I’m teaching a workshop this week for Passionate Ink, and the question came up about how I write. Do I outline, or am I a seat of the pants writer?

I tend to think of myself more as an “organic” writer. I have done most of my books seat of the pants, knowing where I want to start and where I want to end, but not really what’s in between.

But now that I’m writing much more complex worlds, and contemporary suspense, I’m finding that I need a little more planning. These are some of the things I do, or have done:

1. I always keep spreadsheets; the one for my “Magic” series is quite large. I’ll open up an Excel doc and then create multiple pages on aspects of the world and the characters. I tend to do a couple of lines per character–let’s choose a supporting character: Nick; blue eyes, scar over eyebrow, brooding, tortured soul, lost family in fire. Something like that with some characteristics, but not in real detail. I have in my mind the personality and voice, but right now not deep. I do go a little deeper into the h/h and antagonist. I also keep sheets on the magic of my world, the abilities of the witches, warrior Fae, demons, etc. So that’s something I do always, otherwise I’d forget so much.

2. When being a seat of the pants writer, I always have the first chapter in mind when I start, and then just fly from there. The characters and the plot carry me along. Then I’ll come to a point in the book where I need to sort my thoughts a little and I’ll write one liners. Chapter 20 Rescue Melanie. Chapter 21 h/h have sex (LOL) but you get the picture. Never a detailed outline, just something to give me a little guidance as I come closer to the end.

Here are some things I’ve been doing the last 3 months or so to help in my story without outlining.
3. Storyboarding. This is where you take 3 x 5 notecards and jot down ideas. Just ideas, nothing in order. H/H attacked in cabin by antagonist. Black Moment: Hero finds out heroine has been lying to him about X. H/H have sex. :D Then what you do with all these random ideas is flip through them and put them in a rough order. You don’t have to follow it, but it gives you some ideas on where to go.

4. Create a poster. Go through People magazine, fantasy magazines, anything you have. Cut out pictures of anything that relates to your story and make a collage. I found some fascinating pictures that went so well with WICKED MAGIC, the 3rd book in the “Magic” series. And interesting one was a picture of a guy that was gorgeous but could very well be evil–he was dark and brooding looking. Then I found the words “He made his choice.” This made the perfect set up for Darkwolf. I found a faerie. I found a really tough guy, and then was able to cut out wings from another character and put them behind him and they fit perfectly. The Tuatha D’Danann are Fae warriors, and their wings come and go at their will. I found demons to represent the Fomorii, a woman with red hair that was almost like flames rising up from her head. PERFECT for Ceithlenn, my real b-witch of an antagonist. It was a fun, relaxing, brainstorming activity.

5. Brainstorming by e-mail. I’ve done this sooo many times. I’ll be desperate, stuck, and I’ll start writing one of my critique partners asking her for help. I start laying down the problem and the possibilities and end up going until I’ve worked the problem out and know what I want to do. Then I don’t send the e-mail. LOL

6. Tarot cards. Hey, this can be fun. I do NOT know anything about tarot, but I got a mini deck, and for fun would lay out the cards in a Celtic Cross formation and ask the question for my character. I’d get some interesting ideas while reading the meaning of each card and how they turned up in the spread.

7. A notebook. I have steno notebooks, and will start jotting down ideas in them. Sometimes taking pen to paper gives the best ideas.

8. Graphing. For the last contemporary suspense I did, I took a gigantic graph pad, put down an arrow the length of it, down the center. Then on each side of the graph I’d write ideas on what I wanted to do. The hard part was filling in the middle. I had things to start with, and then jumped to the end of the graph and put what I ended with. This was a timeline of sorts and gave me another brainstorming outlet.

9. For those who do: Outlining. I know people who outline extensively. I cant. Just doesn’t work for the way I write.

10. Post it notes, bulletin boards, etc. I know authors who will fill a whole board with their ideas and put them in order, move them around, etc.

The ideas that I suggested that I have used allow me to be entirely creative and fly and let the characters and plot take me to the destination. But which ever method I use I’m still an “organic” writer. Everything flows from the inside out. I’ll deviate, add, change, but it’s a little guideline that helps me.

Hope some of these ideas inspire you!

Hugs,

Chey