I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the idea of writer’s block, plotting, and our individual process when it comes to writing a novel. This consideration comes on the back of me starting my second novel, otherwise known as book 2.5. The 0.5 is because I started a different project and decided I wasn’t ready to tell that story yet. Also, this new project does not yet have a title. I may be creative in a lot of respects, but not when it comes to naming. This is true of my struggles to name pets, and true of my repeated struggles to name stories.
But, I digress. And that, in and of itself, is all part of the writing process when you have ADHD, as I do.
There’s a lot of argument out there about whether to plot or not. I am 100% for it, to a certain extent. I like to have a framework before I start, I need to know the basics so that I can shape the direction of the book. That plotting starts with the overarching plot, underlying themes (which tend to be added to or modified as I go), the main characters, and the basic necessary plot points. If you’ve ever taken a lesson, seminar, or class on commercial plot structure, I’ll sum it up crudely as such: You may find yourself writing in a 3 Act Structure. Act 1 requires a hook (self-explanatory), an inciting incident to start the book’s series of events, and a turning point (AKA, the ‘no turning back’ moment where your character’s actions set them in motion, changing their world as they know it). Act 2 is a series of hills and valleys, a push and pull that creates tension and relief for the reader while leading them down your desired path. Halfway through Act 2 (somewhere close to the halfway point of a novel), you need a midpoint, something that raises the stakes or pivots the character’s goal in some way. At the end of Act 2, you will need your climax (preceded by an ‘all-hope-is-lost’ type of moment). The Climax represents a do-or-die event that settles your character’s goals, whether they succeed or fail, leading into Act 3, where you need your resolution.
I hope you enjoyed my 30-second explanation of the 3 Act Story Structure, you’ll find similar commercial plot breakdowns that usually meet that basic outline in one way or another. It will vary based on genre, but for the most part, is a great starting point when you’re just getting into things. Literary Fiction is another story altogether, and since I am not clever enough to write Lit Fiction, I’ll refrain from trying to explain any methodology surrounding it.
Where was I? Right. Starting a new novel. My point was, every writer has their own methods and processes, and you won’t know exactly what that looks like until you start. Some authors plan in great detail, but I find that once I’ve got the story structure basics, I just need to start writing. I need to let my imagination do some of the work.
And now I’m at the real advice portion of this post. I’ve read a lot online about how you ‘have to write EVERY day’. I don’t know about you, but that’s not exactly realistic for me. I work long days, I have a day job, and I still try to have some semblance of a social life (well, pre-COVID I did). Writing every day can’t always happen. But I write on most days. I commit to a weekly goal, and this is what drives me to start and finish an entire novel.
My current weekly goal is 5,000 words (that’s a minimum, I can go over as much as I please, and I tend to ramp this up to 8,000). That can easily be broken down into 1,000 a day for 5 days of the week, but I try to keep it weekly and chip away at it. It gives me flexibility but keeps me accountable. So, my sage advice (from someone who has not yet published her first novel, so take with a grain of salt, of course), is to create a weekly writing goal. One that fits into a larger goal (I want to have my first draft finished by end of March, for example).
My second tip: I try to find a regular time to write so that it becomes a habit. Weekday evenings (1-2 hours before bed) has worked for me. But it creates one weird, unintended consequence. Because I’m in the creative zone before bed, I put my work away, and then as I’m falling asleep I think of a ton of great ideas. I don’t get up and write them down because then I’m interrupting my ability to sleep (it takes me a LONG time to actually fall asleep). This is when I come up with some of my best ideas. I generate most of my best ideas when I can’t actually record them. Running on the treadmill at the gym, and merging onto the deerfoot highway are other eureka moments for me. My challenge is then trying to remember what the heck I came up with by the time I can actually write it down.
So there you have it. My bastardized version of method and process when it comes to starting a novel. Start with a foundation, your basic structure, then just start writing your novel with a weekly word-goal in place. Stay honest and make sure you hit that goal, and try not to forget about your impromptu awesome ideas!
Wait, was I going to say something about writer’s block? Yes. Writer’s block only lasts as long as you let it, or this has been my experience. You can write your way out of writer’s block, but if you sit and wait for something to come to you without putting any words on paper, you might find yourself stuck for a long time. You don’t have to write anything good, you can plan to scrap it later, but the process itself will help you generate the ideas you are lacking. And if you can’t find your way out, it’s time to take a step back and look at that structure to see why you can’t find a way to get from A to B to C.
Cheers!
Cara (and Toby)
