Building the Framework

While I'm enjoying the AWP conference, here is another post on good fiction writing for beginners. Enjoy!

Halfway through my first novel, I stopped writing for weeks. I couldn’t stand to think about my story, because I knew I was stuck. I couldn’t remember how the sister met the boyfriend, and I forgot why the story of the bass player passing out on the pool table was crucial to the character development. I also forgot some names and critical dates. Worst of all, I knew how the story was going to end but I couldn’t figure out how to get there. My characters had taken over the plot and we were drifting somewhere else. How was I going to end this piece?

It’s perfectly valid to use the “drive by your headlights” method to write an entire book; you start with a plot and just take off writing your fingers to nubbins. However when you get stuck with a problem like mine, stepping back and applying a structure to the story can be especially helpful. Some writers can’t write at all without building an outline or brainstorming the story first. Here are a few techniques.

Write a Story Synopsis. On no more than two pages, summarize your story. This is nothing more than a description of the main characters and action, similar to the text you read on the back cover of flyleaf of a book. By paring down the story to a synopsis, you can identify problems with the plot – or you can fall in love with your idea once again.

Build an Outline. This step provides the benefit of structure before writing, as well as a good start on the chapter summary that an editor is going to require for a novel. An outline is especially helpful for giving you a roadmap for each of your chapters, so you can see how your characters are going to get from point A to point Z. Remember, though, that this is your outline. Don’t stress if you have an item #1 but no item #2, the way we were all taught in language arts classes. Write down what’s essential and don’t make something up if it’s not necessary.

Dump Your Brain. This method is helpful when you’re fresh out of ideas or are struggling to make a relationship between different elements or events. There are several ways to wake up the genius lurking inside you. You can free-associate and write down ideas on sticky notes, then group the notes together in related strings that are structurally related.

In another method, you write down an idea, concept, or event (such as “Dominic strips onstage”) and circle it. Then write down something that is related to it, such as the following string of events or consequences (“The band gets notoriety”, “Sheila dumps Dominic”, etc.), circling each one and connecting it to the main idea with a line. Continue adding events or ideas and relating them with lines to other ideas, until the structure is complete or the ideas start popping.

A satisfactory, workable story structure is like MapQuest for your story: it tells you how to get where you’re going and what your destination is going to look like. Depending on your needs, you can outline turn-by-turn directions, or just a general map. Whichever you choose for your story can eliminate writer anxiety and get your characters where you want them to be.