Plan in Scene Components

The last week has been exciting in my writing! I tried something new and it’s working! Remember last week I talked about how I used my crumpled wrapping paper from the moving boxes to create brainstorming diagrams and lists? I was sitting at my desk reading an article on writing when I came up with a subplot for my book. I knew the beginning, the end and parts of the middle of the subplot. But since I didn’t know exactly what chapter they should each go in, I couldn’t use my sheet where I’d written “Chapters” across the top.

So – since I have hundreds of sheets of wrapping paper – I grabbed a new sheet and wrote “Scenes” at the top. Then I wrote all the pieces of the subplot that I expected to use, in chronological order. That reminded me of another subplot I’d planned in my head. So I wrote down all the pieces of that subplot, too. Then I thought of some other threads I wanted to weave through the story and wrote down all of those pieces. In a few minutes the paper was full! Yay!

Here is an example of one group of scene components that I wrote down:

• Lindy comes in with only one load of laundry, unusual, Cassie is rushing through cleaning the place, busy season, offers Lindy a trade
• Cassie starts a fluff and fold service, hires Lindy part-time, if only they had more business
• Lindy works hard, gets more fluff and fold business
• Cassie offers Lindy a live-in position later

I didn’t write down the details, just enough to remind me of what I wanted to do. Most of the lines I wrote down are parts of scenes, scene components. When Lindy comes in to do the laundry, Cassie might be talking to Danny or thinking about Paul’s offer, two components from two other subplots. So each thing that needs to happen isn’t going to be a scene in itself, but a natural and integrated part of a larger scene. This will accomplish what you often hear – make each scene work on more than one level.

Now that I’ve written down most of the subplots and threads in groups of all the things that need to happen to make that subplot work, I won’t forget a piece and leave a thread hanging, or make a wild jump that the reader won’t believe. (This will avoid the problem where I know what happened because it’s all in my head, but my beta readers tell me I’ve skipped something!) As I weave the pieces together I can check off each item as I go, and I can write in new pieces that I find I need.

I’m excited to find out how well this works as I’m actually writing the book. I’ll let you know during the next few weeks.  And if you decide to try it, let us know how it is working for you!

Also, make a note to drop by every Tuesday next month and hear what Janice Elsheimer, author of The Creative Call, has to share with us about creativity. Stephanie and Shonna and I are excited to welcome Janice to Routines for Writers! Her first blog will post next Tuesday. We hope to have other surprise guests giving you encouragement throughout the month as well.

Until then, counting down to November 1 and the first words of the first chapter of the new NaNo book!