The next exciting chapter...
Drawing from the experience of writing the first novel, I'm attempting to put together a chapter plan. I already know what the first chapter will entail, and the last one too. How the story will get from the beginning to the end is another puzzle to play with.
I have a list of the characters in book one (met or just mentioned), an idea of which of these will appear in book two, and a list of new characters to introduce.
I also have to tie in the story arc that covers the entire trilogy - bringing it from the shadows into a blurred sighting in book two (to be brought into complete focus in the final novel).
My task is to throw around all of these bones until they settle into a coherent, secure skeleton, ready to be filled out with sinew, muscle and skin. I'll be using a mixture of two methods that I've come across through my Tuesday Choice Words posts on this blog.
The first is the Foolscap method by Steven Pressfield, in essence, getting everything down on paper and creating a plan (this is where I'm at right now).
Foolscap Video #1
Foolscap Video #2
A little further down the line, I'll be using something called the 7 Point Plot System - a method I originally saw posted on the Julie Musil blog. It's a seven point plot system to create pace and keep your novel moving.
It feels rather scary to return to this stage after striving to complete the first novel, but exciting too. Wish me luck.
Umm, I listened to the videos. Mr Pressfield might only write down on 1 side of paper but he has a hell of a lot of the story worked out. I like the snowflake method (although I don't stick to it strictly) and I use John Truby's Anatomy of Story because when I've answered all his questions I've got a pretty good handle on the story.
ReplyDeleteBut at the end of the day it's up to you to put all those pesky words down on the page. I'm wishing you luck and cheering you on :-)
Thanks, Suz.
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