by Jody Hedlund

We have a treat for you today. Thanks to Jenny Hansen at her More Cowbell blog, the amazing Jody Hedlund is stopping off here at Writers in the Storm during her blog tour for her new book, The Doctor’s Lady. She’s going to share some of her tricks for writing a riveting story.

Writers all have different methods for planning their novels. There’s no wrong or right way of doing it. With that said, I’ll share what I do with the hope that maybe you can glean something, even if only inspiration!

1. Establish Set Pieces.

The term set piece is a screenwriting term that means, “The big, audience pleasing scenes that deliver on the genre elements of the movie” (according to screenwriter Doug Eboch in his post Set Pieces Sell Scripts).

In fiction writing, set pieces are the unforgettable, major events that happen in our book. So after I finish brainstorming plot ideas and developing my characters (see my blog for my free Character Worksheet), I make a list of set pieces—the biggest and most critical events I want to include in my book.

I usually try to put them in the general order in which they’ll appear in the book—particularly into a basic 3-Act structure: a beginning with an inciting incident that pushes my character out of ordinary life; a middle crisis thatworks toward the black moment; then the final climax that eventually leads to resolution.

2. Develop a Three-Strand Conflict.

I give my stories three distinct strands of conflict. First, I look for an over-arching external conflict—a problem or obstacle that my character must face during the entire length of the novel, and it usually involves an antagonist of some kind.

Second, I give my characters internal conflicts—character weaknesses, flaws they must work through as the story progresses. Of course, they won’t become perfect, but they need to grow in self-awareness.

And third, I develop relationship conflicts—tension and problems that will keep my main characters emotionally apart for the entire book (which is especially critical in a romance).

My goal is to have all three of my conflict strands relate to each other. The more intertwined they are, the better. It’s my job as the story unfolds to braid all of the strands together as smoothly as possible, until by the end, the reader can’t easily distinguish where one starts and one stops.

3. Jot Down a Short Chapter-by-Chapter Outline.

Once I have my set pieces organized and my three levels of conflicts outlined, then it’s easier for me to think of the overall framework of where I need to go with the book. I generally determine approximately how many chapters I want and how many words per chapter. (Very roughly, mind you! It’s just a guide to help me stay somewhat on track!)

Then in my spiral notebook, I use my set pieces and three-strand conflict outline to make a few notes about what I hope to accomplish in each chapter—no more than a couple sentences.

4. Plan Scenes.

Over the years of writing, I’ve come to rely more and more upon the technique of writing by scenes. In fact, with the book I most recently finished, the majority of the book cuts from one scene to the next with very few transitional links.

As I’ve pondered why I like writing this way, I’ve realized that ultimately writing by scenes is one of the best ways to SHOW our story. We place our characters on the stage, have them act things out. When it’s over, we drop the curtain and open it again with the next scene. We’re continually showing the action of our story without having an intrusive narrator come out between acts and fill us in on what happens between times—as if we need to know every detail to be entertained.

Before I start the actual writing of each scene, I make notes on the scene including: Time/Date, Setting, POV (looking back to make sure I’m varying these well enough). Then I ask myself these questions: What is the goal of the scene? What am I trying to accomplish? How am I moving the plot forward?

Once I finish the outline of a scene, I write it (on my laptop). I try to end the scene with a Read-On-Prompt—something that will hook a reader into having to turn to the next page and keep reading.

There you have it. That’s a quick overview of my process for organizing a novel.

What’s your process? Do you follow any of my steps? Is there anything listed above that’s new to you? What else helps you in organizing all your plot ideas?

©Jody Hedlund, 2011

Jody Hedlund is an award-winning historical romance novelist and author of the best-selling book, The Preacher’s Bride. She received a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, both in Social Work. Currently she makes her home in Michigan with her husband and five busy children. Her second book, The Doctor’s Lady released in September 2011.

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Next week D.A. Watt will give us Part Two of her "What I've Learned from Horses" series.  And Fae Rowen will follow up Laura Drake's list with her list of ten books to be marooned with on a desert island.

As we begin the Holiday Season, Writers in the Storm would like to take today to share what we're thankful for, but don't worry.  We are indeed thankful for an ocean of things, but we limited ourselves to gratitude as it relates to our writing.

And on Friday, we're excited (and grateful) to have as our guest blogger, Jody Hedlund with a post on  4 Steps For Organizing Plot Ideas Into a Novel.

Laura Drake:

• 
  
  My Crit group - Charla Rae, Fae Rowen, Jenny Hansen, and D.A. Watt. These beautiful ladies were the real start of my writing career - and they walk beside me every step, helping to weather the storm!
  
  
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  My Mom - for giving me my solid work ethic and British stiff upper lip.
  
  
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  My "girls" - no, not those! I mean the girls in the basement, cranking out ideas and solutions to insolvable plot problems!
  
  
• 
  
  My agent - Nalini Akolekar of Spencer Hill Assoc (still giggle inside when I type "my agent")
  
  
• 
  
  Sue Grimshaw - who helped me get my agent (giggle.)
  
  
• 
  
  RWA -  If you're a writer, and not a member, join. Now!
  
  
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  My amazing husband, who believed in me when I didn't, put up with the countless hours of my office time, and who is the core of every hero I write.
  
  

Jenny Hansen:

• I'm thankful to all of my family -- they are every writer's dream. No one more so than my hubby, who always keeps me going, and understands that dreams take time and love to achieve.
• Work and friends that fulfill me and help me "fill the writing well"
• An online writing community that has given me a brand-new lease on writing. Special thanks go to Kristen Lamb and all the WANA crews...there would be much less Cowbell in the world without you. :-)
• Finally, to my critique group here at at WITS who believe in my writing, opened my eyes to blogging, and don't complain very much when I drag them to new technologies. Y'all have some serious writing cowbell. :-)

Sharla Rae:

• My wonderful crit partners who keep me on the straight and narrow. Still don’t know why they insisted I couldn’t dump a bowel over the heroine’s head instead of a bowl.
• Thankful for all the writing support groups like RWA and all the on-line writing groups. Okay, so 6 chapters and various other groups is a bit much. What can I say, I need all the help I can get. :)
• Thankful for what my husband calls my kinky sense of imagination.
• I’m thankful I can make writing a full time job and that I can go to work barefoot and in sweats. A great office where I can drink a glass a wine at my desk while I write a hot love scene.
• Thankful for my family who understands my disorientation when they phone in the middle of a shootout behind the Last Chance Saloon. Thankful my family stopped asking me why I insisted on papering the lampshade on my beside table with post-a-notes at least once a month.
• Thankful that while many people look at me and say, “someday” I’m going to write a book, I’m actually doing it.

Fae Rowen:

• For the readers of this blog site and their comments.  I now get how you can build an electronic relationship.  I'm so grateful people are interested in what I have to share.
• For Laura Drake, Jenny Hansen, Sharla Rae, and D.A. Watt who have saved my b*** with the schedule when I'm blog mistress
• For my parents and husband who surrounded me with unconditional love and support for my writing, even though they didn't understand my need to write
• For my teachers--of writing and other disciplines
• For the friends and people (and animals) who have crossed my path and taught me the lessons that inevitably end up in my stories
• For my critique partners--past (Julie, Marie, Michelle) and present, who've praised and panned my work, and encouraged my craft to evolve and improve

D. A. Watt:

• For my inner creativity tuned into beauty and light, evil and darkness.  And for the desire to transform these images and experiences, orally and in writing to offer hope to others and myself with thanks to the great creator of all.
• For the support and love of my husband and parents who think I am all that, and my kids who I think are all that.
• For my huge extended family, my friends, and the eclectic mix of humans and animals crossing my path.  Without them my life, my writing, and my art would be hollow lacking inspiration, empathy, and richness.
• For my critique partners and for my readers who have taken the time to read my stories, offering help and hope.  YOU are all that, and more.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, our treasured readers!

by D. A. Watt

KEY # 1 ATTITUDE

" To be honest, I’ve learned more valuable life lessons from horses than most people. Unlike humans, horses forgive and forget with patient sighs and much lip licking." D. A. Watt

I’ve still got a lot to learn from my four-legged partners.

Proper communication between horse and rider, or reader and writer, creates partnership. A successful rider (the mere act of not falling off) and writer (a not so mere act of telling a damn good story) use the same central keys, attitude, knowledge, tools, techniques, time and imagination to forge a trusting, ongoing relationship.

• Are you using the F words a lot? Fear, frustration, feeling like a failure, lack of fun and lack of funds?
• 80% of all horse enthusiasts break off the love affair with their horse after a year.
• Only three 3% of writers ever finish their first novel. An agent from one of the big literary agencies receives about thirty-two thousand queries, yearly. From that amount, she’ll usually represent 9 books, only 5 of which get published. Gasp!

See for yourself.

With stats like these it’s easy to freak out, but don’t, after all YOU ARE one of the 3% who has completed the novel, and YOURS will be one of the published 5. Prior and proper preparation makes for peak performance, RIGHT? Attitude, you’d better believe. HUBRIS, if you don’t have it, get it.

Hubris

Now that you have hubris, listen up. Prior and proper preparation prevents piss poor performance. Before setting foot in stirrup, I had better do the ground work even if it means looking foolish. I’ve bounced giant pi-yo balls around the stable, trotted in the round pen next to my horse while  I dream of this.

I’ve ridden without bridle and saddle, holding a four foot carrot stick topped with a plastic bag, and wackier stuff, much to the amusement of horse and human. So what if they snicker? Afterall, any jackass will tell you he’s got horse sense.

Any jackass will tell you he's got horse sense

Building a foundation of trust with my horse should take less than four ounces of force (that’s half a cup of press or pull) to keep us both safe. For example, on the ground, can I easily pick her feet, or do we play tug of hooves, ending with my toes stomped? And if I can’t move her on the ground in all six directions, why would she listen to me sitting in her saddle like a baby in a highchair?

• If my story is not worth a reader’s “willing suspension of disbelief,” as Coleridge wrote, then I need further preparation.  Does your imaginary work enlarge the reader’s sense of reality?
• So, your heroine can breathe underwater, your hero is a giant cockroach, and the bad guy is really an archangel? Ok, if you’ve done the groundwork, enlarged my sense of reality, made an impossible story probable and touched upon all the zones of craft, I, the reader, will eagerly saddle up for the ride.
• Aristotle wrote another nugget worth chewing, “That which is probable and impossible is better than that which is possible and improbable.”

Horses are prey animals, food for carnivores, born to run panic-aholics, sort of like big rabbits. Maybe you’ve encountered Monty Python’s killer bunny.If so, that doesn't count, typically bunnies run from danger, as do horses. Let’s say, you’re riding your horse, cantering a woodsy trail when a wind blown plastic bag zips by. Guess what? If your horse doesn’t trust your leadership, she’ll take charge, and gallop off into the sunset, with or without you. Not quite the way you’d hoped, unless you live a Grimm’s Fairy Tales world.

Imagine the audacity of writing a 400 page novel without prior and proper preparation? As I’ve said before, ‘Any jackass will tell you he’s got horse sense.’ Even if I think my super amazing story is the best thing since sliced bread, I need to do the work. That means learning craft, reading books, attending workshops, classes, conferences, online aids (NaNoWriMo is a great tool and it’s happening right NOW!), and more, so that my story reads with less than four ounces of force.

After all that, I will have to go naked, exposing my opus for review.  It’s not pretty. It’s also not easy, balancing hubris, courage and humility to listen without tossing manure. I’ve learned to lighten up. Over time, criticism looses its bite. I’ve lost poetic darlings. I’ve grieved over the murder of a beloved metaphor, and axed scenes that took all week to write, all because a reliable critic said so. And for this I am grateful.

When I described the inside of my heroine’s upper arm as, “soft as the belly of a baby barracuda,” my critique partners had a good laugh. And when Sharla Rae wrote about “bowels of soup,” I got back at her with hysterics.

Join me next time when we cover the second key, knowledge.  We’ll cover focus, asking, telling, and promising. If the act of successful riding merely means not falling off, then I’ve still got a lot to learn, and if a story is a promise, then I promise, you won’t find bowels of soup or soft baby barracuda bellies in Sharla Rae’s books or mine.