Since I am such a huge fan of the Divergent series, I've been taking in as much of Veronica Roth's work as possible. (Seriously, if you haven't read her books yet you need to STOP READING THIS POST and either go to your local bookstore and buy them, or download them to your nearest e-reader. Hint: whatever device you're reading this blog on is your nearest e-reader!) Although she hasn't published any other books (yet!) she has an absolutely wonderful blog (here) and I simply can't get enough of it!
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Have you bought them? Yes? Ok, you may proceed.
I decided to start at the very beginning (a very good place to start) and today I happened upon a post written on August 5, 2010. Basically Veronica (cuz we're totes on a first name basis) talks about exactly what I mentioned in my last post! She talks about how writers (not all, but a good lot) have a tendency to write about the same thing, or have a common theme throughout all of their stories. Although I'm not really sharing any new information with you (apart from a totally awesome new blog to get hooked on) I wanted to share this because it makes me feel completely validated.
"Come on, McKenna," you may say. "You read that post and then planned your 'thing' post around it." Nay, I tell you, in fact I did not! That is why I was so incredibly psyched when I stumbled upon it!
The fact that her post was almost exactly three years ago doesn't deter me or make me feel like I was late to the realization party. Far from it. The fact that I had the same realization, a completely valid and spot on realization, as at least two published authors makes me feel pretty amazing! It's quite encouraging. :) It may have absolutely nothing to do with writing, at least not directly, but it boosts my ego in the realm of authorship. I figure if I have the ability to inhabit a similar headspace, or at least make the same observations about writing, as published authors, then I'm on the right track.
So, with that, get thee over to Veronica's awesome blog (so long as you have already purchased and started reading her awesome book series)!
And forgive my random descent into Ye Olde English.
I've decided that every writer has their "thing," whether it's something like publishing a new book every month, having a certain reference in each book, having a recurring character or series, or creating similar worlds in each novel, or some such thing. Every author has something.
I've realized that I, too, have a "thing." And I'm not even an established writer yet! I have a tendency to focus my stories on seeing things that other people can/t. That may not actually be the point of the story, but it's definitely a common trait that all of the projects in sight have in common. (Haha) Whether it's literally having an extra sight or having the ability to "perceive clearly that which others overlook," my main characters DEFINITELY all share that trait.
I think that's a pretty cool "thing" to have. And the psychologist in me (aka me) wants to know why this has presented as my "thing."
A thought to ponder later...
And also I just realized that my BLOG has to do with it too. K. Cool. Not freaky at all. I swear, this whole thing was NOT planned!
I have a (usually awful) tendency to try things "The McKenna Way" even when I know there's an established way to do them. More often than not this results in me either having to go back and start from scratch or changing so much of my work that it becomes so convoluted that I may as well have just started from scratch. Now in some cases, I was unaware of previously established guidelines. In others, I'm convinced my way will work better (and I am, in fact, often correct in this assessment).
And sometimes it doesn't occur to me that guidelines can be transferred from the realm of essays and technical writing to that of fiction writing. (Very inside the box thinking and decidedly un-Ravenclaw of me, I know. I'm ashamed.)
Both established guidelines and "The McKenna Way" agree that when setting out to write an essay, an outline is absolutely essential. It helps set the framework for the paper and provides an easy reference point when you get stuck. It also provides you with a clear end goal. And let's face it, an outline is a list, and what makes you feel more accomplished than a list? Even if you aren't a perpetual planner like me, checking something off of a list feels pretty darn good.
So why, as I was toiling away, trying to breathe life into this manuscript of mine, did it never occur to me to write down a sequential plot line? I will never know. I suppose I was trying "The McKenna 2.0 Way" instead of the established/McKenna Way.
Note to self: Writing is writing. Whether the words form a story, a lesson, or make a point, the same, practiced setup will produce the most effective spike. Any volleyball players? No? Ok. Nvm.
This brings me to some exciting news. Exciting for me anyway. I just created and finished the outline of a story I've had bouncing around my head for over a year. From here on in it shall be referred to as TMND. (No, this is not a story about Teenage Mutant Ninja Dolphins. Or Dumbo/Dogs/Deer or anything else stealthy and mutated.)
I had convinced myself that I couldn't write this particular story as a book since I so clearly saw it as a movie. Full casting and everything! I had read some awesome advice from a variety of sources (Veronica Roth included) and decided that since I love planning and creating outlines, it couldn't hurt to make an outline for this story. I had already written a few "scenes" (novel form, not screenplay form) but I was having so much trouble with their ordering...and bouncing around a story that is supposed to be sequential is just extremely frustrating. For me, frustration leads to anxiety and anxiety leads to writer's block, so this was obviously a work-in-frustratingly-slow-progress.
So I sat down at about 10:30pm to embark on an outline. There were a few gaps in which internet research was conducted (for historical accuracy purposes, no Tumblr, I promise) and it was finished by 11:20pm or so. That's right. It was done. The entire thing. Not just a few plot points and general sense of where it would go, but the WHOLE. THING. In quite a bit of detail. Minor scenes included.
And holy crap! Just...ba-BAM. It feels like I've finished the actual novel, that's how amazingly fulfilling this feels. Naturally, I know there's still a lot of work ahead of me. Yet, such a weight has been lifted...I feel as if I'm expelling a breath I hadn't even realized I had been holding.
I cannot wait to actually write this story and see it come together as a full manuscript. I really feel like I have such an amazing story to share. Like it's someone's true story finally seeing the light of day. Which is ironic given the content of the story. ;)
I look forward to sharing the rest of this journey with you! Here's to TMND!
