Another post (kinda short, if I’m being honest), and another day for me to procrastinate writing fiction. At this point, you must all be wondering whether I’m really a writer of anything but this blog, but I assure you, I have written a novel (and three others in various states of completion…well, two novels and a….series of vignettes? Not sure about that one), I am working on polishing it, and it will be in book form for those who wish to read it some time in 2022.
On today’s (or tomorrow’s, by the time I actually get to it) agenda is starting the outline for my NaNoWriMo project. I mentioned once in a blog post (I tried to find it so I can link to it, but I was just reading through posts, and I got a little self-congratulatory AND couldn’t find what I was looking for, so I stopped) that I don’t write character sketches, but I am a firm believer in an outline.
I know there are writers who don’t use outlines; they sit down at the keyboard and just see what happens. With all due respect, those writers are bonkers. I can’t even begin unless I have an idea of where I’m going, and that, my friends, requires an outline.
When I’m struck by an idea, I generally write it down in my notebook (I know some writers collect nice notebooks and journals, but I am not one of those. I use a standard spiral-bound notebook you can find cheap, especially at this time of year), along with anything else that has struck me–character names, scenes, a setting, whatever. This idea is no exception, and I’ve scribbled a few things down already. But eventually every garbage heap of an idea needs order and structure to tame the chaos (to be fair, that’s also what my brain needs to get in gear), and organizing what I have into an outline (NaNoWriMo has a bunch of templates–and other resources–here; I use this one) is the first step, and it usually leads to MORE. More scene ideas, a few additional minor characters (for the love of God, tell me your names, minor characters), a more fleshed-out and nuanced story. An outline lays the track for a the story to follow.
That doesn’t mean the story won’t derail. Even the best laid-out and outlined story sometimes goes completely off the rails, often at the hands of one or more of the characters, which causes me to scream at them “I AM IN CHARGE HERE!” while they laugh maniacally and do whatever they want to anyway, including completely ignoring the outline. The worst is when I thought I’ve thoroughly outlined, only to find out that what I have written is not going to get me anywhere. This happened to me last November, and though I managed to eek out fifty thousand words (52,426 if you’re keeping score), I struggled to do it, and now I’m struggling to finish that story.
I hope the idea I have for this year’s NaNoWriMo is enough to produce a good outline, or at least a solid one. I think it is. The main characters (there are three), continue to talk to each other in my head, and they have quite a bit to say. They’ve even told me their names (hallelujah!). Some parts are still a little fuzzy, but I’m sure they’ll fill me in as we go. We’ve got plenty of time. I’d even be okay if one of them steers us off the rails, though I”M STILL IN CHARGE HERE. Hahahaha I don’t even believe that, not totally. I’m just along for the ride, and now you are, too. Let’s go.
Vickie Jarman 