"Framing" your book
** Some of you have made me aware that there were problems yesterday accessing my site/blog. I've got Webmaster Todd on the case.
UPDATE: Apparently I've been hacked. My Twitter page is likewise down. And Google has attached a warning to my site. The "code bug" isn't contagious (at least we don't think so) -- it was meant specifically for me. Needless to say, I am not amused. Webmaster Todd is bug hunting right now and will exterminate the critter when he finds it. In the meantime, you might want to view my blogs for the next day or two over at Raine's Rangers, my Yahoo Group. It's a bug-free zone over there. ; )
Before I get to today's blog topic, I want to remind everyone that I'll be guest blogging over at Yankee Romance Reviewers tomorrow. And there will be prizes.
And on Saturday, I'll blog on what I'm doing right now (and in the next month) as I'm "between contracts."
Today I'm going to talk about "framing" a book. This is for those of us whose plotting style falls somewhere between having the entire book plotted out before you start, and those who prefer to write by the seat of your pants. When I have a complete plot, it turns out to be more of a security blanket than anything. Something to reassure me that I'm going in the right direction, even if I don't follow it -- and I usually don't.
Which brings me to the title of today's blog: framing your book. A new house is being built in our subdivision, and right now they're in the framing stage. You can't tell exactly what the house is going to look like from all the wood, but you kind of get an idea of where it's going, how many rooms there will be, what size they are, where the front door is and where the back door will go.
In my opinion, if you're not into completely plotting a book (or simply can't because it all hasn't come to you yet), this is the best way to approach a new project. It's the way I approach a new project. Get the important stuff down, the "frame" for your book: how it begins (front door), some major events and plot twists (rooms & hallways), and how it ends (back door). I've learned that as I progress through the writing/building process, the rest will come to me: the walls will go in, and the floors, etc. And the more you write, the more details will emerge, events and character surprises that you never expected. For example, in feeling my way through Bewitched & Betrayed, I found out a lot about Sarad Nukpana's family and their past (and yes, it is deliciously sordid). ; ) BTW -- trivia tidbit, Sarad Nukpana's mother's maiden name is Ghalfari. She served in the goblin court -- and let's just say like mother, like son.
In another few weeks, I'll be drawing up the "floorplans" for the next 2-3 Raine books to send to my agent and then my publisher to hopefully get another multi-book contract. I won't know everything, but I'll know enough to get construction started.
Upcoming blog topics include:
Am I moving my story forward?
How do I figure out what happens next?
Keeping your hopes up while looking for an agent.
Lisa
UPDATE: Apparently I've been hacked. My Twitter page is likewise down. And Google has attached a warning to my site. The "code bug" isn't contagious (at least we don't think so) -- it was meant specifically for me. Needless to say, I am not amused. Webmaster Todd is bug hunting right now and will exterminate the critter when he finds it. In the meantime, you might want to view my blogs for the next day or two over at Raine's Rangers, my Yahoo Group. It's a bug-free zone over there. ; )
Before I get to today's blog topic, I want to remind everyone that I'll be guest blogging over at Yankee Romance Reviewers tomorrow. And there will be prizes.
And on Saturday, I'll blog on what I'm doing right now (and in the next month) as I'm "between contracts."
Today I'm going to talk about "framing" a book. This is for those of us whose plotting style falls somewhere between having the entire book plotted out before you start, and those who prefer to write by the seat of your pants. When I have a complete plot, it turns out to be more of a security blanket than anything. Something to reassure me that I'm going in the right direction, even if I don't follow it -- and I usually don't.
Which brings me to the title of today's blog: framing your book. A new house is being built in our subdivision, and right now they're in the framing stage. You can't tell exactly what the house is going to look like from all the wood, but you kind of get an idea of where it's going, how many rooms there will be, what size they are, where the front door is and where the back door will go.
In my opinion, if you're not into completely plotting a book (or simply can't because it all hasn't come to you yet), this is the best way to approach a new project. It's the way I approach a new project. Get the important stuff down, the "frame" for your book: how it begins (front door), some major events and plot twists (rooms & hallways), and how it ends (back door). I've learned that as I progress through the writing/building process, the rest will come to me: the walls will go in, and the floors, etc. And the more you write, the more details will emerge, events and character surprises that you never expected. For example, in feeling my way through Bewitched & Betrayed, I found out a lot about Sarad Nukpana's family and their past (and yes, it is deliciously sordid). ; ) BTW -- trivia tidbit, Sarad Nukpana's mother's maiden name is Ghalfari. She served in the goblin court -- and let's just say like mother, like son.
In another few weeks, I'll be drawing up the "floorplans" for the next 2-3 Raine books to send to my agent and then my publisher to hopefully get another multi-book contract. I won't know everything, but I'll know enough to get construction started.
Upcoming blog topics include:
Am I moving my story forward?
How do I figure out what happens next?
Keeping your hopes up while looking for an agent.
Lisa
posted by Lisa Shearin at
6:11 AM
10 Comments:
Great post, Lisa! I think this will be helpful for me - if I can just work out who/what the antagonist is. It's evading me so far, so I can't do to much framing yet. Bloody thing.
You're most welcome, Jo. Good luck!
I second what Jo said; good advice, especially for writers just starting out. Start with the basics of the story, namely the plot, and it will come together.
Excellent post! I loved the analogy. I'm currently trying to frame my book. To use your example, it's more like I'm seeing the frame of the book/house without my glasses one (blurry). Just have to make it come into focus.
When I came to your site this morning, as you mentioned, I had a screen that popped up instead and said that it wasn't a site I wanted to go to, harmful, etc. I bypassed it, but thought that was rather funky. Hopefully it gets fixed!
Thank you Robert & Ashley!
Webmaster Todd is working on the problem with my site & blog. Apparently I've been hacked. My Twitter page is likewise down. And Google is has attached a warning to my site. The "code bug" isn't contagious -- it was meant specifically for me. Needless to say, I am not amused.
This hacking crap is getting out of hand. >: |
They know not the error of their ways... may they be blessed with large cellmates.
LOL!!!!
Lisa-
I am not used to planning before writing. I usually do most of it while I write. The problem with this is...I don't usually get very far before I can't figure out what happens next. So I think I'll try this "framing" technique. I hope it gets me better results!
I'm sorry you got hacked! I hope the problem gets taken care of soon.
Victoria, I hope it helps!
I think the hacker problem will be fixed soon. : )
Haha, that's very similar to how I plot a book :-) Excellent to know someone PUBLISHED does it :-D
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