PLOTSTORM 11

So I'm up to 18, 000 words on the third book in my USAF PJ series. So far the scenes are flowing in order, so it's going faster. I'm averaging about 2000 words an hour, even with chaos erupting in every corner of my house. LOL!

If you don't write this fast, please do not let my speed discourage you. Each writer is different and you have to find your own groove.

Remember I said GONE WITH THE WIND took ten years to write. Ten. And look what a classic that is. So please don't fret if you can't spit a story as fast as I can. I've always been blessed with fast labors. LOL!!!!

But I agonize over the pregnancy. They always give me trouble. In life, in writing. The process for each writer will be different.

For me, the faster I can get the story down, the better the story flows, the more cohesive the plot ends up, and the less scattered and splotchy the story ends up.

Thanks for those of you who helped me figure out who the Sweet Home Alabama guy is.

I talked to my editor via email today and she thuoght as I supected, that I should veer away from any mention of abortion in the story since it's a minor subplot and not a crucial element to the story.

So I've stripped it out and moved onward in the story. Not ony did I strip out that thread, I made her UN-pregnant too. Highlighted that whole scene, about a page and a half, and omitted it. Revisions the easiest thing in the world with delete key. He he.

Of course I didn't read over the scene before cutting it. And for scenes that I just can't bear to delete, I will cut and paste them into a different document titled "Cuts from PJ3" so it doesn't totally feel like I'm getting rid of it. Just transplanting it out of the story. Granted I'll probably never use it anywhere else, but there's always that chance, and it makes edting easier when I don't feel like I've nixed a scene I love completely.

So if something has to go in your ms, you may want to try this method. There is, after all, a method to my madness.

So in this plotstorm, I'm just letting the characters take over. Letting them tell their story. I'm not referring to any of my plot notes, my character charts, because by now I feel I KNOW them.

At this point, the only other thing I have when I write is my laptop, a cup of coffee, a healthy snack, Donald Maas' workbook to "Writing the Breakout Novel" (Thanks Robin!", and my Bible as I go through Chance's spiritual arc. He's coming to a place in the story where he begins to realize he's been seeing God through a clogged filter=giving him a distorted view of God as he is, and himself as God sees him.

I am looking forward to writing his spiritial epiphany. Speaking of....

I'd better get off here and go write again. I'd like to hit 20 k today.

Hope you've found something helpful in my plotstorm.

Please feel free to email me with questions, or post your question in the comments if you have any about how this process works for me. Oh, and did I happen to mention the most important part? I pray, always, always, before one word goes down. I have a team of people praying me through writing this story. Each story really. If you don't have that, I hope that will be your next step. Depending on God to inspire you will do wonders for your writing. I know it has mine.

Praying you find your perfect groove in Him,

Squirrel

--
www.CherylWyatt.com Gal. 2:20 Pouring my vial of words over Him.

A SOLDIER'S PROMISE~ Steeple Hill Love Inspired~ Jan. 2008

www.Scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com