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Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Author Karen Wiesner
I can't wait to get a copy of Wayward Angels, Karen. I'm glad you're paving the way for honest depictions of real people, struggling through life. I think readers will get more, spiritually, from that than from "rose-garden" stories.
ReplyDeleteI'm also delighted to find another writer who does detailed outlines! LOL My crit partners are all seat-of-the-pants writers, and I have to outline much like you. Hooray for the outliners! :o))
Hello, everyone -- This is a question referencing 30 DAYS. This is Rhonda from the Plotspot group. I just don't feel like logging in at this time. Anyway, with all due respect, I'm having trouble with the story evolution section. I'm having trouble seeing the corresponding elements in the form as events in my story. Can you please offer some tips to help with this? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteNancy - I essentially did this with the first draft of my second novel. I was getting so stuck trying to plot (sorry, Karen!) that the only thing that worked for me at that point was to just start writing without knowing all the twists and turns. I had a basic idea of what I wanted to happen, but that's about it. And the clincher was I wouldn't allow myself to go back and re-read any of what I'd done. That was the only way I could finish the thing. I wrote 1500 words a day, five days a week, for about two months (skipping a few days here and there).
ReplyDeleteIt worked for me. That first draft was basically my outline and gave me a clear picture of what needed to change in the second draft.
Wow. This sounds magical. I'm going to go to the website now and sign up for your newsletter. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGood morning. I seem to be having trouble with the blog this morning. I just responded to one of the comments and my message was dissolved with an error page. : (
ReplyDeleteKaren Wiesner
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Available now:
FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS (Writer's Digest Books) is available for ordering and the bonus website is now accessible! Visit www.firstdraftin30days.com for more information!
WAYWARD ANGELS, Book 4 Wounded Warriors Series, Available now!, www.karenwiesner.com (Fiction)!
FALCON'S BEND CASE FILES, Volume I w/ Chris Spindler, Coming 10/05, Falcon's Bend, where nothing ever seems to happen...except the occasional murder. Join the Falcon's Bend Community to be eligible for our newest giveaway! http://www.falconsbend.com
What is Dame Amethyst up to? Find out at www.JewelsoftheQuill.com, Join us for our monthly book giveaways!
TALES FROM THE TREASURE TROVE, Volume I, A Jewels of the Quill Anthology, Available now! 4 1/2 star review and Top Pick from Romantic Times! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
SMALL GIFTS, A Jewels of the Quill Christmas Anthology, Available now! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
Ane Mulligan wrote: I can't wait to get a copy of Wayward Angels, Karen. I'm glad you're paving the way for honest depictions of real people, struggling through life. I think readers will get more, spiritually, from that than from "rose-garden" stories.
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad to hear that there are other Christians who like to read things outside what CBA labels "acceptable." When I first accepted that the Lord was calling me to write Christian fiction, I went out and bought a dozen books that were labeled as Christian or inspirational. 99% of what I read didn't strike me as either Christian or inspirational. What I saw was an occasional prayer that went up in the midst of turmoil. In no other way could you see God at work in the lives of these characters.
This isn't a slur on those who read or write this kind of thing. I'm just so different. I don't want to read something that's going to make me feel wrapped in cotton--safe and warm and fuzzy. I want to read something that powerfully shows God hand in changing a life. Yes, it may be graphic and stark in its reality, but I find His power beyond amazing. That's what I want to do with my writing, with God's help and guidance. Though I wasn't raised in a Christian enviroment for most of my life, I look back at everything I went through and I see God working even when I was so far from Him. I find that so powerful.
God knows what each person needs. Some people need to feel warm and safe. Others need to see something drastic, shocking, miraculous before they can hear God calling. I want to offer a story that's powerful, regardless of what it's about. I'd like to see Christians work together more on that. I almost think the CBA label is against anything that could show a powerful witness that's realistic, graphic and stark. In any case, I don't think any of us need to feel like we have to defend or apologize for what God has called us to write.
BTW, if you're interested in the trade paperback of WAYWARD ANGELS, you can get it at a 15% discount with my printable order form here: www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/orderform2.html.
Karen Wiesner
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Available now:
FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS (Writer's Digest Books) is available for ordering and the bonus website is now accessible! Visit www.firstdraftin30days.com for more information!
WAYWARD ANGELS, Book 4 Wounded Warriors Series, Available now!, www.karenwiesner.com (Fiction)!
FALCON'S BEND CASE FILES, Volume I w/ Chris Spindler, Coming 10/05, Falcon's Bend, where nothing ever seems to happen...except the occasional murder. Join the Falcon's Bend Community to be eligible for our newest giveaway! http://www.falconsbend.com
What is Dame Amethyst up to? Find out at www.JewelsoftheQuill.com, Join us for our monthly book giveaways!
TALES FROM THE TREASURE TROVE, Volume I, A Jewels of the Quill Anthology, Available now! 4 1/2 star review and Top Pick from Romantic Times! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
SMALL GIFTS, A Jewels of the Quill Christmas Anthology, Available now! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
anonymous (Rhonda) wrote: Anyway, with all due respect, I'm having trouble with the story evolution section. I'm having trouble seeing the corresponding elements in the form as events in my story. Can you please offer some tips to help with this? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteRhonda, The in-depth story evolution worksheet is provided to help you create the framework for the beginning, middle, and end of your story. Read Chapter Four carefully and make an attempt to use the worksheet to unfurl the steadily evolving plot of your story. If you find that this worksheet is actually doing the opposite of what it’s supposed to do and you stop progressing in the development of your outline because of it, skip the worksheet. This chapter and worksheet were intriguing suggestions my publisher made when the book first went into revisions, and I was able to provide something that I think will prove invaluable to many authors. That said, it wasn’t something that I originally intended to be included in the outlining process. I think you will find it enhances the rest of the steps anyway.
If it works for you to use the story evolution worksheet as you plot your novel from start to finish, great. Then it’ll prove to be a valuable tool for you. If it doesn’t work at this early stage in your outlining, try using it later in your project instead. I consider the story evolution worksheet a remedy for when you run into trouble while outlining or after you’ve completed a project that didn’t quite work. This worksheet should help you push forward or to pinpoint exactly where your story problems lie. At that point, it’ll be really helpful. For now, skip it as a step in the outlining process if it’s not helpful here, and try using it later if you run into problems.
You might need to move on to the next step. All of this should be worked out in the formal outline. I don't want my explanation here to confuse you more concerning the story evolution worksheet, but don't get caught up in trying to match your story to the worksheet. While it may help you find holes, if you fill out the worksheet and it looks like there are holes in your story but you honestly don't feel there are holes in your story in the areas defined in the worksheet, then don't worry about it. Once your formal outline is complete, you'll be able to see if your story is missing something easier. Writer Stefani Catenzaro says that when converting her evolution sheet into scene capsules, she saw problems right off the bat. Before she did this, her manuscript had many problems, but with this method she's able to worry about the major problems right away and contend with details and dropped threads later. Florence Cardinal adds: "My plot evolution didn't follow exactly what Karen has in her book, but I do have a thorough plot outline of the beginning, the middle and the end, and I can see where my story is going and where it went wrong before."
I consider the story evolution worksheet mainly for problems. If it's not helpful and confuses you, then it's best to save it for a time when you have serious problems in your story and you can't figure out where the problems are coming from. It would be quite amazing if one worksheet could follow every single novel from start to finish, but this one won't in every case.
Did you have more specific problems with the worksheet, Rhonda?
Karen Wiesner
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Available now:
FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS (Writer's Digest Books) is available for ordering and the bonus website is now accessible! Visit www.firstdraftin30days.com for more information!
WAYWARD ANGELS, Book 4 Wounded Warriors Series, Available now!, www.karenwiesner.com (Fiction)!
FALCON'S BEND CASE FILES, Volume I w/ Chris Spindler, Coming 10/05, Falcon's Bend, where nothing ever seems to happen...except the occasional murder. Join the Falcon's Bend Community to be eligible for our newest giveaway! http://www.falconsbend.com
What is Dame Amethyst up to? Find out at www.JewelsoftheQuill.com, Join us for our monthly book giveaways!
TALES FROM THE TREASURE TROVE, Volume I, A Jewels of the Quill Anthology, Available now! 4 1/2 star review and Top Pick from Romantic Times! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
SMALL GIFTS, A Jewels of the Quill Christmas Anthology, Available now! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
I'm going to post this one in pieces, since the blogger seems to want short and sweet today.
ReplyDeletePart I:
Nancy wrote: I'm in the midst of writing a long narrative instead of outlining. Anyone else work like this when developing a first draft?
C.J. Darlington wrote: Nancy - I essentially did this with the first draft of my second novel. I was getting so stuck trying to plot (sorry, Karen!) that the only thing that worked for me at that point was to just start writing without knowing all the twists and turns. I had a basic idea of what I wanted to happen, but that's about it. And the clincher was I wouldn't allow myself to go back and re-read any of what I'd done. That was the only way I could finish the thing. I wrote 1500 words a day, five days a week, for about two months (skipping a few days here and there). It worked for me. That first draft was basically my outline and gave me a clear picture of what needed to change in the second draft.
Before I fully moved into the method involved in FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS, I always wrote a long narrative. That's now evolved into the preliminary outline. It's extremely useful to write a long narrative as far as you can go in the story. This will become the basis of your preliminary outline. However, the chance of coming out with all the kinks worked out of your story with just a narrative is slim. The narrative can be used as part of the process of getting a full outline--it's so valuable and will save you a ton of time as you work out your formal outline (scene by scene). That scene-by-scene version of your novel is extremely important for a number of reasons. You'll be able to see the holes in your plot the way you would if, as C.J. did, you wrote a full draft of the book in manuscript format--however, it will take you longer and you'll spend a lot more time revising than you may need to. You may end up throwing away a good portion of your first draft because it didn't work (which--goes without saying I know--isn't very productive). Your brainstorming will come easier each day when it's time to write the book since you'll know exactly what you'll be writing on any given day. Your project goal sheet (when it's time to write the novel) will contain an accurate timeline for finishing the novel (which is really important if you're trying to get your writing more productive and organized on an annual basis).
Take a look at Chapter 5, page 96 in FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS. There's a section called "Outlining and Writing in Tandem." When I first started using an outline (which was NOT natural for me at all), I used this technique to help me get going. Basically, start your outline, get as many chapter drafts written as you can, and if you hit a roadblock, write the first scene outlined in your story (kind of what you were doing with your long narrative, Nancy). If you can return to the outline, great. If you can't, write the next scene. Doing this helps your mind really focus on your characters and the plot, get to know them better, and it should help your mind to brainstorm enough that you can push forward in the outlining. After you've used this method a few times, you should get the point where you're able to outline straight through without writing a word of the actual novel (which is really your goal), but this might keep you from losing steam. See the section in FIRST DRAFT for more details about this process.
If your outline is flowing, don't break it up by starting the writing. See the outline through. Your first draft actually writing the book will be 100% better and stronger. Only if you lose your enthusiasm for the story or hit a roadblock (can't finish the outline at any point), try the writing and outlining in tandem, always trying to get back to your outlining exclusively.
Karen Wiesner
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Available now:
FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS (Writer's Digest Books) is available for ordering and the bonus website is now accessible! Visit www.firstdraftin30days.com for more information!
WAYWARD ANGELS, Book 4 Wounded Warriors Series, Available now!, www.karenwiesner.com (Fiction)!
FALCON'S BEND CASE FILES, Volume I w/ Chris Spindler, Coming 10/05, Falcon's Bend, where nothing ever seems to happen...except the occasional murder. Join the Falcon's Bend Community to be eligible for our newest giveaway! http://www.falconsbend.com
What is Dame Amethyst up to? Find out at www.JewelsoftheQuill.com, Join us for our monthly book giveaways!
TALES FROM THE TREASURE TROVE, Volume I, A Jewels of the Quill Anthology, Available now! 4 1/2 star review and Top Pick from Romantic Times! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
SMALL GIFTS, A Jewels of the Quill Christmas Anthology, Available now! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
Part II:
ReplyDeleteNancy wrote: I'm in the midst of writing a long narrative instead of outlining. Anyone else work like this when developing a first draft?
C.J. Darlington wrote: Nancy - I essentially did this with the first draft of my second novel. I was getting so stuck trying to plot (sorry, Karen!) that the only thing that worked for me at that point was to just start writing without knowing all the twists and turns. I had a basic idea of what I wanted to happen, but that's about it. And the clincher was I wouldn't allow myself to go back and re-read any of what I'd done. That was the only way I could finish the thing. I wrote 1500 words a day, five days a week, for about two months (skipping a few days here and there). It worked for me. That first draft was basically my outline and gave me a clear picture of what needed to change in the second draft.
I said this yesterday and I'll say it again: An outline is an absolutely ideal place to explore new characters and new plot threads. To give you an example, let me tell you about something I just went through. A couple weeks ago, I was working on the outline for Book 5 in my Wounded Warriors Series, UNTIL IT'S GONE. This is actually a book that's been with me for more than ten years. While I've written a couple drafts of it (all before I got into working with outlines), the story is still extremely rough and there were several blind spots for me in it. But I wanted to get going on the outline because the romance relationship and characters, as well as some of the basic plot, were already in my head and I figured I'd work it all out eventually.
I worked over a period of about a week. During that time, I managed to outline the entire book except the very end. I ran into a lot of problems at that point because I was starting to see that I had some possibly extraneous characters who were playing pretty major roles (in one case, I realized I could a use certain character, but I needed to cast him in a whole new role within the story) and my basic plot wasn't working the way I'd hoped it would.
While I was working out the outline during this time, I'd had some vague ideas about different directions I could take with the plot that might make it stronger. After spending a good amount of time brainstorming on how these might work, it became clear that I wouldn't be able to use maybe a dozen, in the end probably two dozen scenes, I'd already outlined. Everything around these scenes was good--the romance relationship and characters were solid--so it wasn't a total loss. The next day, I went in and I deleted the scenes that I knew I wasn't going to be able to use. Took maybe a half hour to delete just those draft of scenes. Then I started laying in my new plot line, deleting a character I knew no longer worked in the story, and setting the groundwork for the new role the other character I mentioned above would be filling. By the end of the day, I pretty much had the outline back to the same point it'd been prior to realizing that my some original ideas weren't work. The next day, I kept going over my outline, filling in the areas that had been fuzzy the day before with new ideas. I kept pushing closer to completing that last 1/4th of the book. If I got stuck again, it was easy enough to delete the scenes I suspected were causing the problems and brainstorm on stronger ideas for them.
Now, after having read this scenario, do you see the huge benefit of exploring new characters and plotlines in an outline rather than writing the book and trying to working these things out at the same time? I lost maybe a day or two backtracking by deleting bad ideas and coming up with new ideas. If I'd skipped the outline and went directly to writing the book, I would have spent at least a month getting 3/4 of a book written and then having to delete over half of it because it wasn't strong enough. I'd have to re-write probably a good portion of it from scratch. Even then, I probably would revise the whole thing multiple times until the book finally came together. If could conceivably take months, maybe even years, to complete a single book working like this. Keep in mind, too, that writers will obsess over every word, every sentence, every paragraph as they're writing a novel. So, not only are they trying to figure the novel out as they write it, they're trying to make it perfect at the same time. Needless to say, this is not very productive.
An outline is a mini version of your book--it contains every single scene your full novel will on a much smaller scale. It's a complete snapshot of your novel. Which means that if you realize halfway through or even all the way through outlining a book that a lot of your ideas for it aren't working, it's just a matter of deleting the offensive scenes and starting again in a new direction. You're talking a change that should take you days instead of months or years to turn around. And most writers aren't going to obsess over what they write in an outline because it's not intended to be wonderful prose. The point of an outline is to set down the basic events that happen from one scene to the next. You can worry about polishing the words when you should--after you've written the book based on a solid outline and, preferably, you've spent enough time away from the story to see it with fresh eyes. This is productivity in the ideal, but it's within every writer's grasp if we can change our rigid ideas of what an outline is or can be.
Use your outline to explore any angle you want. If new characters crop up, wonderful! Include them. If they're not right for the story, getting rid of them won't take you much time at all. Explore a new plot thread--follow wherever it takes you. If it's a logical thread, keep it! If it's not, delete it. You'll only lose a little time--instead of a lot of time by writing a full draft that may or may not be strong enough--and your story will be stronger for it.
All this said, if you like the way you work and you feel you're getting the maximum productively that way, go for it! None of us write exactly the same way. In fact, I've never written a book the same way twice, though I basically follow my own FIRST DRAFT method. Even if you have your own way of working, most writers will find something to aid them in their productivity with FIRST DRAFT.
Karen Wiesner
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Available now:
FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS (Writer's Digest Books) is available for ordering and the bonus website is now accessible! Visit www.firstdraftin30days.com for more information!
WAYWARD ANGELS, Book 4 Wounded Warriors Series, Available now!, www.karenwiesner.com (Fiction)!
FALCON'S BEND CASE FILES, Volume I w/ Chris Spindler, Coming 10/05, Falcon's Bend, where nothing ever seems to happen...except the occasional murder. Join the Falcon's Bend Community to be eligible for our newest giveaway! http://www.falconsbend.com
What is Dame Amethyst up to? Find out at www.JewelsoftheQuill.com, Join us for our monthly book giveaways!
TALES FROM THE TREASURE TROVE, Volume I, A Jewels of the Quill Anthology, Available now! 4 1/2 star review and Top Pick from Romantic Times! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
SMALL GIFTS, A Jewels of the Quill Christmas Anthology, Available now! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
Tim wrote: Karen, Would the 30 day format work for those of us with limited free time by adjusting the step length?
ReplyDeleteTim, yes, definitely! The schedules were a great hook that my publisher wanted to use, and I think they work very well for that reason and for the reason that I think all authors could use a challenge. Though the schedules weren't something I originally intended as part of my outlining method, they do give clear direction on what to do and how to progress each day. They're great for keeping yourself disciplined through the process, but the 30-day method is very adaptable. You'll have your own internal clock about these things. If you work faster or slower, use your own judgment. The introduction to the book http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/FDexcerpt.pdf has some more details about the 30-day schedule. My hope is that each author will use it in the way that most benefits him or her. If, after repeated use, you're still finding them far too hard to stick to, set your own schedule accordingly. You might enjoy the challenge though. I also don't recommend writing when you're dead-tired or have no energy whatsoever. We have to have a life outside work and writing, don't we? Set your own schedule. Yes, if it's the only time you have to write, take what you can, but remember even one superficial pass of a character sheet is progress. Challenge yourself, but don't kill yourself.
Karen Wiesner
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Available now:
FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS (Writer's Digest Books) is available for ordering and the bonus website is now accessible! Visit www.firstdraftin30days.com for more information!
WAYWARD ANGELS, Book 4 Wounded Warriors Series, Available now!, www.karenwiesner.com (Fiction)!
FALCON'S BEND CASE FILES, Volume I w/ Chris Spindler, Coming 10/05, Falcon's Bend, where nothing ever seems to happen...except the occasional murder. Join the Falcon's Bend Community to be eligible for our newest giveaway! http://www.falconsbend.com
What is Dame Amethyst up to? Find out at www.JewelsoftheQuill.com, Join us for our monthly book giveaways!
TALES FROM THE TREASURE TROVE, Volume I, A Jewels of the Quill Anthology, Available now! 4 1/2 star review and Top Pick from Romantic Times! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
SMALL GIFTS, A Jewels of the Quill Christmas Anthology, Available now! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
I have Karen's book, First Draft in 30 Days. I absolutely love it! I outline, but her book helped me redefine the way I do it. Now it's more than just scenes I want to include; it's a road map. Thanks, Karen
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen, for your response to my question. As for your question to me, about where in the story evolution form do I get bogged down, I can't exactly say. I just read over it and get all confused. That said, especially after having read your response, I now believe that I started working on it too early in the process. I definitely have setting sketches yet to do and a few more character sketches as well. When you suggested holding the story evolution stuff until later, that idea "rang true" with me.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thank you for your response. And thank you, my fellow blog readers, for your patience at my question that sorta jumped ahead in the material.
Thanks again.
Rhonda
Anonymous (Rhonda) wrote: ...my question that sorta jumped ahead in the material.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you did jump ahead, Rhonda. It was always my intention that the story evolution worksheet be a last resort if you're having trouble. The way the book is put together, a lot of people will include the story evolution worksheet as the next logical step in the process. If it works for them, wonderful. If not, skip it and only use it when you really feel like you need more guidance. Ideally, you'll have your outline almost completely put together, so the story evolution worksheet will make sense at that point because your story is nearly all there and mostly cohesive.
Karen Wiesner
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Available now:
FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS (Writer's Digest Books) is available for ordering and the bonus website is now accessible! Visit www.firstdraftin30days.com for more information!
WAYWARD ANGELS, Book 4 Wounded Warriors Series, Available now!, www.karenwiesner.com (Fiction)!
FALCON'S BEND CASE FILES, Volume I w/ Chris Spindler, Coming 10/05, Falcon's Bend, where nothing ever seems to happen...except the occasional murder. Join the Falcon's Bend Community to be eligible for our newest giveaway! http://www.falconsbend.com
What is Dame Amethyst up to? Find out at www.JewelsoftheQuill.com, Join us for our monthly book giveaways!
TALES FROM THE TREASURE TROVE, Volume I, A Jewels of the Quill Anthology, Available now! 4 1/2 star review and Top Pick from Romantic Times! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
SMALL GIFTS, A Jewels of the Quill Christmas Anthology, Available now! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
I'm going to log off for today. I've enjoying talking with everyone. If you have any questions, feel free to visit my websites (below), where you can send me e-mail. Thanks for having me on Novel Journal, Gina, and thanks for all the great feedback, those who logged in yesterday and today. Best of luck to everyone in their writing!
ReplyDeleteKaren Wiesner
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Available now:
FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS (Writer's Digest Books) is available for ordering and the bonus website is now accessible! Visit www.firstdraftin30days.com for more information!
WAYWARD ANGELS, Book 4 Wounded Warriors Series, Available now!, www.karenwiesner.com (Fiction)!
FALCON'S BEND CASE FILES, Volume I w/ Chris Spindler, Coming 10/05, Falcon's Bend, where nothing ever seems to happen...except the occasional murder. Join the Falcon's Bend Community to be eligible for our newest giveaway! http://www.falconsbend.com
What is Dame Amethyst up to? Find out at www.JewelsoftheQuill.com, Join us for our monthly book giveaways!
TALES FROM THE TREASURE TROVE, Volume I, A Jewels of the Quill Anthology, Available now! 4 1/2 star review and Top Pick from Romantic Times! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
SMALL GIFTS, A Jewels of the Quill Christmas Anthology, Available now! www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
Thanks for answering all these questions, Karen. I got a lot of great information just reading the responses. :-)
ReplyDeleteIf I don't win the autographed copy (*wink wink*), I'll be heading out to Borders to pick it up. :-)