I swear I didn’t plan it this way, but I think it’s kinda fitting that I’ve been using this theme of counting down in moments of time to the story beginning, and here we are on the final day of 2021—the cusp of a new year—ready to start writing Chapter 1. (Yay! 🎉 and Yikes! 😳)
For the last 8 months and 8 chapters of Story Genius (Lisa Cron), I’ve been preparing to write a new novel by digging into the main character’s backstory, trying to flesh out and nail down the emotional thread that will drive the plot. Not gonna lie, it was more work than I thought it would be but well worth it.
Here in chapter 9, Cron introduces what she calls a “blueprint” system, which is a take on a way to plot out your novel using scene cards. I can totally see how this system works because whether a writer is a diehard plotter or pantser, this is the kind of information we need to know about any scene before it’s written. Win-win! And because we are high-tech around here (also because we’d run out of room and get lost on actual index cards), I created a template in Pages, so I can type/delete/revise as necessary. Here’s what I made for Scene #1:
At the top is the main point of the scene and what goes on in any subplots. Then you have what happens in the plot and in the “third rail,” which is the connection to the emotion driving the plot. Also, notice that the left side for both levels is the “cause” and the right side is the “effect.” What’s particularly helpful is that the “And so?” portion is a direct segue into the next scene, which—hopefully—will build the tension in a logical, inevitable direction.
I might end up tweaking it along the way, but I like the structure of this scene card, especially since it pinpoints everything I would want to include in a scene. I’ll be making a card like this for every scene I write in this book.
And wouldn’t you know, it was a double assignment this month/chapter! The scene card was only the first part; then, I had to actually write the scene. I’m still working on the last part of it (because sloooowwwweeeesssstt writer = me 🐢), but I’ll just leave the first bit for you here:
The sum of what I knew about myself was spread out on the desk in front of me—flat pieces of former tree that told me more than I’d ever known before but still not enough: a one-page investigative report, a birth certificate, a death certificate, a 30-year-old police report, and a sticky note.
It was the sticky note that had my palms sweating, blood pressure spiking. Ten digits—a phone number—and possible answers to questions I desperately needed but didn’t really want.
I glanced through the windows that flanked the door of my office. The floor was still deserted, everyone out to lunch. One of the perks that came with employment at BCP Financial was the working lunches every Friday at any of the classy restaurants near the Boston harbor, courtesy of the department head. One of the perks that came with my position in the company was the freedom to sneak out and come back, alone, to a blessedly empty office. I perched on the edge of my chair, trying to drum up some kind of courage. My cell phone was slick with sweat from me fidgeting with it.
Then it rang, and I jumped like a bomb had gone off. It almost fell to the floor, and I had to juggle it a few times before I got a grip. “Hello?”
“Hey, Quinn! Just confirming your meeting with Shelley on Friday. Eleven o’clock. Wanna do lunch afterward? We could celebrate!”
“Hi, Marcie.” I took a deep breath to slow my pounding heart. “Lunch sounds good, but I shouldn’t celebrate yet. It’s just a meeting. The vote’s not till next week.”
“Oh, please.” I heard heels clicking on a hardwood floor, and a door closed. “You didn’t hear this from me,” she half-whispered into the phone, “but she’s not meeting with anyone else. You got the most nominations, hands down. This time next week, you’ll be the new Chapter Vice Regent!”
My heart rate sped up again, this time from excitement. Marcie, as the Chapter Regent’s assistant, was in a position to know and had a hard time not sharing good news. The DAR was a huge part of my life—had been for as long as I could remember because Mother had served at both the chapter and state levels. She’d been on the ballot for President General, the top national position, when she and Dad died in a plane crash three years ago. She’d groomed me for this. I so wanted to make her proud.
“I’m not trying to count all my chickens in the basket, or whatever.” I tried to swallow the dread that crept into my throat as I glanced at the sticky note again.
“Pfft. You’ve got chickens to spare. Oh, crap.” Heels scrambled across the floor again. “Shelly’s calling. [Restaurant]. Noon, Friday. Champagne’s on me.” She hung up.
I lowered the phone to my lap and picked up the sticky note, feeling like I was picking up the weight of my entire life. My position, my reputation, even my upcoming marriage all depended on what was on the other end of this number. And the call wasn’t going to make itself.
I lifted my cell phone, then changed my mind and switched it for my office phone. I wasn’t sure I wanted the possibility of it getting traced back to me personally, just in case.
With a long breath and a quick prayer—not even sure what I hoped for—I picked up the receiver, hands shaking as I pressed the numbers. I hit the last one, heard a click as the connection was made, and the tinny sound of the long distance phone ring came over the line. It was picked up on the third ring.
“Hello?” A woman answered, her voice laced with magnolias, peaches, and sunshine.
My heart rate picked up its already frantic pace, and my mouth went completely dry. I fought the urge to slam the phone back down and forced the words out. “Hello, I’m looking for Deborah Hillyer.”
“This is she.”
“Are you Delilah Hillyer’s sister?”
There was a long pause, and the South iced over. “Who is this?”
I swiveled in my chair to look out at the clear blue sky over the harbor and shivered. There was really no easy way to say it. “Um, my name is Quinn Everly. I believe Delilah was my birth mother.”
I’m so excited to see where this story takes me, and what better time to dive in than the fresh start of a new year? Let’s write!! Wishing you all the Very Best Happy New Year!! Don’t forget to find time to read a good book, write some words, smile in the sunshine, and hug your people. 📖 📝 😎 💕
Tip of the Month
Different formats are great for editing and seeing things you’ve missed. Whether you write in Word or Scrivener or you go old school with a pen and paper, switch it to a different format for editing. For example, if your words are on the computer, print them out (I recently read where someone said they printed their manuscripts in two columns in a landscape orientation, so it was very much like an actual book would look). You can also send Word or .pdf files to your Kindle if you have one and make notes for revisions. Changing perspectives/formats is one of the best ways to really see where those edits and revisions need to go!
Read Any Good Books Lately?
It’s here! It’s here! It’s finally here!!
The wait was long, but so worth it. #outlander ❤️📖❤️ Y’all know where to find me for the next few days.
Did You Know?
From Takelessons.com : The English word “alphabet” comes from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet: alpha and beta.
And Finally …
Take it away, 2022! 🎩🐧🎉🍾
Happy New Year! Love the flash cards business. I need to use the corkboard feature in Scrivener more often, and not only at the end of a draft :p