A PANSTER ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN (AND DOES A TERRIBLE JOB)
We're back again to talk about my writing process, and this time I'm going to tackle the arguably hardest part of my process in conjunction with the easiest—plotting and drafting.
Obviously, this works differently for everyone, and no two writers have the exact same processes. Mine is... chaotic, at best. But during the process of writing Of Blood, Bones, and Truth, I've learned a lot about me and what works best.
I tend to find the first draft the most exciting! As I said in my previous blog post, my ideas usually form during this first "half-draft." I let myself daydream, I dump everything I can possibly think of in that draft and I don't hold myself to a specific set of scenes or plot points. I just write. For the ADHD side of my brain, this is helpful because it lets me cool off the little tangents my brain wants to go down when I'm writing. I get the itch for those out, and sometimes even help myself narrow down the plot.
But once that half-draft is written? I need to narrow the focus. With OBBT, I used a technique I learned from the queen herself, V.E. Schwab called the story skeleton. This involves writing a massive laundry list of all the scenes you want to include in your story at the most basic level. This worked great for OBBT, but it also left me with a lot of questions and gaps.
As I began more fine-tuned edits of OBBT, I discovered a new drafting process (thanks to a beta reader, Gina!) that works even better than the story skeleton, and helps me focus on character arcs rather than plot (which I am guilty of focusing on the plot more than the character, oops). This 5-act structure gives me prompts to figure out character arcs while framing it within the lens of plot—a perfect balance for me.
The 5 acts are as follows:
Catalyst (pursuing goal, encounters problem).
Collision (antagonism that raises stakes)
Change (conflict leads to new reality, choice changes everything)
Crisis (choice triggers opposition & a crisis for the hero)
Climax (hero makes a sacrifice or loses goal)
I find the 5 acts much easier to break down than the 3 act structure. It's more detailed, yet still high-level enough to let my pantser brain feel like I'm not totally corralled. It helps me focus on character arcs within the plot, rather than trying to figure out arcs AFTER I've already written the plot.
My ramblings when I try to talk about writing tend to go off the rails, but I hope this was focused enough for you to get a grasp on my chaotic writing process. And maybe I've given you a new drafting process with the 5 act structure? One can hope.
Next time—character arcs vs plot!
-Tia