How to make peace with outlining your novel?

Thing is: it is sooooooooooooooo slow. Getting it right takes time. Loads of it.

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This current work in progress is a challenge.

I chose to get outside my comfort story zone, in order to better my writing process.

And boy, do I hope all that hard work will improve things.

The Rejected Novel

I am currently working on the 5th outline. Yep, I wrote five outlines for this novel. I used to hate that writing process.

Now, I made peace with it. Mostly because my last finished novel was, again, rejected.

Again.

You guessed it: I did not outline the rejected novel.

Re-reading the rejected novel, which I wrote a year ago, I understand why it got rejected. It misses some chore action beats, there are 4 chapters that don’t belong there and the main character is very problematic.

The Power of the Outline

I want to do everything in my power to get my current work in progress somewhere. It is a fun idea, a chilling mystery for middle-graders I am having so much fun to write.

Well, almost…

In order to nail every details, to embrace every beat on the freaking sheet, I am going out of my usual writing ways.

It is very thought BUT the story improved so much from the first outline to the present 5th outline, characters and plot-wise anyway.

On the writing side, sentences are more to the point, more active.

Thing is: it is sooooooooooooooo slow. Getting it right takes time. Loads of it.

Thing also is: it feels like I am working on a school essay.

This 5th super detailed outline I am currently working on, based on many outlining techniques (links down below), is more to make extra sure I got everything right. According to all those « helping writers » blog post I read anyway.

Making peace with outlining

Forcing myself into an novel outlining process was very humbling.

I happen to be a content writer, and I know a thing or two about the gig, to say the least.

When I put my stories thought a set outline or a beat sheet, I can see the weakness’s way more clearly. I know what to change, how to tweak this, why it is so important to delete those 10 000 words (*sigh*).

I came up with my own outline structure at the end, very much based on my favorite outlining methods:

Katytastic has been on the YouTube and Blog Univers for a while. That method is very inspiring.

Savannah Gilbo is presenting the famous Save the Cat beat sheet for novels. Keep in mind thought, Save the Cat is for screenplays!

I found it very interesting to put through my story to this  »How to plot a Novel » method by Bryn Donovan.

I hope this helps a little.

Until next time!

Recherche sorcière désespérement

J’en gardais un excellent souvenir.

Une histoire de sorcières complètement déjantée, un concours loufoque et des personnages mémorables.

C’est exactement le genre d’histoire dont j’avais besoin, et je suis allée repêcher le roman de la défunte Eva Ibbotson parmi les piles de romans que je n’ai toujours pas rangé, des mois après avoir déménagé (encore, mais pour la dernière fois avant très longtemps).

La relecture me réservait une surprise de taille.

Relire ses classiques

Il y avait des années que je n’avais relu ce classique d’Eva Ibbotson, écrit en 1979 et traduit sur le tard en 2006 dans la collection Albin Michel WIZ.

Je me souvenais d’avoir gardé (ou retrouvé) le sourire en relisant les aventures loufoques de cette bande de sorcières s’affrontant dans un concours de sortilèges ténébreux, lancé par le maitre du mal en personne, le terrible sorcier Arriman.

Le roman, un feu roulant d’actions, toujours bien écrit, bien traduit, cette fois-ci, m’ennui un peu. Je saute des paragraphes entiers, je lis en diagonale. Mais qu’est-ce qui m’arrive?

Est-ce que… je serais devenue… trop vieille pour les sorcières timbrées???

Nah! Simplement, j’aime davantage trouver détails et mystère dans les univers fantastiques que je visite ces temps-ci.

Alors, malgré mon manque d’enthousiasme, je recommande encore chaudement la lecture de ce roman toujours merveilleux, si vous avez envie d’actions et de rebondissements à chaque instant.

    How to write a novel in 3 months Wait, but… why?

    When you’re doing research about writing a book, it seems like we have to write a novel in 3 months.

    I totally did it, by the way. Wrote a novel in 3 months. It’s a middle-grade/tweens novel, 52 000 words long, or it will be when I am done with the second rounds of revisions.

    I am proud of that novel, but… I am exhausted !

    Why write a novel in 3 months?

    In my case, I wrote a novel in 3 months because I noticed that a publisher was seeking contemporary middle-grade/tweens novels. So that is what I wrote, and wrote fast, for that window will not be open forever.

    The publisher might not buy my book (here, in my little North-American francophone bubble, no literary agent; us, writers, are solo player by default) but I least I can say that I tried. Plus side, it was such a joy to write.

    Still, I am exhausted. I am a slow writer, a slow reviser, a slow type of gal in general.

    Although the end result is a fun book I am proud of, writing a book in 3 months is not my cup of tea.

    If it’s not for a professional requirement; if it’s not to prove yourself that you can finish a novel or what have you, I am here to tell you: don’t bother trying to write a novel in 3 months.

    Instead, make good art. That is what I will focus on.

    Money, the name of a tired game

    I dream of being able to earn a living as a traditionally published author. Yes.

    Here’s a dirty little secret though: I don’t want to be rich.

    I want my books to be enjoyed by as many readers as possible. I want to be able to buy food, clothes and finish paying the house.

    See, money is a depressing reality that makes the entire world miserable, and has made the world miserable for millennia. Money and guns and bombs. But I digress.

    There is no guarantee what so ever that if you write a novel in 3 months, you’re gonna get published and hit the bestsellers list. No guarantee what so ever.

    Why put yourself through on a rough, though working path for money.

    Writing books is not a highway to millionaire-land (what a sad land that is, a bunch of people that could help feed half of the children dying of hunger every day with their pocket change *sigh*). Forget it.

    Make good art

    The words of Neil Gaiman not only touched my heart. They found a place in my soul.

    Make good art, write the best stories to make readers dream and hope, that is my now my goal.

    I hope this post helped you take that pressure off your writer’s shoulders.

    There’s enough characters problem to think about as it is.