How to write a novel

[pjthompson]

I've written five. Okay, okay, so I'm counting that last one as two because I'm going to break it in half and make two out of it. Whatever. That doesn't qualify me for much, but at least my "technique" has worked more than once.

I think I'll let my list speak for itself.

Here's what I do:

⇐ open door inside brain
➜ watch character do or say something strange
➘ ponder what this means
↑ become obsessed with character
⇔ want to find out what this means
➤ flesh out character so I can see what it means
↵ start asking character(s) snoopy questions about their background
↓ allow other characters to latch on for the ride
➷ grab a bunch of random, unconnected ideas floating in the media, the zeitgeist, or the air and see if they apply to the character(s)
➯ watch in amazement as some ideas stick when thrown at the character(s)
➬ read up on more stuff like those ideas, in depth
← throw more stuff at the character(s)
↕ start fleshing out connections between character's background and ideas which are sticking to character(s)
➽ envision a place in which the character(s) and the ideas coexist
➚ flesh it out in excruciating detail, doodling and dawdling
⇐ get a vague idea of what happens in the middle/end of the story
➲ sharpen a dozen pencils, none of which will be used in the process, but the act of sharpening gives more time to ponder
➹ point brain in direction of the ending
➠ start writing stuff down

Comments

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

Okay, how much time did it take you to place all of those little arrows? :-)

[pjthompson]

Not long at all, actually. I was using an LJ client, XJournal, and just went into the special characters section and started clicking and inserting. :-)

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay... that's not so bad then. :-)

[pjthompson]

No. I may be obsessive-compulsive, but not that bad. :-)