Reasons to Outline

I have been busy outlining my MS for NANO. (Outlining is something I have resisted since I started writing) It's a good thing, because I can't stop and write now or the words don't count for NANO.

Using the scene tracker from the Plot Whisperer, I have filled up a couple of pages. One of the columns is Thematic Significance. If I don't know the theme, I am supposed to write details from the scene in this block. While I did this in several of the blocks, I realized these characters keep secrets.  Not every scene has a secret but several of them do. My theme could very well be about secrets, and I would have never seen it without filling out the Scene Tracker.

I was asked to watch the office yesterday for a few hours.  I took a book with me. It was Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint by Nancy Kress.  I took this book because I have a hard time writing characters thoughts.    In one way it's a good thing, I don't write much backstory, but it can be bad when I can't seem to write what the character is doing or thinking during a stint of dialogue.

After I sat and read for a while I wanted to write. (a writer writes, right?) I can't write any of the novel and I only have scraps of paper, so I tried to write a query. I know it is much to early to write a query, but hey practice makes perfect. In trying to sum up my story, it took me several sentences, crossed off etc.  No the query is still not perfect, but secrets came out in my description for my query.  So now I'm thinking secrets must be some sort of theme for my book. I haven't thought of a title yet, but I am sure Secrets is taken.

How are you doing preparing for NANO? My head is spinning with dialogue, comments and sentences that sound absolutely ingenious in my head. But we'll see what they read like on paper on Nov. 1.

Plot

In my neverending blog reading I have found informative links for writing.  I have so many bookmarks and favorites that my menu bars are covered with them.

Today I want to tell you about another great source I have found. Martha Alderson. Also known as the Plotwhisperer.

Don't ask how I found her, I'm sure it was in a round about way. I purchased a DVD she made of a workshop for children's and YA fiction.  (I will add that it was a fast ship too. Always nice to know.)
This workshop teaches you about plot and has great direction on tools to use BEFORE you start writing.
She uses the MG novel Al Capone does my shirts as an example.  If you haven't read it, read it.  It is a great, fun middle grade fiction by Gennifer Choldenko.

I have finally decided after writing for several months.  A person really needs to do the stuff I hate.  Outlining your novel.  There may be some of you that can sit down and write from start to finish and get a rough draft of a story.  But to me writing 50,000 words seems like a daunting task that I will never reach.
Martha also has a series on You tube that I think may be of interest to new and seasoned writers. So check her out.

And now, I must do my 10 minutes of freewriting and go on to outlining.