The Domestic Goddess* sits down with a tisane and some index cards

[wayfaringwordhack]

I don't know that I deserve to be called a domestic goddess today (even though that is what frigg says I am) because I'm not the one who straightened the house. J did that.

But things I did or participated in:

- went to the farmer's market bright and early
- put S down for a nap (she didn't sleep) and headed to the health food and grocery stores to do the rest of the shopping.
- made cinnamon rolls and shrimp cockails, both completely from scratch
- fished for calamari; caught none
- made supper
- nursed S and put her to bed
- prepared veggies in brine for kimchi
- cut up and salted lemons for preserved lemons
- tidied the kitchen

I'm very ready for bed, but I'm going to relax with a tisane first (homemade, too, but not tonight :P) and try to do some plotting on index cards.  Yesterday, I spent over an hour working on my timeline. No new words on the story, but I am going to count it as a day's work, just like tonight's plotting will count.

This time, I'm going to write the scene goal, conflict, etc (actually going to try the Scene/Sequel thing: Goal --> Conflict --> Disaster -->Reaction --> Dilemma --> Decision).  I know this is a useful approach for writing focused scenes, but every time I think of doing it, I freak out, sure that I'm going to write hackneyed, formulaic stories. Still, it will be a good exercise to make sure I have goals, conflict, etc. I'm not sure my innate sense of "what makes a good chapter" is as honed as I would like for it to be. :P

Does anyone else have success using the above approach, or do you have another way of making sure your story moves forward instead of meandering too much?

__________
* see above comment about this being frigg's term. :P

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

you went fishing for calamari--somehow this delights me.

and you've prepared vegetables for kimchi!

and... cinnamon buns.

Mmmmm....

I'm hungry now. Best go cook supper...

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

We used to go fishing quite often when we lived in Mayotte. It was good to do it again, brought back many happy memories.

Still waiting for the kimchi to ferment. The recipes says, basically, that I'll know it is done when it smells and tastes like kimchi, but not having any prior kimchi experience, I'll just have to wing it. :P

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

I remember hearing set of instructions that went along the lines of "And then it will get very bad to eat, so don't eat it. Then later, you can eat it again..."

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

o.O hehe. I'll keep that in mind.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I hope the kimchi turns out. Garlicky, sour, spicy--all those things!

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

:D Yum. I can still catch a whiff of fresh cabbage, so my bet is that it isn't fermented enough. Perhaps tomorrow.

ps!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I missed your writing question.

... I haven't tried the method you mention--I still just write the thing sort of organically--but this leads me to often have to remove huge thousand-word chunks, or cut and reorganize sentences... it's slow.

Re: ps!

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the slowness is what I'm trying to cut down on. I have yet to find my ideal process, and each project is likely to have variations on that rather than it being a one-method-fits-all.

I waffle between planning and writing organically, the organic approach being what I did for my first (and only completed) novel. But that novel is a right mess. I've revisited it many times but have yet to make the changes that will bring it closer to the realm of publishable. It was a learning experience, and I thought I learned that I should plan more.

However, I have yet to be consumed by the burning and enduring love that seized me for that first book. I need to find that sweet spot of constant discovery and not-writing-in-the-utter-dark. Too many dead-ends and stubbed toes in the latter.

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Just HALF that list would put you in the Domestic Goddess category!

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

No demigoddess, I! :P

[clarentine]

I use a method somewhat similar...but not until after I have written the first draft. *g* And, rather ironically, I realized this morning on the bus, while mulling over the problems I'm having getting started with this novel, that Jody and Martha are essentially reacting to stuff being thrown at them. They do have goals, but not in these scenes. Duh! No wonder they're moving slow as molasses! So now my goal for today's non-writing time (otherwise known as day job desk and transit time) is to work out direct, scene-related goals and plan for tonight's rewrite.

Which is to say, I'm going to try your method and see if I can get it to work.

every time I think of doing it, I freak out, sure that I'm going to write hackneyed, formulaic stories - My fear as well. We shall see.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Part of me wants to get that first draft out and then apply the structuring. However, when I think of juggling multiple meanderings, timelines, meetings, etc. across three books, it hurts my head. Bad.

...Jody and Martha are essentially reacting to stuff being thrown at them. They do have goals, but not in these scenes. Duh! No wonder they're moving slow as molasses!

Yeah, goals are important. I need to find some for my scenes, too. :P

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

You catch your own calamari? I'm impressed!

Writing-wise, what I do at the moment is to think in terms of chapters which have a defined opening line and an ending line. Often the two lines will be related, or will play against each other. This helps to keep the momentum going and makes it clearer in my head just what will change over the course of the chapter. (I used to just write in one long stream, then try to pull chapters out of it, but I ended up with far too many sections where the characters just muddled on with their journey.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

I can! Just haven't caught any here, yet; but it was our first time. We used to fish them quite a lot in Mayotte. Tasty little critters. :D

That change you mention is what I need to work on getting into my chapters. My scenes are too often moments of Not Enough Change.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Although I should point out that for me sometimes change also happens between chapters. And sometimes the fact that nothing has changed between the opening and the ending is the urgent crisis the characters have to deal with...

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

*nods* as long as there is change, I think readers will stay hooked.