At school we practice certain drills twice a year. Each one has its own set of procedures. That way, if disaster strikes, we won’t panic. We’ll know what to do. Because we have a game plan.
Disaster plans are good. They give us a sense of purpose and control when things turn nasty.
As writers, we should have a disaster plan.
Because when things go wrong, we don’t want to panic.
Which is precisely what I did this past month. My story stopped cooperating. I hit a wall. And spent a week pulling out my hair, intermittently staring at my document and the trash can on my desk top.
The only thing that kept me from clicking and dragging? A deep-down, in-my-gut feeling. That if I could just fix the broken parts, this story could be great.
So I tied a gag around my anxiety. I assured myself that the first five novels weren’t a drawn out case of beginner’s luck. And I drew up my own personalized disaster plan.
First, I assessed the situation. How did I get into this mess? I’m not a pantser at all. I’m an OCD plotter. But for whatever reason, this time around, I thought my rough outline would be enough. I had the basic plot elements down. I could just start writing, right? Wrong. I got halfway through and the tires started spinning.
Second, I stepped away from my computer and broke out the note cards. I wrote random scenes as fast as I could on each one. Whatever popped into my head. The crazier the better. Then I looked for ways to connect them. My creative juices started flowing. Scenes came together. Unexpected twists and turns jumped out at me. Until I had a beginning, middle, and end.
Then, on the back of each card, I wrote: (1) if it was a scene or sequel and (2) the GMC (goal, motivation, conflict) for the scenes or the RDD (reaction, dilemma, decision) for the sequels. If you’re not familiar with these terms, you should be. Consider reading this post for a basic overview: Story Structure: Scene and Sequel.
It took a long time. I lost some hair and some sleep. But the disaster plan worked.
My novel is no longer a mess. I don’t care that I have to cut a big chunk of the 50K words I have written. I don’t even care that whatever remains needs rewriting. I have another novel. It’s all there. On 74 note cards. 39 pink. 35 blue. The hard part is finished. Now I just have to write it.
And if I run into another crisis in the future, I won’t waste a week of my life freaking out. I can whip out my disaster plan and get to work.
So what about you? Do you have a disaster plan? If not, here are some tips to help you create one:
- Stay true to the way God made you. Don’t try to be a plotter if you’re a panster and don’t try to be a panster if you’re a plotter. Trust me. It doesn’t end well.
- Know what sparks your creativity and problem-solving skills. Do you need to get away from your computer and find an old-fashioned pencil? Do you need note cards? A writing buddy to brainstorm with? Do you simply need to write through the disaster?
- Include specific action points. This will give you a sense of control in the midst of the chaos.
Let’s Talk: What do you do when your story stops working? What does your disaster plan look like? Have you ever had to use it?
Thanks for this post! I've heard heard about the whole sequel thing, so I followed the links. I like the notecard idea too. someone suggested that I write the ending (for now I know what it is) and see if that helps get me unstuck! But, I'm certainly going to look into these suggestions!
You are good!
The term 'panster' cracked me up … hadn't heard that before.
For research projects, I found note cards worked excellently. I haven't, though, used that system for fiction. Thanks for the idea. And the link to scenes and sequels.
This is a great post on a very important topic. Disasters are a part of the writing life, plain and simple, and having a plan makes it *much* easier to keep breathing deep, calming breaths when the hurricane hits. Taking a break and breaking out the (figurative, in my case) note cards is my plan of action as well. Sometimes the creative brain just needs a little space from a problematic project, in order to see it clearly.
Eeek!!! The thought of notecards gives me hives. LOL I'm SO glad you found a way out of the mess though.
I don't have a disaster plan but I think it would probably be good to come up with one. Hmmm.
I'm struggling with a chapter right now. The basic elements are in place, but it needs emotional layering. I'm really struggling with figuring out how my character should be reacting. Showing it is so much harder than telling, but creates a better reading experience. So I'm praying and asking God for wisdom and clarity. Hopefully I can push forward and meet my deadline. Great post, Katie. Thanks for your tips. 🙂
Thanks Susan R. for your thought provoking comment. I've never heard anyone describe so clearly how I feel. For me it is the vision that comes first, too. I see it playing out in front of me. But getting it down on paper, that's the tricky part. I'm going to try to write scenes that come to me this way on note cards and see if that helps. Katie, do you see your story played out BEFORE writing on the note cards or do you make up the scenes AS you write them down? Thanks for making me think, Ladies!
Oh, I am so with you on the plotting! And I've been where you described. No detailed scene list=major trauma soon.
And yay that you figured everything out and are ready to go again! Woo-hoo!
That's wonderful! I'm glad you got it worked out. And thanks for the reminder to plot if I'm a plotter. I definitely work better if I have a good outline, even if I don't adhere to it, but it's so easy to get excited about my novel and just jump in without planning it out enough.
Don't pull out your hair – you have such NICE hair 🙂
Disaster planning for me? Ugh. I don't have a plan … yet … maybe I should get one!
Wow Katie–you are really organized! I read posts like this and wonder why I am not the kind to plot out on cards and charts more–I do an outline but that's all. I guess I did down deep, step away and try to rethink the story and why it isn't working.
That note card idea is a really good one. I'll have to bear that one in mind.
GREAT advice, Katie. And the links on your other post are fabulous! I bookmarked that one. 😉
I find that OCD plotting stifles my creativity. I start out trying to plot, then I write and think, "I better make sure I'm doing this right," Then I map out my index cards for a while and realize I was right on track, so I chuck the cards and keep writing. I'm trying to be better about writing at the top of my page the scene/sequel GMC stuff. We'll see if my plan works. I'm only 25K into my new WIP!
When I get stuck while writing, I go do something else. When I come back to it – whether it's hours later or the next day – I can usually work through the problem that I was having.
This is brilliant, and so timely! Exactly what I need to do! So thanks for the tips. I'm off to find some index cards, and to read more about scene structure. 🙂
Very interesting post, Katie. I've been thinking about it since I read it this morning and I think it reflects something I've been wondering about myself.
I've always considered myself a mister (like that better than pantser 😉 ) but that was based on how I wrote my first book. It hasn't worked very well since and has left me very frustrated.
Recently I was thinking about that first book and it dawned on me that I actually had plotted it all out in advance – I'd just done it in my head (as Susan just mentioned). Here I've been thinking I just flew into the mist with that story, but now I know I actually had it all in my mind all along. Ironically, it's the best plotted book of any I've written.
I haven't been able to bring myself to using notecards yet – reminds me too much of HS research papers – but I may be getting there.
I'm so glad you worked this out, I'm sure it WILL be a great story.
Bless you, Katie! Thanks for affirming both pantsers and plotters.
When I try to plot the way it's taught, I feel like David wearing Saul's armor. It doesn't fit me.
I do plot, but it's more of a head thing than on paper. For me vision comes first, and then I pray how best to communicate that vision in story form.
Kuddos Katie! I love your take the bull by the horns approach to your writing:) If I can learn to corral my characters like you, I'd be in business!
And thanks for the sweet comments on my blog:)
I hit a snag just last week – felt totally stuck. Then I gave myself permission to not try to have it perfect. So what if the scene meandered some? This was a first draft after all. That freed me up and the writing flowed again when I came back to it.
Katie, I'm glad you were able to figure out how to get your story moving again. I'm with you. Having a plan and sticking with it tends to work wonders. When I don't have one is when I flounder.
I am sitting on spinning wheels right now. I don't know how to move forward and it is driving me crazy. So I know how you feel. I think I will give your ideas a try. At this point, I'm not ready to trash what I have, but I just have no idea how to move it along.
I just read some advice on Elaine Smith's blog about an interview with Margaret Atwood and she said don't sit down in the middle of the forest. Get up and retrace your steps until you find another road.
Good post! I like the color-coded note cards. The only disaster plan I have is to walk away. Sometimes it might be for only an hour. Other times, it has been as long as a week while I think on it…but never longer. Usually by then I can see where it's stopped working and how to fix it. I just can't force it so I step back otherwise panic starts to set in. Cutting a huge chunk is like cutting off your arm. I recently cut a chunk so I know how you feel.
Great post! I am a big plotter and most of the time, the first draft comes off smoothly from that. But there is the occasion I get stuck and have no idea why. I SHOULD know exactly where I'm going considering I have a chapter by chapter, more like a scene by scene outline. When I get to that point, the biggest thing I have to remember is to not push forward if I'm not really feeling it. I know there are times when we have to keep working even if the scene gets a little tough. But when I'm at a dead standstill, making myself move on creates useless scenes. So I have to force myself to take a break instead. Most of the time, it's simply reviewing my outline and what I've written so far that gets me back on track – even if it means tweaking a few things.
I think it's hardest when we try to bend our work to suit the desires of agents or editors. It's hard to remain true to yourself if you're trying to appeal to others.
Great post. I don't know if I have a disaster plan. Hmmm… I better think about that.
I do know that my best defense so far has been taking a step back. If I get away from the story for a week or so and then come back and re-read what I have, usually I can get back on track.
Thanks for sharing out of your experiences this past week, Katie. You gave me much to think about as I work on pulling my story together. I've been a panser so far but some plotting has become necessary. I can be very OCD-ish about some things and, perhaps, writing should be added to that list. (Your mention of writing in the way God made us to be is nudging me to seek Him on this issue. I had not thought to pray specifically about this issue.) This post has been a big help as I have been struggling. I enjoyed imagining you with those note cards! *smiles*
Moral of the story = notecards solve everything. 😉
I usually add a new character. No kidding. And sometimes I end up having to take that dude out, but the reason he or she shows up helps me to figure out what was going wrong.
~ Wendy
I've noticed that I'll have to pause a few times during the process of writing a novel and reevaluate where things are going. My characters have a way of directing the story down strange roads. It's good to keep on top of things!
Wow! We're on the same wavelength today! I blogged about plotting and scenes and sequels too. Glad to know there are other OCD plotters just like me.
This post is just awesome. I love it. And I love your wisdom. And I especially love your pink and blue note cards! Writing mercies to you, Katie!
Glad you got it figured out! I'm a plotter too but it doesn't mean that I run into walls or need to replot b/c things change! I always pull out the cards in times of trouble!