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Some writers plot out every major
aspect of their story. They know before they begin how it’s going to develop
and then end. Others know nothing but the fist stage. Each side will swear by
its methods (often fervently). Stephen King says, “My basic belief about
stories is that they pretty much make themselves. The job of the writer is to
give them a place to grow.”
On this subject Adam Sexton a long time writer and
writing conference teacher says, “I passionately believe that a book-length
story needs planning. To refuse to plan seems to me foolhardy, not to mention
the very pinnacle of arrogance.” So who is right? There is of course no answer,
unless neither one is completely right. Try both ways and see what works for
you.
If
you want to go the planning route you can try using a storyboard technique.
Take a note card or cut up a piece of paper and write out a sentence
description of a scene or an image you want in the story. For example: one card
could say Tina learns she is pregnant. Another could say: she moves into her
own apartment. Line the cards up in the order they would happen, then think
about the scenes you would need to connect the cards. How does Tina afford the
new apartment? She could get a job as a cocktail waitress. Once you have created a series of scenes
make sure that each is necessary to the story. Does each move the story
forward? Develop character? Create tension? While you may create scenes for
your characters, the characters should direct the outcome of the scenes. The
way that each scene plays out should result from how your character responds to
the pressure you place on them. If Tina is a quiet, naïve girl, how is she
going to handle working in a loud, bar full of down and out characters? Her
response would create a scene that both pushes her towards the dramatic
conclusion, changes her and reveals more about what makes her tick as a person.
For more ideas on planning see the article titled, “Plotting and Scheming.”
Even
if you create an outline, you must leave yourself open to new ideas,
discoveries or what I call character mutiny, which is when a character forces the story to
go in a new, unexpected direction. Usually this is a good thing; it means that
you have created a vital world and active characters that follow the paths they
need to take, not the paths you push them onto.
There
is also a middle ground between the no planning and complete planning
philosophies. Writer Michael Vaughn (see interview) plans out each chapter
before beginning, but doesn’t worry about successive chapters. The process that works
best for you will be determined by your writing style, personality, skill and
the type of story.
Many
writers will shy away from fully planning their novel simply because it seems
like too much work. This is the worst reason you could have for not plotting
your story. At least once, try to plot a novel or short story before you begin.
By thinking through the whole arc of the plot you will strengthen your plotting
skills, so even if next time you discard the planning route your plot will be
better constructed.
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