by Margie Senechal

Jordan asks me questions about writing because she wants to write as well--she's thinking of high fantasy or similar. She's always drawn the characters that populate her head and given them stories, so this is the next evolutionary step. 

One thing I've told her is not to talk about what you're writing too much. I'm not talking about brainstorming with other writers--that is an invaluable tool.

I'm talking about when someone asks, "Hey, what are you working on now?"

And I answer, "I'm writing a book about pygmies on the planet Ord who try to take over the Goliath government only to discover it's--" and I continue with the entire thing. No--I don't do this. Anymore.

For me, anyway, once I've told the story aloud, I'm not as interested in getting it on paper. I don't care about the pygmies of Ord and the Goliath government.

So, the other day, Jordan asked me about foreshadowing a plot twist. And I was able to give her an example from my WIP, Nobody Number Nine. I'm not going to share it with you, because of the previous paragraphs, but...


But validation came when I told her the plot twist that comes at the end of the book and her eyes widened in delight. This is the first time since Bix that she's been excited about something I'm working on. 

Second validation moment was that I actually knew my ending, my plot twist and the way I will mislead the reader--in a good way. That is huge for this pantser. 

Happy Thursday!!!

Comments

  1. Love it when those twists come around - yay for yours!!

    I agree on the talking too much. I love brainstorming and would never give that up, but talking through an entire story kind of kills it - that's why, even with my outlines, I'm kinda loosey-goosey. I've got the direction, but I can't see the whole road, you know?

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  2. Exactly. I have a friend who does a detailed outline and if I did that, I'd be like. Okay, done. LOL Because that's the fun for me--discovering what's coming next. Even though I know how this ends, I don't know how it gets there.

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  3. Nice post, Margie. The "how it gets there" is such fun, isn't it?

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  4. As a fellow pantser, knowing your plot twists and your ending is HUGE! Congrats!

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    1. Yep, yep. It makes the writing so much easier--or at least this phase. I could be singing a different tune next week.

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  5. Ditto Ava! And how cool is it to have someone's face light up when you do tell them your story? Very!!

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    1. When I wrote Bix, Jordan was my main sounding board. However, she's not into romance or women's fiction, which is what my other projects are.

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