This week’s log:
Monday: Plotting
Tuesday: Plotting
Wednesday: Plotting
Thursday: Plotting
Friday: Plotting
Saturday: Plotting.
Sunday: off.
For a total of 0 words for the week.
A very calm week consisting of endless plotting.
I’ve decided that plotting takes far too much time relative to the actual writing of the book. I’m taking just as long to plot as to write. I’m not sure if that is a good ratio or not. It doesn’t feel like it, right now. So I will be looking into ways to streamline plotting even more than I already have.
I will be attending a faster plotting webinar on Thursday, hosted by Alex Newton of K-Lytics, (no affiliation) and I will be looking forward to seeing if the app he’s touting actually does help cut down plotting time. As that email arrived in my inbox this morning, it’s freakishly timely, as this has been on my mind.
t.
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I admire your ability to spend a whole week plotting. I wonder if in some ways that is the key to your productivity?
You’re managing to do 30k and 40k weeks. That is amazing. I think the plotting details must help you reach those lofty totals.
I find plotting difficult and even with all the tools, etc. it still comes down to hard work generating ideas, etc. Sometimes walking around thinking seems to be my best way to plot, but then I need to record it somehow. Also plotting vs. outlining. How much do you do and in how much detail?
You’re an inspiration, so keep doing what you’re doing!
Hi Steve:
Thanks for stopping by.
You’ve got a few questions in there.
1) Plotting is absolutely essential, I find, for picking up the word count. It cuts out a lot of false starts and redundant scenes.
2) Not a question you asked, but an observation: I get 30K and 40K weeks because I spend a lot of time with my butt in the chair. And I had to work up to it. You can’t do it straight out of the gate. You’ll fry your brain and hate yourself.
3) Plotting is absolutely a beast that sits on your shoulder and whispers. Humans are geared to x amount of decision-making capacity per day, and plotting is ALL decision-making. But you can increase that capacity, I’ve found. It’s like building muscle. The more you do, the more you can do.
4) Plotting versus outlining: I don’t consider these to be two separate things. Outlining is the tool I use to get the plot sorted out. But it’s not a formal outline (1,2,3; a,b,c etc). My outlines are basic Word documents with a beat per paragraph (which often ends up being a scene per beat), and a lot of “don’t forget!” notes.
You might find this series of posts useful.
Cheers,
t.