Plotting My Second Novel

Snowy Days Are Good for Writing!

I’ve responded to the changes suggested by my copyeditor and sent the finished manuscript back to ECW Press. Grounds for Murder no longer needs my immediate attention. It’s time to return to work on A Clear-Cut Case.

Work means writing text. And plotting story. I can’t imagine crafting a novel without doing both. Inspiration is a fickle guide. Before I start to write, I need a map that shows me where I’m going. And how to get there.

The challenging thing about literary maps, however, is that they require three plotlines. Agatha Christie had it easy. She needed only one.  But novels today are more complex than they were back then. It’s no longer enough to create dramatic action, otherwise known as the plot. Writers must also outline the protagonist’s emotional development and the progress of the novel’s theme.

To make that happen, the novelist must weave these strands together into one cohesive story. She can start by creating three separate plotlines, but eventually must transfer them to a single outline that shows their chronological relationship to each other.  Something happens to set off a chain of dramatic events. Then the protagonist enters, bringing with her an assortment of character flaws. More dramatic events, and then the theme intrudes. This is, after all, a novel—events are not random but are designed to make a point of social significance. And so you weave together strands of action, character, and theme until you’ve reached the climax and ultimate resolution.

But wait—one other factor comes into play. The completed outline is not stable. As you write, events take an unexpected turn. Characters develop minds of their own and refuse to behave according to plan. The theme evolves into something a little bit different from what you had in mind.

The map changes. And the text changes with it until you, the writer, make the final edit.