Mapping the Novel
Mapping the Novel
What you need to know before you start writing
The Story Writer’s Path
What you need to know before you start writing
So you think you are ready to set off on the story-writing path.
You’ve got the best idea ever, you’ve got your why, and you’re committed to the writing process. You’re ready to go!
Oh, I hate to do this to you, hate to stop anybody when they are excited about writing. But…..you might want to do a bit of prep work before you begin.
I know, I hear you. All you want to do is write! Your story is clamoring to get out on the page! But hear me out: would you take off across uncharted territory without at least a loose map? Okay, if it’s uncharted you might not have a map. But wouldn’t it be easier if you did?
Writing a novel (or memoir, or short story, or essay) is indeed uncharted territory. Millions of people have gone there before you, and yet there is no easy map, no sure-fire easy route, no fabled Northwest Passage. Even after you’ve written numerous stories, the route may change.
However, there are things you can do that will help you prepare. And if you take time to do them before you begin, your story-writing path will be much easier.
You’ll want to get to know your characters, figure out where they live, work, and play, and parse out a plot (pantsers, don’t panic, this can be done loosely, or you can skip it). To accomplish these three basics of story, you might need to do some research.
There, that’s not so bad, right? You’ll be drafting before you know it. But let’s take a closer look at each of these categories.
Character
Story begins with character. Period. It would be pretty boring to read a story without characters in it, right? Can you even imagine such a thing? You can’t, with good reason. Because it doesn’t exist.
And because all story starts with character, you need to get to know yours intimately. You need to know them as well as you know a close family member, friend, or spouse. You most likely will not know everything about them before you start drafting, as you’ll learn a lot more as you write. But do yourself a favor and at least start the process of getting to know them before you begin.
There are several ways to do this.
Character Dossier. You want to get an idea about your character’s external aspects and her internal aspects (those are what you’ll learn more about as you draft). Usually it is easiest to begin with the outer. What does she look like? What does she wear? What are her mannerisms and physical tics? Her way of speaking? From there, segue to backstory — significant events in her life that have led her to where she is today. At this point, you can dig deeper, looking for her wounds and motivations, or you can let these arise out of the writing. It’s useful to remember that external can beget internal, and internal can beget external.
Interview. Sometimes characters get recalcitrant and refuse to give up much about themselves. An interview can be a good way to shake their secrets loose. Pretend you’re interviewing them on a podcast or for a long-form story and ask penetrating questions.
Write short scenes. This can be surprisingly useful to ferret out more information about your characters. Do short writing springs, imagining your character as he gets dressed in the morning, as she drives somewhere, as he prepares dinner. Imagine a character under something, out in the open, locked in the bathroom, or on an airplane. Understanding how your character behaves in everyday settings can be a gold mine for parsing out their traits and personalities.
Setting
Your story takes place somewhere, usually several somewheres. Is it the city or the country? Is your character at home, or traveling, or perhaps new to the location? Where does he live? Where does she work? Where is his hangout? Does she go to the same coffee shop every day? Does he hang out a bar on his way home from work? Where are you likely to find your characters on the weekend? Each one of these settings are ripe for exploration, and you’d be surprised how often setting tells you more about your characters as well. You can find photos of your locations (see below), draw floor-plans of houses, look on Pinterest for ideas for interiors. The more you can visualize your settings, the easier you’ll be able to imagine your characters inhabiting them.
Plot
Ah, the thorny thicket of plot. Some — maybe many — writers like to enter the fictive dream, follow their characters and let the story line unfold. We fondly call those writers pantsers. Others — maybe just as many — prefer to know what is going to happen and when, exactly and precisely. These writers are called plotters, and they believe that knowing what is going to happen before you begin drafting allows you room to focus on style and language as you write.
Well, guess what? There’s room for everyone at the writing table, pantser and plotter alike. If you’re a pantser, feel free to skip this section, though I do believe that a bit of planning never hurt any writer. And if you’re a plotter, the following information is manna from heaven.
Plot is often referred to as structure these days, and spend a few minutes on the internet and you’ll find myriad theories on the best structure to follow. There’s the Aristotelian, the oldest and simplest, there’s three-act screenplay structure, and then there’s the ever-popular Hero’s Journey. There’s a structure that TV producer Dan Harmon supposedly uses. And on and on. A writer could go nuts trying to master all the structures.
But you don’t have to. Spend some time reading about them, if you desire. It’s fun, and you can quickly internalize the key points. Take what appeals and leave the rest. At its simplest, plotting can be reduced to a list of what you think will happen. The events of the story will get richer as you write. If you are fascinated with story structure and desire to create a detailed one before you start, go for it. I find it useful to begin with a loose outline, more like the above-mentioned list, and ponder how my story fits with the hero’s journey and three-act structure at points along the way when I need help figuring things out.
Research
Last, we get to research. There will be things you don’t know and will need to know for your novel, moreso if there is any historical element to it. We live in a time of overabundance when it comes to information, and it can be easy to get overwhelmed. I prefer to research on a “need to know” basis, starting out with the basic information and adding as needed. This might be because I’m a magpie and can get absorbed in research for hours. Which is not getting writing done.
Photos can be very helpful in allowing you to visualize your settings and even your characters. Do an image search, or if possible go to your settings in person and take photos (an excuse to travel!). It can also be fun to create a vision board for your book, using photos of your own or printed out from online sources. Affix them and anything else that will help transport you to your story’s world onto a piece of poster board or display board. For the visual writer, this is a boon.
So that’s it. You can do as much or as little in each of these arenas as you desire — but I do strongly believe that a little bit of prep work will go a long way in helping you to maintain momentum as you draft.