|
Writers are often divided into two groups—plotters and pantsers. In other words, those who plot their stories and those who fly by the seat of their pants and do not outline their work (in particular the body, or grave details, of their stories). Most writers like myself fall somewhere in between; I outline my novels but only marginally. I figure out details on the fly in real time.
Pantsers often claim that outlining ruins the spontaneity of the writing process. However, I have two responses to this: 1) Not outlining ends up taking more time to publish in the long run after going back to identify plot holes and inconsistencies, and 2) Plotters still find joy in the writing process by surprising themselves through developing the details (i.e., character tendencies, red herrings, etc.). My outlines consist of about 1-5 sentences per chapter. Since most of my work contains around 100 short chapters of 1-6 pages each, my outlines are several thousand words. This allows me to write more quickly, publish faster, and end up with a relatively polished first draft that needs little editing. At least, few developmental edits. Some authors like James Patterson know the ending of their book before they start writing, although it often changes. Others like Stephen King have no clue where their story will lead them, much less how it will end. Me? I know the ending, the very last scene and often the last line, before I write the first word. The fun is in finding new and unique ways to make the reader feel something along the way (yes, even anger and unease), as well as discovering who my characters really are. But … to each their own. I find that outlining to some extent is important in mystery writing, where stories are often layered with complex plots and numerous clues and red herrings. I start the outline for subsequent books while proofreading my prior work before it’s published. In all, a complete outline takes me anywhere from one to three months. Regardless of whether you're a plotter, a pantser, something in between, or you simply don't care, Rick Rubin has an important point: “All that matters is that you are making something you love, to the best of your ability, here and now.” Fisher
0 Comments
My latest mystery thriller/crime thriller and the second installment in the Asher Huxley Series, The Two of You, is ready for your review.
One of the most important things a reader can do for an author is to provide an honest review of their work. About five weeks prior to each launch, I look for reviewers to read my ARCs in an honest and timely fashion, primarily via BookSirens (although I have titles on Booksprout as well). With The Two of You in particular, it's important to note that it is NOT necessary to have read the first book, Admit Two, in order to read and follow along with this one. I intentionally write each installment so that it can be read as a standalone. Although readers will encounter plot points from the first novel, you can easily understand and follow the second book without having ever laid eyes on the first one. If you have the time and enjoy a good crime thriller/mystery thriller set in the one and only New Orleans, I'd greatly appreciate your review of my latest work. If you're already reviewing it (as many of my readers have been with me from the beginning, with all four or most of my novels), I greatly appreciate your honesty and thoughts, each and every book. Little is more satisfying than having readers come back to your work time and time again. I'd love to have you as part of my regular readers, regardless of your interests. Please see the book's review page on Goodreads to learn more about it, and you can find your review copy on BookSirens via the button below. Thank you in advance for your time and effort, and I look forward to your thoughts. As always, feel free to reach out directly with thoughts or questions. I'd love to hear from you. Fisher |
KB FISHERIndependent author of mystery thrillers. |