Hello Dear Readers,
The gardens abound with produce from all the rain this summer. My muse must enjoy gardening too, because I’ve found the best time to plot my next NaNoWriMo novel was while picking all the green tomatoes off the withering vines. Last year’s novel took longer to finish because I wrote as a pantser. Although I did get to the conclusion, the month’s end came and went long before reaching the 50,000-word goal.
My good friends at the Bethlehem Writers Group LLC recommended plotting the chapters to help speed my thoughts into full scenes. Previously, plotting and I went together like my favorite vinaigrette—red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil with minced herbs fresh from the window planter. I would stare at the monitor and see the scenes dissolve into separated fragments, but I’m willing to become a plotter if it means writing The End to Finnie Fennel and the Cabbage Caper in November.
First, I started with a Plotting Worksheet by Annie Neugebauer. Although the structure seemed easy to fill out, I had a hard time figuring out the inciting incident or more importantly, what the term meant, until reading scribemeetsworld.com and theirstraightforward story structure tips. The information was for screenplay and novel writing, which helped with visualizing as well as learning how to plot a good story.
Creating believable character my readers could relate to was the next step. TheGotham Writers had a Character Questionnaire that guided me through the arduous task. I might even take one of their online workshops if I ever get all this green tomato relish canned.
Until next time, happy writing!
Betty Wryte-Goode
Betty Wryte-Goode is a writer, mother, gardener, and wife who lives in the Lehigh Valley. Her passions include writing, reading, shopping, gardening, and exploring the internet. Betty is always looking for writing tips, so if you have any you would like to share, please send them to her through our Submissions/Contacts page.