I'm a plotter. In all facets of my life, I like to plan, think it through, work out the kinks. At night, I think about what I'll wear the next day whether I lay the clothing items out or not. When I leave the house in the morning, I think about the best way to get to my destination and have it mapped out in my head. I write things down, make lists. I prepare.
Naturally, I'm like that with my writing as well. Each work takes a different form. My first couple of stories, I wrote every last sentence out in a notebook then typed it all on the computer. Part of this was because of my initial lack of a good computer. Early on, my typing skills weren't that great either. I'd bet now I could rival any administrative assistant with my words per minute score. When writing it all out on paper first, I was then able to adjust and make changes as I typed. It was a laborious process but worked really well in a way.
Sometimes, I just write or type an outline. Of course, there are times when a story takes its own path and veers off in an entirely different direction than I'd planned. That's okay too but I still like to have an idea of the direction I'm hoping to go.
No matter how I document, I have every story in my head from beginning to end and several main scenes in between. I know my characters intimately, inside and out. I know their motivations, their backgrounds and their weaknesses.
Sometimes, I'd like to be a pantser but it's just not in me. I like to control a little too much to let that happen. So, I'll keep up my plotting and planning and accept it as just who I am.
BTW, as I write this, the television news is full of scenes from Boston as well as West, Texas. I've never been to either place but would love to sometime. God be with you all.
Song I'm liking this week, an oldy but a goody and maybe fitting for the week's events: Landslide, by Fleetwood Mac.
No comments:
Post a Comment