From Free Writing a Novel to Plotting a Series

Hi All! Happy Hump Day.

Plotting a novel or free writing one? Pros? Cons? Or, if you’re like me, you didn’t realize there was anything other than free writing until you had written the first draft of a story. As a disclaimer, I’m not an expert, and Friday, I’ll provide you with a list of experts I’ve read from to form my opinions. Instead, today will focus on my experiences from experimenting with different types and forms. From what I’ve read and will refer to as writing is when a person dives into writing anything, be it fan fiction, a novel, short story, series, even poetry. Plotting, however, is much different. It requires outlines, research back story, and careful planning of each little detail.

Nothing is inherently wrong with either approach to writing; arguably, both have their uses. Simply writing helps the creative juices flow. Plotting helps keep one on track and makes it easier to see where a story fails.

Here’s the problem: no matter what path you pick, you still go back and have to work on the story structure after that first draft. All the plotting in the world doesn’t negate that fact, well, it might if you are super determined and able to stick to precisely what you plotted out, but I can’t.

I absolutely love starting with a single idea and building it from there. For example, the world of Paracosm grew from a single idea to take a break from a manuscript I had just finished. (I’ll introduce you to it next week). It all started when I read an article on strong female leads and how they go wrong. The hype on Star Wars Episode 7 was in its prime, and I’d been stuck on binging Burn Notice on Hulu for a couple weeks.

Bam! Peregrina Korosec is an ex-military general who is second in line to lead the criminal underworld of the Agency. She was outed at the start of the story in exile. She begins in a long slow game to get revenge on her boss, who is responsible for many things.

I could see the story and had many chunks written in very rough draft forms. Then writer’s block. So I researched and learned about story structure and plotting. I’m still not sure I understand the difference, but that’s what I’m reading to figure out.
I found K.W. Weiland’s blog, Helping Writers Become Authors. (It’s going to be on my list for Friday). I enjoyed the way the ideas and how to plot and outline a story. When it wasn’t something, I’d ever done before, as well as helped me consider aspects of the story I glossed over or didn’t address because they didn’t fit within my perspective of the story. Once I went back and addressed or answered what Peregrina wanted and how that contrasted with the antagonist’s desires and plans.
What hadn’t quite clicked, though, was how to get the flow of the scenes just right to meet the first, second and third act parts. I struggle with the change between acts. How much is too much detail? Is this the natural end to the act? Or should it be something different?

Well, I had finished the first draft of the story, I had all the scenes, but I couldn’t figure out the ending. It just never felt right. So I started listening to podcasts about writing and tips and found The Story Grid written by Shawn Coye and the Podcast with Coye and Tim Grahl. The math formula for how many scenes per section of the story makes sense to me. I understand it better than the first plot point and middle build. Those are still crucial factors in a story and something I’m working on. Still, it’s easier when I can go okay I have to make this happen in twenty-five scenes to get to the climax. What’s the best way to do that? And oh… that’s where I thought my climax was, but my ending rambles for another four chapters. That shouldn’t happen.

My poor fiancé had to listen to me talk about the ideas and back story and how something just felt off with the story’s purpose for days. I’d written short blurbs of backstory to get a feel for the characters in the story. I’d written twelve endings of the story, which I was trying to get him to read. (He read most of them, but nothing stood out to him either).

After days of discussion, comments, and research, he makes a comment that changes everything.

“You have enough material, and science fiction and fantasy stories are usually in a series, like Dune, The Wheel of Time, The Lord of the Rings. It sounds like your story isn’t over, and you have enough back story ideas to have stuff beforehand,” he says as though it is the simplest solution. Really the answer was staring me in the face the whole time. The climax wasn’t fitting because the payoff afterward didn’t feel complete. The back story, if better developed, could add a whole other layer to the story that would fill what was missing.

So now I’m plotting a seven-book series with an ending that finally feels right. Truthfully I don’t think either of us would have realized there was an issue with the story if it wasn’t for plotting.

I will try and have a post each week relating to a new writing tip or technique I try. But I’m curious when writing, whether fiction, non-fiction, an email, post, etc., how much plotting or free writing do you use?