[WW] 1 - Outlining

THE PLANNING PROCESS
January 1 - 15

Section Three: Outlining

In the writing community, writers typically identify with one of two groups:

Planners OR Pantsers

Planner are those who plan, to some extent, the structure of their story or project.  Pantsers, as hinted by their name, prefer to plan as they write, fling by the seat of the pants. They may feel too impatient to sit down and draft an outline or they may feel as  though it's necessary.  Many beginning writers start writing feeling this way.  As time goes on, they may change to be planners. I was this way.  I decided to be a pantser, but quickly changed my ways.

Whether you're a planner or a pantser, an effective outline can go a long way to finishing your story.  (Honestly, don't knock an outline until you try it!)

As mentioned before, I can only show you methods that I know, ones that work for me, so while I explain my outlining process, please know that you are not restricted to this format.  However, I would like to see some form of outline from my participants, even an incomplete one.

The first thing to know about my outlines is that they are usually, always unfinished.  Even when they story is completed.  You may wish to rewrite it or add notes for a sequel.  My outlines tend to be several pages long and I'll include scans of them at the bottom of this post.

I feel more comfortable before I start working on a new book if I at least have some sort of working outline prepared.  When drafting your outline, you'll want to first make notes of all the major events that will occur in your story.  A list of a chronological timeline.  Or, if you prefer something more structured you can consider these divisions (which may also help develop your story):

1. Exposition

2. Rising Action

3. Climax

4. Falling Action

OR

• Introduce main character(s)
• Introduce problem/antagonist
• Search to solve problem
• Journey
• Other help
• Introduce secondary problem
• Solve secondary problem
• Prepare for conflict/climax
• Conflict/Climax
• End

You don't have to follow these outline examples exactly.  My outlines simply list all major events (which is really what those are without the specific headings).

The other things you want to include in your outlines are notes.  Include notes on characters (their family, personality), geographical annotations (maybe even sketch maps or blue prints), research notes, dialogue even. I know that I have a habit of imagining conversations between my characters, and I can use that for my book.  Write everything you can think of or remember for your outline.

There's a reason for this.  Some people will say that the purpose of an outline is to keep you organized.  While this is true, I use my outline primarily for a different reason. So I don't forget.  I've had more than enough times where I think of brilliant material and completely forget it later when I try to remember.  A good rule of thumb is that, if you think it up, write it down.

Another helpful hint I've learned from other writers--

I, like most people, usually write by hand.  (If you type everything, including your outline, then this will not apply to you).  Write down your outline by hand like normal and then scan copies of it to your computer.  That way, you will have a digital copy of your outline, should anything happy to your hard copy.

My outlines:

(please respect my work and do not copy or redistribute it without my consent)

I couldn't find the original outline for Archer, but here are the outlines to other projects.  Please note, SPOILERS.

Eastmoon (Archer's sequel):

Email for copy.

Runewell:

Email for copy.

[WW] 1 - Antagonist

THE PLANNING PROCESS

January 1 - 15

Section Two:  Antagonist

Your next important step in planning your story is to decide your antagonist.

In forming your protagonist's problem and consequently the plot drive, your antagonist becomes a critical player in your plot.  When you build you antagonist, it is important to keep in mind that they need to be initially more powerful than your protagonist.  Your antagonist presents the problem to your protagonist, and in order for the problem to exist, the protagonist must be unable to overcome this problem in the beginning.

So thus is the base creation of your story.  In order to defeat the antagonist, the protagonist must learn or discover the capability to conquer the antagonist.  If you feel that your story does not fit such parameters, consider all sorts of antagonists.  The antagonist may be one particular villain.  The antagonist may be an abstract or nonlinear source: an evil power or an internal flaw of your protagonist.  Your antagonist may be a force of nature, religion, government or other group of organizational means.

Develop your antagonist.  If it is a character, give them motivation and a personality. Why are they antagonist? Why are they, specifically, the opposing force to your protagonist?  To make him realistic, give him or her a childhood, parents, family.  A backstory.  But, perhaps the most important for this type of antagonist is they need a quality or characteristic that mirrors or contrasts your protagonist.

In my first book, the central antagonist may not be immediately clear. There are two swirling conflicts within Archer of the Lake, which is fine if you adequately devote time to each.

The antagonist to the first conflict would be an upset of governmental power, where the governing force exercises its abilities for a certain agenda. The agenda ultimately belongs to a particular character, but I have chosen not to reveal the character's identity for the sake of expanding the series.  (So note, it is important to consider that when writing a series of books, you must stretch a conflict and not immediately resolve it at the first book's end.  The antagonist must be logically present throughout all or the remaining books that will have this problem.)

In Archer of the Lake, my protagonist Caelfel maintains a stubborn sense of morality, which is a defining point to her character.  She lacks, however, the cunning and ability to truly search and overcome this mysterious antagonist.  Thus the need to make this antagonist appear for the following books.

The second conflict in this book is a run-of-the-mill villainous baddie.  When Caelfel is confronted and kidnapped, she has been stripped of all her weaponry and defenses, thus making her unable to defeat this antagonist--a specific villain named Admiral Grimault.  By the book's end, she is presented with an opportunity to slay the villain and, possessing the necessary determination and ability, she does, defeating the antagonist.

So, as suggested by the above section, defeating your antagonist does not have to be overly complicated.  The complexity comes from your Hero's Journey.  But defeating the actual villain may be as simple as silver bullets and the like.

With my second book, Archer of the Lake's sequel, the antagonist is a werewolf named Tarion, leading his pack of ravenous werewolves.  They present the major problems of the story.  Once Tarion is slain, his antagonistic reign comes to end.  But the story won't end there.  The good thing about sequels is that you can always bring a baddie from the first book back into the second.  Remember what I said earlier?

The overall problem that existed in Archer returns in its sequel.

What sort of antagonists are you planning for your novel?  Or, if your project is unconventional, what are you planning to be the opposing force for your protagonist?

[WW] 1 - Protagonist & Plot Drive

I've decided to initiate a writing workshop with my writing group "The Drunken Lion."  This workshop is designed to help prospective writers complete a novel.  The workshop is scheduled to last from January 1st - April 19th. Below is a rough timeline of what I intend to cover during this time.

1.  January 1 - 15: Brainstorming, Outlining, "The Planning Process" 

2.  January 16 - 29: Exposition, Character & Plot Introduction 

3.  January 30 - February 12: Rising Action & Character Development 

4.  February 13 - 26: The Journey 

5.  February 27 - March 12: "The Tough Stuff", Transitions & Boring Details 

6.  March 13 - 26: The Plot Thickens 

7.  March 27 - April 9: Falling Action & Ending 

8.  April 10 - 19: Polishing & Editing 

I have decided to share the posts from my writing workshop lessons to my page here.  This is the first section on "The Planning Process", which focuses on the Protagonist and Plot Drive.

THE PLANNING PROCESS
January 1 - 15
 Section One: Protagonist & Plot Drive

 Welcome to my "Write a Novel with Me" Workshop! 

 We'll do introductions first. My name is Kelly, and I have written a book. For some reason, I feel as though this validates me enough to impart the wisdom of book-writing unto others. My book is not published yet, but I hope it will be soon. For more information on me as an author, you may visit my website ikellymichaels.com! 

This is the first day of the section I've titled as "The Planning Process." For the next two weeks, we will be extensively planning our books. Because we have have 14-week workshop, this is an accelerated course. In reality, there is no definite amount of time brainstorming or writing your book will take. But hopefully this workshop will break down and explain the process with you. 

Be mindful that I can only show you the way I write books. If you find a different way works for you, then I encourage you to pursue (and even share with everyone) that method! 

Let's get started! 

In order to have an idea that is able to be fully developed and expanded into the size of 

book, you must prepare your protagonist. 

I'm not saying you have to flesh out all the physical details or personality traits right now. But your protagonist needs a problem. This problem will be your protagnist's conflict, the drive that pushes the story to its conclusion. Be mindful of that when you develop this. Your protagonist(s) needs a logical, plausible reason for having said problem. And by your story's end, they will need to have learned/gleaned/gained the means to accomplish said problem. You don't need to envision the FULL JOURNEY now, but you'll need a pretty clean picture of the end, even if the End is the hero(ine) not solving the problem at all and BAM, you have a cliffhanger for your sequel. But there definitely will need to be a problem. 

I will use two examples throughout this workshop. One example will be from my completed book and the other will be from its sequel, the book I plan to write with you. 

In the completed book, Archer of the Lake, my protagonist is named Caelfel. Her problem, one of the central drives of the story, is her friendship with an outcast. Upon their initial meeting in the beginning, Caelfel's life has been thrown into constant adversity. She faces waves of problems because of this friendship. The driving point is that continuing such a friendship puts her life in danger, as culminated by her kidnapping at the end. Caelfel's personality, her staunch sense of morality and a blooming romance, perpetuate the problem through the story's end. You'll want to make sure that you perpetuate the problem to its fruition too. 

But a story can have more than one conflict. To make it complex, the protagonist needs underlying flaws that obstruct the path to their solution. Caelfel faces internal problems too. She grapples with her youth and the image society thrusts upon her, so she often feels a need to prove herself. Some ways through the story, Caelfel loses powers, her ability to perform magic, and then becomes defenseless to protect herself. These are compound problems that enhance your story and protagonist more. Solving them may prove more difficult than your initial problem, but they do develop your character more. 

In my sequel, Caelfel ventures away from her homeland and stumbles upon an army from a distant land. The army faces a problem, and Caelfel makes the problem her own. The driving point for this story are the rampant werewolves that terrorize this new kingdom. War and conflict are great, simple ways of creating a driving plot in your story. The secondary, compound problem Caelfel will face in the sequel is adjusting to the lifestyle of men, as she is an elf. The struggle for adaptation can grow a character in maturity, developing them further. 

 Those are just a few examples. Your story will be different of course. The essential theme here is to recognize that your character needs to achieve a goal. 

 So share below what sort of problems or protagonists you are creating! If you need some help, share your idea and we can discuss!