Watch me dive straight into this rock! WHEE!
Of course I’m only calling this plot evil because it’s currently eating my brain. Yes, that’s right, it’s project planning time again!
Please note that I’ve never managed to complete this step in the writing process. I usually manage a few vague character notes, way more time devoted to setting than I can afford, and then a sketchy outline before I can’t stand the suspense and just leap headfirst into writing.
Or headfirst into a brick wall. Same thing, really.
I get over-excited when writing. Overstimulated by the cool whiz-bang ideas floating around in my brain. Then comes the reality of sitting down and writing every day:
- No, you can’t play that game.
- No, you don’t have time to go out with those friends.
- Laundry is for wimps.
- Who needs clean floors?
- Surely the kids have figured out the microwave by now!
Or maybe that’s just me? Anyway, combined with the difficult-to-interpret nature of my usual outlines and a tendency to get carried away chasing shiny plot will-o-wisps (and we all know where those lead), my first drafts so far have a tendency to meander off course in small ways that eventually add up to a giant, chaotic mess.
But not this time! No matter how much it feels like I’m banging my head against a brick wall before I’ve even started, I’m going to complete this planning process. There will be notes on critical plot points, on important conflicts between characters, on the critical scenes that must occur to move the story to the desired ending.
If anything, it just makes me more eager to get to the fun part. Really, really eager.
Ramble with me!