Week Two

The Outline

Ideas can be like a bunch of wild toddlers running in all different directions at once. They are all still growing and need the same special attention. But how do I contain them to protect them while giving them enough room to become what they are meant to be? How do I combine my ideas and construct the novel without stifling my own creativity?

I have always shied away from outlines since every poem or story I have written has been written based on a single thought. A novel  to me is like several ideas combined to create one body. With that being said, I found that an outline is a mandatory step to starting my first novel. Here are a few methods I've used while creating my outline:

1. Plan the outline - Before I started my outline there were a few elements that I needed to consider.

• Main Plot - this is the main conflict for the main character (s)
• Theme - if there is one phrase or word that can describe the story, it's the theme
• Sub Plots - these are other conflicts that arises with the main plot in progress
• Obstacles for protagonist - the protagonists NEEDS obstacles, the harder the better
• Main Events - these are the main parts of the novel that gradually takes the reader from one point to the next

2. Creating the Outline - This is the method I used when creating an outline to match my writing style.

• I first tried a timeline method where I created a table that contained 4 columns, they were Timeframe, Main Plot, Sub Plot and Characters in Scene. This allowed me to place the main plots and the subplots in the timeframe when they were to happen and I was also able to identify which characters would be in these scenes. 

         

•  I soon found that the timeline method did not suit me since it did not leave me much room to make changes. Therefore, I am currently working on a different outline method where I write a paragraph describing each chapter. I am also refraining from putting too much detail into each chapter so that I can give my creativity enough freedom to expand during the writing process.

Overall, I found that creating an outline will help me in avoiding dead-ends and also allow me to remember to wrap up sub plots. Outlines are a good way to maintaining control over the project while leading me in the right direction.

Week One

The Plan

The first thing that came to mind when I decided to start writing a novel was "the plan". It's important to know that planning is a good course of action, but too much planning can easily turn into procrastination. Because of this fact I made the plan short and sweet. This was the gist of the plan:

1. Get rid of all distractions - For me, my arch enemy of writing focus is Facebook, so I deactivated my account. The good thing about Facebook is that I may activate my account at any time I'm ready. However, I promised myself I won't reopen it until my novel is finished. This may be a bit extreme, especially for a FB addict like myself but I know it will be worth it. Do yourself a favor and rid yourself of distractions that seem to take up a large amount of time per day.

2. Routine - It's inevitable that new writers and old writers alike will come across the advice to "set a time to write at least once a day and stick to it..." bladdy bladdy blah....Personally, I tend to do things spontaneously and I work 10 hours a day throughout the week so this is a task that's slightly difficult for me to accomplish. However, that is something I work around by just writing for a few hours during my off days. A routine is mandatory IF you plan on actually completing your project. For most people, life gets in the way a lot and writing is one of those things that constantly gets pushed to the back of the line. You can't let this happen because once you start postponing your writing time, you'll soon find that you're not writing at all.

3. Brainstorming - This step is perhaps my favorite part of the plan. I brainstorm for my novel at anytime and anywhere. Sometimes I write my ideas in a small notebook or type it in a word document. However, the way you notate your thoughts are entirely up to you. I have a friend who voice records his ideas on the go to listen to them later. You may want to go somewhere with minimal distractions to help with concentration. I like to brainstorm within range of my girlfriend, she usually has pretty good ideas and enjoys helping me brainstorm from time to time. It's actually a lot of fun for us to discuss ideas in this way.

4. Meet the characters - Before you can start your novel, the main character(s) must exist in your imagination. I tend to have a basic outline of my character at first; I know what the character sort-of looks like and I know how I want the character to appear to the reader. Unfortunately, this is not enough foundation for creating a well rounded character. Find a character sketch outline, there a tons of them floating around on the Internet waiting to be used, the more info you create for the character the better. After developing a char sketch for my main character, I couldn't wait to meet her.

Starting a new project for me tends to be bitter sweet. I am high from the thought of getting something started from scratch but I get tired when having to put in the effort and work to get things accomplished. For me, it is important that I constantly remind myself that I'm doing this to achieve my life long goal to publish a novel. It's not about money, it's not about showing off something I made, it's about achieving something great and being able to feel proud that I persevered against the odds.