Story

In May, I listened to the Chernobyl podcast every week even though I don't have HBO, have no plans to get HBO, and probably won't watch the series even if it becomes available elsewhere because of how depressing the subject matter is. Why did I listen to the podcast? Because I loved hearing the writer--Craig Mazin--talk about his story.

Story is interesting. I like to see how other authors'/writers' minds work, maybe because it drives home that everyone's process is different and that there is no one true way to write.

When I was a teenager and decided I wanted to be a writer, I went to the library and checked out every book I could find about writing. They were all written by plotters. I contorted myself trying to follow their systems because only plotters were True Writers according to every one of these books. Only I was more of a seat-of-the-pants writer and plotting made me hate writing. Hate so much I almost decided to give it up.

Until the day I realized I missed writing and I was going to keep writing, but I'd do it my way and if I never became a real writer, that was just how it would be.

It's been my experience that so many plotters still maintain the plotting is the only true way to write. Hey, I would seriously like to be more of a plotter because it would make my life so much easier, but I'm not. I'm not a pure pantser either for that matter, but hey, it's my process.

But back to the Chernobyl podcast. Craig not only talks about the story, he talks about the choices he made in telling the story. OMG, I love this! And because this is a real event, he talks about what he changed for the sake of story and what is 100% true. (Hint: Most of it!) My only regret is that the podcast only goes as long as the series because I'd love to hear more about how he made his story choices.

Also, as an FYI, Craig Mazin is half the team (with John August) that does the Script Notes podcast which I am totally hooked on. The tag line is something like: Screen writing and things that are interesting to screen writers. They talk a lot about craft. Some of it is helpful for novels, some of it is so tied to how to write a script that it doesn't translate well. I still enjoy listening to it, and when I hear about what happens to a script, I am hugely glad I write novels. :-)

Plot Thread I Always Wanted to Write

For years, I've wanted to write a character who was adopted. I know why. I was adopted. :-) Throughout my life, I've met many, many other adoptees and it's interesting to me is how every single one of them has a different perspective. Seriously, there's not just two or three attitudes out there. Every person I've met has their own, specific one. Sure, the argument could be made that they're different points along a spectrum, but I don't look at it that way.

I've also met a woman who had a sibling given up for adoption, so I was able to talk to her, get to know her thoughts about that event. And I've met parents who've adopted children (as well as my own adoptive parents) so I've seen perspectives there as well. Added into all this was when I met my birth mother and how that impacted me.

This has been bubbling in the back of my mind for years, but I never had a character who was an adopted child show up. Until recently.

His name is Ryan. He's reached a level of success in his career that he hadn't expected to attain and he's enjoying it--and his life--to the fullest. And then, out of the blue, his birth mother contacts him and wants to meet him. To say Ryan is shaken is an understatement. It's while he's avoiding his personal turmoil that he meets his heroine. Heh!

I'm not actually writing his story yet because Ryan is the third story in a trilogy idea and I'm still working on story one, but I'm both looking forward to this chance and dreading it. The dread comes from the fear that I won't manage the complexity of emotion that adoptees have. I want to do this story, but I want to do it right.

I guess the only way my fears are laid to rest is when I'm actually writing this story. That's when I'll know one way or the other if I can pull it off.

Spinning Wheels

I've been working on this proposal. I had two chapters done before I went to Minneapolis and I figured another two chapters would give me about fifty pages and I'd be good to go. Only I got stuck.

There was a lot of stress involved with the house stuff up in Minnesota and even after I got back to Georgia, the stress level continued to soar high. I chalked the stall up to that. After all, when your fingernails are buried in the ceiling, it's hard to type. ;-)

But when the stress level eased back and I still couldn't write anymore in this story, I knew something was wrong. You see, I only get wheel spinning stuck when I've written something my hero or heroine don't like or that they would never, ever do. This has happened often enough that you think I'd get it faster than I do. Despite all the experience I have, this wasn't my first thought when I got stuck.

No, my first thought was maybe there's something wrong with what I'm planning to do in the next chapter. I ran it past my writing buddies, but they didn't see anything off in what I had planned.

Another week of frustration passed before the light bulb went off over my head. Duh, I'd messed up somewhere. Now I just needed to figure out what was wrong.

I found some little things and changed them. Still stuck.

I ran the previous chapters past my writing buddies with the focus on what I'd already written. I tried fixing their suggestions. Still no forward progress.

This called for complete story deconstruction. I questioned everything, and after a conversation with my hero, I realized that the entire setup was completely wrong. He wouldn't do what I had him doing, not after his temper cooled off.

Not good news. It means rewriting everything from the ground up. And it means figuring out another way to open the story. Unfortunately, I'm still mulling because the original opening was strong and nothing else I'm coming up with equals it. More contemplation is needed, but it's just a matter of time before I conquer this.