Thursday 1 July 2010

The fog is clearing a bit

I've tried all the things that were suggested by you good folk and I am feeling a little more motivated. My concern (it doesn't qualify as a problem) is that I now want to write but don't know what to concentrate on.
BTL is in the bag as it were and just looking for a home and I have started on my second "great" work. But there is another project that I want to work on. So I decided to work on the project that is exciting me the most and that's great. However (didn't you know that there would be one) it needs planning and I struggle with planning. But it is a skill that I would like to learn.
At the minute I have the idea but I'm not sure it's got the legs to get to 70k. If I just write it I think that it might fall a bit short.
Any ideas for best practice for planning a book?

8 comments:

Amanda said...

Hi Colette

I’ve heard it’s good to outline your plot first - break it down into possible chapters - making brief notes on what will happen in each, to give you idea of word count, structure, plot etc.

I actually didn’t do this with my first MS and just went with the flow. I actually think I made it harder, and will be writing an outline next time!

Perhaps you could consider a shorter piece with the project that's exciting you. A novella or womag serial perhaps.
Good luck! x

Colette McCormick said...

Interesting that you should say that Amanda because I was thinking of a novella myself but dismissed it because I didn't think that there was much of a market.
I have made a start with the planning this afternoon trying to work out the start, middle and end. I didn't plot my first MS either and I think you're right that a plan would make it easier.

HelenMWalters said...

I didn't plan my first novel at all and I realise now that it really suffered for it. I'm determined that I will plan the next one, but I'm not far enough along to make any recommendations yet.

Colette McCormick said...

I'm certainly going to do some planning this time Helen. Good luck with yours.

Suzanne Ross Jones said...

I wish I could offer advice. I've never planned a novel - but that might explain why I ended up rewriting the last one 14 times (and it still didn't sell - and now I'm too sick of the sight of it to even think of rewriting again).

Good luck with the planning. I'm definitely going to try that method next time.

XX

Colette McCormick said...

I'll let you know how the planning goes Suzanne.

Anonymous said...

We didn't plan to fail, we failed to plan.

Not sure where that's a quote from, but I for one believe in it. See this picture for a hint as to why.

Colette McCormick said...

Great picture Captain. Says it all really. Also, the saying makes sense. Cheers.