I'm somewhere in the middle, just slightly closer to pantser. My stories are incredibly character driven, so I usually know quite a lot about my main character, but not much about any of the others. I do a little bit of planning, but mostly just a bare bones outline that usually has a big question mark at the end of it. Literally. I have a really hard time figuring out what my conflicts and plots are then. A lot of times I have an internal conflict for my character, but nothing external at all. Usually I have to talk to my mom and sisters non stop and drive them nuts until they give me an idea or else I work it out myself.
ReplyDeleteWith my new story, I have a problem with external and internal conflicts. I know exactly what the internal conflict is, but have a hard time figuring out the other. I can relate!
DeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts!
In Christ,
Sarah
I'm definitely a planner, and probably to a fault. I spend a ridiculous amount of time making sure all of the characters' names have cool meanings.
ReplyDeleteThat's cool! Yes, I often plan too far ahead, to the point where planning gets out of hand:(
DeleteFrom Daddy: Maybe if you planned the arrangement of socks and tshirts in a way that would quiet the dresser monster, you could put the shorts and underwear in a place where the monster couldn't find them and gobble them up. The arrangement of clothes (internal conflict) could stifle the reaction of the dresser monster. Yikes!
ReplyDelete