TECH: the mysteries of outlining?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting 11 Nov 2012

Okay. On another list, someone commented that this article was really helpful to them in getting their nanowrimo story under control and rolling, so what the heck, I went and took a look. It's notes on a writing seminar that Mary Robinette Kowal ran, and indeed, it's pretty good. If you want, you can go over here and take a look:

http://blog.karenwoodward.org/2012/10/mary-robinette-kowal-and-mysteries-of.html

But since I know you're trying to avoid distractions and crunch out those nanowrimo words (one, two, three, four... A hundred here, a hundred there, pretty soon you've got a thousand, and then a couple thousand, and... Keep on adding to that wordcount!) Where were we before I got distracted? Oh, right, here's a summary of the key points.

1. Start by writing down a list of all the events in the story. Note that you really shouldn't get crazy about trying to be complete, totally accurate and so on, just make sure you have the major stuff down and accept that you are probably going to adjust this list as you go.
2. Look for plot holes and fill them.
3. Look for duplication and extra stuff, and remove the extra!
4. Flesh out your scenes. For each one, list what happens, where, when, character arc, time of day, and who is the main character.
5. Consider whether you want to mess with multiple POVs or not. If you do, look at the balance. You may want to change some scenes, which may involve adjusting the stakes in those scenes. Do make sure that the POV character has something at stake in the scenes they are involved in -- change the POV character if they don't, or change the scene to give them something! Oh, and overall? Make sure that the main character is the first character we meet, and really is the main POV.
(And from the next posting...)
6. Nest MICE subplots as needed. Milieu plots are about going to a strange place and returning, with the focus on the strange place. Idea stories are the traditional problem and solution tales. Character stories are about changes in the person or his role. Event stories are where something is out of whack with the world, and we are either restoring it or moving into a new world.
7. Use the power of "yes, but" and "no, and." Nearly every step in the story, and most of the scenes should end with either yes, they got their goal, BUT things got more complicated OR no, they didn't get what they wanted, AND things are even worse than they were before.
8. Use scene-sequel to make things go. Scenes are the action parts. For each one, figure out who the POV character is, usually based on the question of who has the most at stake. Give them a goal, active and specific. Mix in the conflict, or scene question. And finish things off with a setback, the scene answer (yes, but OR no, and?). Sequels are the reaction parts, where the character shows us the events being digested. First the emotional reactions, then the rational review and consideration of the facts, followed by setting up new plans and directions, and making a decision as to what should happen next.

The main part of this is really the idea of the outline. Make that list, refine it, and make sure that every scene does what it should.

And keep going! Remember, only you can write your nanowrimo tale! So get those words down now.

Write?