Plantsing

            I'm a plantser. I'm part planner and part pantser. When I write, I come up with my characters, my setting, the basic story, a few key plot points I want to hit or things I want to happen, and a basic ending to work towards. Then I write.

            I try to listen to my muse. Quite often an idea will pop into my head as I write that just feels right. So, I go with it. There have been times when I'll get an idea in one chapter, and then an idea on how to build on it a few chapters later. My muse often comes up with good ideas. Better ideas. The more I listen to my muse, the more I get ideas.

            Sometimes, when I get stumped, I'll take a shower, go for a walk, or wash the dishes. That can help my brain—and my muse—work in the background to come up with an idea. When I go back to my computer, I have a good idea where to go with the story.

            I do the same for poetry. Sometimes I have to work for a poem, line upon line, edit after edit. Sometimes, the poem practically writes itself.

            I know when I'm done because it feels right, from beginning to end.

            I have friends who like to write detailed outlines. They know before they begin where the novel will go, then all they have to do is flesh it out. I can't do that. I'll still make changes, or go in a different direction, then have to revise my outline. So, I prefer a basic outline with soft, squishy lines.

            I failed to follow my plantsing rules last year for NaNo. I had my main characters, my secondary characters, my basic story idea. But no solid ending. At least, none I wrote down. As I began to write, the story took some interesting twists that helped the plot and conflict. But as I got to the point where it was time to build to the final conflict and the resolution, nothing worked. I couldn't figure out how to end the novel in a way that was satisfactory to me and to the characters.

            So, nearly 100,000 words into the novel, I took a break. I did more than take a break. I'm going back to the first book in the trilogy and do a second rewrite so I can get some better ideas for what to do with the second book. And to solidify some secondary characters and their arcs that are in both books.

            It's a lesson I need to remember. I need a beginning, some events that build the story, AND an ending before I start—even if I change it along the way. This roadblock is a good reminder.

            Sometimes, you can parallel the beginning and ending. It doesn't always work, but if you can, it can be pretty cool. I wrote a short story where the main character wants to watch the night demons dance outside her window, but can't see them. At the end of the story, because of her choices, she meets them, and wishes she hadn't made those choices. I'm also working on a novel that began on a hill above a large lake and ends on the shore. The primary antagonist is met in the beginning and defeated at the end. His story arc centers around the lake.

            But that won't work with my current WIP. It starts in a kitchen garden, but will end in a ballroom. I just need to figure out how to deal with the character who started out being a close friend and ended up working with the antagonist. I didn't expect that, but it works with the story—and the character tried several times to be the antagonist along the way but needed someone to give her a push to really get there.

            I just have to wrap that up and figure out if I still want a ballroom ending, or if I'll go back to the garden. You know, that might actually work better. But it still needs another conflict to make the ballroom unacceptable. But it'll suit the character better. I think she deserves and ending that fits her story. So, why not run away to the herb garden?