My process is . . . a bit different, I think. I take 4 months to "build" my plots from a 3 sentence paragraph gradually up to a full rough draft. I sort of developed it when writing from word the first to word the last failed and failed again and failed yet again. (why it took 3 or 4 tries for me to realize it was the process and not the story idea that wasn't working, i have no idea - slow on the uptake I suppose). The full blown process goes something like this:
» 3 sentence paragraph - very basic, resolution not needed » 5 sentence paragraph - resolution included » fill out a plotting form with the main plot, any side plots, the character plots, character interactions, and where the characters end up » plotting outline using the plotting form » synopsis narrative that turns outline into a present tense synopsis » expanded narrative that takes synopsis and expands it and turns it into whatever tense i'm using for the book » notes draft expands again and turns it into a mix of notes and scenes to help fill out the details » a building draft expands on the notes draft and sketches the scenes out even more » the rough draft where I actually write the story and remove any remaining notes
Now that I have a handle on my process, I have to admit that I'm working out which steps I absolutely must have, so steps are getting dropped and picked back up as I try to figure out what I need to get to the end. So far, the last 2 drafts before the rough draft have been combined.
I know it sounds like a long process, but it's not really. I can have a completed rough draft in 4 - 6 months doing this (versus the 14 years it took my first book!), and it makes the rough draft incredibly easy. It's the revising that's been slowing me down, but I think a lot of that has to do what I'm reaching for with the particular novels I've been working on. Other projects I have in mind won't be nearly as brain burning for me.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2004-11-17 07:23 am (UTC)» 3 sentence paragraph - very basic, resolution not needed
» 5 sentence paragraph - resolution included
» fill out a plotting form with the main plot, any side plots, the character plots, character interactions, and where the characters end up
» plotting outline using the plotting form
» synopsis narrative that turns outline into a present tense synopsis
» expanded narrative that takes synopsis and expands it and turns it into whatever tense i'm using for the book
» notes draft expands again and turns it into a mix of notes and scenes to help fill out the details
» a building draft expands on the notes draft and sketches the scenes out even more
» the rough draft where I actually write the story and remove any remaining notes
Now that I have a handle on my process, I have to admit that I'm working out which steps I absolutely must have, so steps are getting dropped and picked back up as I try to figure out what I need to get to the end. So far, the last 2 drafts before the rough draft have been combined.
I know it sounds like a long process, but it's not really. I can have a completed rough draft in 4 - 6 months doing this (versus the 14 years it took my first book!), and it makes the rough draft incredibly easy. It's the revising that's been slowing me down, but I think a lot of that has to do what I'm reaching for with the particular novels I've been working on. Other projects I have in mind won't be nearly as brain burning for me.
I must sound nuts. :-/