Swirlies

I have a new definition of the word. It's when all of the things you need/want to do spin around in your head so that none of the ideas in there can fully form. A few of the ones spinning in my head right now?

--Big Project at work looks huge close up
--It's progressing nicely, though
--What's going to blow up since it cant possibly be that easy?
--Need to follow up on loose ends from last project
--Dance class tonight
--Did I pack everything?
--Did I practice enough?
--No, I didn't practice enough and must practice more this week
--Banjo class may be canceled
--Am I sad or relieved about that?
--Would like to go to banjo camp in January
--How much is banjo camp?
--Do I want to waste vacation days on something called banjo camp?
--Maybe I should work on the "other" parts of MMG first
--But it would be better to start at the beginning and write all the way through for continuity's sake
--Wouldn't it?
--Maybe I should work on Vesta instead
--Or TKoS, I've got some really good ideas for that one
--I said I wanted to clean up some of my short stories and submit them-I could do that
--Speaking of cleaning, I need to clean out and organize the kitchen cabinets
--And finish clearing out stuff from the basement
--Do I have time to maybe make some Christmas gifts?
--If they cancel the banjo class, should I try to contact the woman I took lessons from before to see if she's still teaching?
--No, I definitely need to start at the very beginning of MMG. That's why there's an outline.
--I said I was going to use the whiteboard and corkboard. I need to hang those up
--Man, I'm hungry, but I told Giovanna she could go to lunch first.
--Do I have snacks here?

You get the idea. I'm going to try lists. Lists are our friends. I just happen to have a notebook here at work. On my lunch break--which is still way too far away--I'll make lists for home, work, classes, writing, etc. Then the stuff won't have to be in my head.

Will that leave enough room for the writing ideas to get out?

I'll keep you posted.

What do you do when The Swirlies attack?

The Plantser Becomes a Planner

There is a belief that writers fall into one of two camps: either they plan out every detail of a story before they start writing (Planner) or they completely wing it (Pantser). The reality is there's a spectrum that we all fall on. Some plan a lot, but then let the story lead them once they start writing. Others wing it until they feel like they're getting lost, then sit down and figure out how to proceed. Jenny plots a few chapters ahead. I like to have an idea of how the main plot starts and ends with a few of the emotional beats I want to hit along the way.

That changed after our brainstorming session. I already took a lot away from the feedback I got from CWC in May. Then Jenny let me bounce ideas off her so I know where I need to be to continue. The discussion straightened out some things, curved some others. I have a better feel for exactly where I want to go with this revision.

One of the main things that came from it is that I need a detailed outline now. I have to plan out the main story arc and the secondary arcs step by bloody step. I also have to make sure the "other" methods of storytelling that I'm using support those arcs. Hence, a plan. A real plan. Not a loosey goosey plan (see previous post). Charts, graphs, maybe even the white board and cork board I bought a while back.

At first I was afraid that it would stifle any creativity. That the writing would seem--I don't know--dry. But I'm seeing now that the plan is actually liberating. I can play with it, because I'm not worrying about where to take the plot next. The plot's there. The characters are fully formed so I know how they will act.

It will probably be a while before I start something brand new. Vesta and TKoS both need rewrites. But I might have a more solid plan in place before I start whatever that new thing is. So I can play more.

May Goals

Not many blog posts last month. It may have had something to do with working on those April goals. I felt that if I had time to write anything, I should be working on MMG. So I did. Although I missed the deadline for getting everything to CWC, I did finish the rewrites at 9:45 p.m. on 4/30/10. So I did complete them in April. The final pages went to Ali, Jenny & Shane on Saturday (after I took the full manuscript to Carrie so she could be first). I will deliver Mary's to her today on my lunch break. Phew!

I hope to blog more this month on the experience of revising something so big. It came in at a little over 104,000 words. I'm sure I'll be told to cut many of them, but it definitely needed more than the first drafts had.

So, May goals. I'm taking it easy this month, gang.

--Expand on one of the prompt responses for CWC.
--Work on short stories.
--Work on poetry.

Just playing with words for a while. Soon enough I'll have to get serious with either Vesta or TKoS.