Writing process Pink polk-a-dot gown

Now that I had the story line going, I needed to work on my pacing. In order to do that my sister/editor showed me a great tool. It basically is for each scene in a chapter. Each chapter should have 3-5 scenes.

1.  What is the character's problem?

2.  What is stopping the problem from being solved?

3. What is the complication that prohibits problem from being solved?

4. How does character solve the problem?

Bridge

Next Scene

It looks easy, but when you start to look at each scene and then have to decide what does the character actually want . . . I had a lot of thinking to do.

Family life

Wow! May is always a busy month. I always look forward to May but then when it comes it seems like there is too much to do. This year, our youngest graduated from high school. So there was graduation and a party to throw for him. Our second daughter graduated from college. So there was another graduation and a celebration lunch. My parents were able to come so that made it even more special. My husband has been traveling and then his bosses were in town making for long days and weekends of working for him.

Then there was Mother's Day and a visit to my Mom, which was wonderful. But it was snowing and my kids and I usually plant flowers and so instead we had a dinner the night before. Again, very nice but a little hectic. Then my dad had a show, he's a musician. He sang and played the accordian. I always think he is the best out of all the performers.

Then my sister's class performed a worship dance program where my niece danced. It was quite beautiful.

So what I am trying to say, is that I have had no time to write this month. A few edits. A correction or two, but nothing to report.

Writing process and cloak

The first piece of advice was to limit my characters. I had upwards of thirty.

Secondly, she wrote the alphabet and had me write down each of my character's names. Only one name per letter. I found that I had multiple characters with the same first letter. She told me that was confusing to the reader. So that is where I started. Combining three and four characters into one person  and then was able to whittle down the amount of people in my book.

Then she had me make a chart and based off of the story wrote what the two main characters' main action was in that chapter. The chart was five spaces across and four down. At the fifth square on each row there had to be a main turning point. Something had to change in the story which the character reacted to and turned the trajectory of the plot in a different direction.

I asked my daughter to make this cloak and then realized that no one enjoys seeing worn-out clothing. 

Writing process and loose fitting Pelisse

But then I didn't know what to do from there. I made the corrections and then two of my other sisters agreed to read it. (Thank heaven for big families) Each had constructive input and I worked again on the story. I finally had to put it aside, not knowing what else it needed. I began working on my second novel, then my third followed by a fourth and finally my fifth. My sisters were again called upon to read and they did not fail me.

Now ten years later, I have five books with gaping plot holes and glaring grammar problems. What was I going to do? I decided to take all my great work and bring it to my sister/author/writer/editor to see what she thought I should do.

She read the first page guardedly. Being a nice sister, however, she gave me some ideas and a structure to take the first book to the next level.

Not as elegant but much needed for England's rainy weather.

Writing process and day gown

Not having access to the book I had written, I was surprised that the essence of the story started to come alive. It took me another three years to finish the book. 

When I was done, I called one of my sisters, and she volunteered to read it. While it was in her hands, I changed the ending three times. Running over to her house, I gave her the freshly printed endings. She was kind and generous and even went so far as to correct punctuation and ask questions about things that had happened.

What's more she told me how my lead character must have been feeling at certain points in the book which would explain reactions at various events. She was wonderful. Every writer needs someone to visit their world and then to interpret why they wrote and why.

Writing and day gown

So I talked to my sister who actually is an author/writer/editor and asked her for some advice on what to do about my problem of having a story evolve but not a solid idea of where it should go. She advised me to throw all my work away. To be brave and trash it all. Then to sit down and write the story from memory.

I nearly had a heart attack. Thanked her for her advice and then quickly left her home. How could I throw away my life's work? How would I remember all the intricate details, all the over- developed descriptions of corner tables and rugs?

I like the ordinary. This is one of those gowns that doesn't actually stand out. However, could you just imagine Eleanor or Maryanne wearing it in their little cozy cottage?   

Day gown and writing

When I first started writing, I didn't have a whole story in mind. I wasn't that organized. But I had scenes that I would hammer out and then re-read and re-work until I thought they were exactly what I wanted.

While I was driving my kids to their various sports' practices I would get an idea. Then during the practice, I would write on scraps of paper. Time went by. Actually three years of time. I was no closer to the end of the book than I was at the beginning.

One day while I was outside, all 12 inches of my great novel flew apart. It was all over the yard. Paper by paper my kids and their friends picked it all up. It was then that I realized as I tried to put it back together without page numbers, of course, that my book was not actually coming together.

I wasn't sure what to do about it.