Brenda, unfortunately I think some books need to be told what they want to be. Those are the challenging ones!

And Pam, I agree that no one method will work for everyone, although it doesn’t hurt to think about tweaking the plan once in a while. I’ve never been interesting in storyboarding before, but now I’m intrigued. Maybe it’s time for me to learn that trick.

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Then there are others who need to know every detail, every step on the path from start to finish before they can write. This sense of organization makes them happy, they can tick off an item on their checklist and know they’ve done the job the way it needs to be done.

And then there’s a middle ground with some pre-planned elements and an end goal, maybe some intermediate stops along the way to write to. And the freedom to see how the characters feel like getting there.

Of course, no one way is write. But I do think you have to have a really solid knowledge of writing craft and story structure and the kind of story you’re building to use any method. Or else is all pretty much throwing darts in the dark.

I’ve been watching the director’s commentaries of all the DVD’s I love for a while now, but only recently started using films in this way to analyze story/plot/character arc. It’s just so much faster than trying to do it with a novel! (Unless, of course, it’s a novel you’ve read umpteen times.) A very helpful exercise.

As a reader, I like works that have a tight focus, but many layers of “snowflaking” (see: advancedfictionwriting DOT com SLASH art SLASH snowflake DOT php) such as Ken Follet’s or Michael Creichton’s works. These tend to take over my mind more.

I do also enjoy meandering stuff, like Jane Austen’s novels (imagine how she would have written today, given our sharing resources as writers!) but, these do not seem to possess me the way the characters and stories of the more plotted stuff do.

For screen/stage, one of my fave new writers is Zach Helm (Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Imporium, Stranger Than Fiction). I would love to know what his process is!

And finally, on a personal note, THANK YOU! for blogging at the TPL. It is through your presence that I became aware of the TRW. I attended the November meeting and what a fantastic bunch of ladies! So open, supportive and generous. Wow.

Cheers!
Hélène