Ulog 13: Making a Start On My Novel
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As you will know if you caught my video for yesterday's ulog, I made a serious commitment to you all to complete my debut novel and have it out on submission by this Christmas. I also invited you lovely lot to keep me on the straight and narrow, bug me, encourage me and question me as much as is needed!
Have you started yet?
Yes I have already started. The book I want to work on is an idea I came up with a couple of years ago but just didn't yet have the courage to sit down to, work on, and write until the end was reached. Today has been a good writing day. I have made a start.
It sounds like you have ideas?
Yep - I have ideas - as I said above, I have the basic idea for a series which spans 3 full length books and 1 novella. The books will read as stand-alone novels, but due to their setting and the community they follow, they can be sold to a publisher as a series.
Is the book mapped out?
See my photo above? That was my mapping exercise this morning. For the romcom genre where this book will sit, you want to be aiming at around 80,000 words for a manuscript. So each of those cards represents 2000 words - otherwise known as 1 chapter.
How do you work?
I have a notebook full of random ideas. It starts out with lots of interview conversations with the different characters, getting to know them and what they do and don't like and how they feel at the start of the book. Then I map out as many of the key points of the book I can think of- exploring plot ideas and different ways of telling the story. Some might call this procrastination... I call it planning. Then I get to the point where I have to start writing the proper draft, and this is the point I was at when I recorded my video yesterday.
Are you a planningitkindawriter or a wingingitkindawriter?
Last time I tried to do this, I was a winging it kinda writer but that turned into a breat big snarl-up with a saggy middle... so this time, I'm a planning girl all the way. 6 sections, 40 chapters, 2000 words each and 5 points I want to cover in each chapter. All on note cards. Let's see how long this lasts!
What is your word count today?
1663. Pretty chuffed with that for day 1!
Come on: tell me!!!!
I did already...! 😍 Thanks again @felt.buzz for the fab questions. If anyone wants to pick my brain about it as I go along, or to check up on me, please do - though don't ask me to reveal any of the plot... as that's just not going to happen!
I'm so proud of you!!!!!
I'm totally a writingit - kind of writer. When I plan, I get soooooooo frazzled. I just need to do. and then - go back and touch up.
sometimes it works - sometimes it doesn't hehehehe
but - no matter what... you're DOING IT
and i'm so so so very proud of you <3
Thank you so much!
Haha - I'm usually a winging it kind- and all this planning is freaking me out a bit... but we'll see- hopefully it'll save me from 'saggy middle syndrome'!
E xx
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Way to go! I'm definitely a 'pantser' writing by the seat of my pants and it seems to work well for me... until I get distracted and have five projects going on at once!
Check out Jami Gold's beat sheets. These look like the type of thing that would help tremendously in setting up a plot/plan. I might even try it at some point.
Good luck!
Thanks!
I always have been up until this point, but I can't take the idea of it having that soggy middle again... I just don't have the experience to fix it in the re-write stage, so we'll see how it goes!
I will definitely check that out, thanks for the recommendation.
E x