For my two co-authored Civil War novels, yes I did. Both books were based on actual people involved in the Civil War: Charley King in BROKEN DRUM and Nancy Hart in REBEL HART. I think of both those books as "connect-the-dot" pictures. The dots were the facts that we researched and could not change. The lines connecting the facts were the fictional elements we used to make our stories more interesting. It was those connecting lines that took unexpected twists and turns.
For my current novel-in-progress, I started with a setting and two characters, but no definite "beginning" in mind. The better I get to know my characters, the more my plot develops, and I have a pretty good idea of where the story will end. However, many of the scenes in between are still in question. Once the characters take over, they often surprise me, and I am amazed at how natural some decisions become. If I get stuck, I jump ahead to a scene I know will come and then go back later to work on the transitions or to change the sequence.
I hope my characters keep me guessing as much as I want them to keep my readers turning the pages.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
Edie, I enjoy reading about your process! Thanks!
Thanks for the connect-the-dot visual. You didn't mention anything about your first solo novel. The characters are so vivid. I'm sure that starting with that approach in your current novel will lead great places. I look forward to reading your current work.
Thanks, Lauren and Christy. I guess I have to say that Road to Tater Hill was such a personal story straight from my own life that, yes, I did know the beginning and ending when I started writing. However, giving my main character a different name allowed Annie to become a character in her own right, and she did take some unplanned turns during the course of the story.
I heard Richard Peck say that the characters in your story should begin to come up with ideas on their own...and it sounds like that is what is happening with your current novel, Edie.
I heard Richard Peck say that the characters in your story should begin to come up with ideas on their own...and it sounds like that is what is happening with your current novel, Edie.
Edie, thanks for sharing the various ways you have approached your projects. I really like the idea that when you are stuck you move ahead to a scene you "know" then return to work on the transition. That's an idea I will try next time I am stuck!
Edie, that is how I have also approached my work, with strong voices and settings.
Post a Comment