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How to connect all of your amazing ideas together
Hello again, writers, authors, and pen-and-paper extraordinaires!
You may have noticed that it's been a while since I've typed up a blogpost. The reason for that is that I have been taking some time to work on my own book and my own artistic endeavors. As many of you may know, I finished writing a full-length novel last summer. Well, I say finished. Truthfully, no author is ever truly finished working on their book. For me, that's exactly the case.
The same summer that I finished writing Districts of Dust, I read through my manuscript, making editations. Of course, naturally, during this time I was still starry-eyed over the fact that I had completed the rough draft of my very first manuscript.
So starry-eyed that I only did three rounds of very brief edits only scratching the very surface of my story. I was reading through it, only corrected grammatical errors, fixing spelling mistakes, occasionally rewriting a sentence or two, and at times-very rarely-taking out chapter, adding a chapter, or adding a few additional scenes.
Let me clarify that this form of editing is all well and good for an author's first round of edits. However, doing three rounds of nothing but this is NOT the way to go before you submit your precious manuscript to the world of critiquing literary agents, publishers, and editors. This type of editing is DEFINITELY not the only form of editing you should do on your manuscript. But sadly, that's exactly what I did.
I did my first round of edits directly after finishing my book and after reading through it completely one time. Might I add, that it's a good idea to read through your manuscript BEFORE you start edits. It's also a fantastic idea to take notes in a separate notepad, or use sticky notes, being mindful of minor plot holes you find, or unneeded scenes, or where a concept or idea needs further explanation.
Like the amateur I was, I didn't do those things. Instead, while I was reading through it, I would make brief notes and corrections in the corners of the pages. This method, while it worked for me at the time, was HECTIC. Not to say I was disorganized with my editing, though. I used different-colored, non-bleeding pens and I had a color code and symbol system that I used. It was easy for me to understand, however, the notes were very brief, and sometimes it was hard to remember what direction I was trying to go in when I wrote the note. For my first round of edits, I definitely wish I had just given myself time to read through the manuscript and take detailed notes before I tried to fix very technical, brief mistakes.
My story had needs and potential. And I was ignoring it. I wasn't letting my plot or characters guide me in the right direction. I was just so excited about achieving one of my life-long dreams-writing a book! I was caught up in fixing the small issues I found, and "fell in love" with the rest of the words.
My second round of edits, thankfully, was a bit more intense. I added scenes and paragraphs, but I never revised. I never took anything out. Unnecessary chapters, pointless paragraphs, rambling or unnatural dialogue. These were the things I was ignoring because I was too starry-eyed.
Now, I will go on a bit of a side note her and say that I'm definitely not beating myself up for not realizing I should have done a more detailed editing process. I'm not calling myself a horrible writer. No one is. Everyone has the right to be excited about finishing their first book. And the whole point of a rough draft is too be exactly what their name implies-rough. It's completely okay to celebrate your success and be a bit starry-eyed. But I'll save a "How to Edit Your Newly-Finished Book" blogpost for another day.
Anyway, with my second round of edits, I was adding, not subtracting things from my story. Which in hindsight made the next editorial stage even harder. The third round of edits was where I was beginning to realize that it was OK to take things out of my story. Revision was OK. However, I still wasn't fixing plot holes, or making unnatural dialogue seem more natural, or even taking out more than an unneeded paragraph or two. I was, again, fixing technical errors.
I was adding polish to something that hadn't been sanded down yet.
So basically, the reason I haven't been active on my blog as much recently is because my book needs attention right now. Attention I deprived from it the first time.
But that definitely won't discourage me from bringing new content and posts to all of you!
So, without further ado, let's dive into the How to Outline and Entire Book Series.
1. HAVE THE END IN SIGHT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING
The end is only the start of the beginning in disguise
Did you know that JK Rowling already had the ending of Harry Potter in mind when she started writing the series? From the very beginning.
This is the very point of outlining a series.
If you don't have a clear idea of how you want your series to end, you will stumble over each continuation of the book, and will struggle to produce ideas or an outline for it when it comes time.
Knowing where your characters will end up, how relationships in your story will change, how the protagonist will defeat the brooding antagonist, how certain events will affect the world you created is crucial.
Knowing the outcome of your series is like setting a goal for yourself. Seeing the beginning at ending together in one glance allows you more freedom for ideas and events that might happen in the middle of your series.
In fact, many authors and writers have said that when they first had the idea for their series, an idea for the ending formulated as well.
And there's no reason why little tweaks can't be made to the ending as you progress your series.
Nothing has to be set in stone before it's put on paper.
However, if you have an idea for the beginning of a series, but not the end, I recommend focusing on some basic details :the characters, the setting, the conflict. Picture it like a "Where do you see yourself in 25 years?" question, but with your characters, or like your series is just one big book that you need to summarize from beginning to end.
2. SHOULD YOU OUTLINE EVERY SINGLE BOOK?
This topic is still up to debate amongst several writers. Different writers have different preferences and ways of going about outlining their series
Admittedly, I started out outlining every single book I intended to put in my series in detail. And in some ways, this was beneficial for me. I like having things detailed and plotted out. I like having a clear picture. But at the same time, if I couldn't get two ideas to connect, or could find a way to branch the plot of the previous book to the next, or just plain out "ran out of" ideas, I would get stuck. And I would think that my series was flawed if I hit that one
little pebble of imperfection in the perfectly paved road of success.
So this can be beneficial, but it can also make you doubt or second guess yourself—causing unnecessary stress.
Many writers and successful authors suggest looking at the bigger picture.
Your main focus should generally be pointed to the book you are currently working on and the series as a whole. Then you can examine the smaller details.
However, the way I usually tend to go about things now is I'll have the basic structure of my series (beginning and end) and then I will have different pages in my notebook or document for each book. With these pages I just right down a basic concept of what I want to happen in those books, but nothing too detailed (plot, beginning, and end). Occasionally, an idea will pop into my head for one of these books, and I'll jot it down on it's corresponding page.
Ideally, most writers start to think about their sequel after they write and edit their first book. Likely, by the time you do finish, your brain will already be flooding with ideas for your next book!
3. WHAT IF YOUR BOOK IDEAS DON'T CONNECT?
Any writer hoping to write a series understands the sheer panic of the moment when it seems like the ideas you have for your future books just don't connect.
No matter what, it seems like your drowning in plot holes and can't swim back to the surface.
Well, the first piece of advice I can give you is how to avoid this situation in the first place.
Consider these 6 important things:
•When you have an idea, make sure to write it down in a way that you're sure you will understand what your past self was trying to convey six months later.
If you are introducing a new idea ( a character, a creature, a problem) be sure to mention how they/it will be introduced. What is the current situation when they are introduced? What's happening? How do your other characters feel about them? What is the dialogue? After what event is this concept introduced? Will they affect a future event? Be sure to list ANY ideas that branch off of the one you had. You don't want to forget ANY ideas! They may be brilliant and help you out of a rut later!
• How did the ending of the last book affect your characters in the beginning of the next?
Does their mood change in the end? What conflicts are they faced with? What danger are they in?
Does this affect their relationship with other characters?
•If your last book ended on a cliffhanger, what do you hope to gain plot-wise in the next book?
•How will your idea for the book you're working on get you closer to the ending you wrote for your series outline?
•How does the ending affect the antagonist and the inevitable final battle?
Is the protagonist finally starting to reach his goal? Or does he seem farther from it then ever? How can he get himself out of this situation?
•Don't be afraid to have a lot of ideas!
The more the merrier! And if one fails in the long run, you can always substitute it for another.
4. SO. MANY. PLOT HOLES!
Constructing an entire series is no joke. With all those ideas, and hastily jotted down notes, and all the writing; the one thing every writer dreads is bound to pop up eventually―plot holes.
They're inevitable little jerks. One minute your blissfully writing away and then you suddenly stumble over one of these bad boys and realize―this idea doesn't add up....But it's crucial to the plot!
What I've come to realize, is that usually plot holes are a result of too few notes and too little thought. Does this make you a bad writer? Absolutely not! We all fall down a plot hole at least a dozen times in our career! Sometimes, stumbling upon a plot means that you had a previous idea, and now you have a new idea, but they just contradict each other!
More often then not, this means that you have an inadequacy in one of the rules of your universe.
Something doesn't add up.
The best advice I can give you is to re-examine the rules you've established for your world. Can this rule change in certain situations? Does it apply to everyone in your story?
What you really need to investigate is where exactly the plothole occurs. Is there absolutely any way at all that this problem can be bridged over? If not, is there a new concept you could introduce in this event idea's place?
Plot holes are never easy to get out of. At the moment, it just feels like your stuck forever. But once you conquer a few, it becomes easier and easier to solve them.
5. HOW MANY BOOKS SHOULD YOU HAVE IN YOUR SERIES?
This where structure becomes ultimately and limitlessly valuable for writers.
Different authors choose different numbers of books to write for their series based on their overall vision, ideas, and the turning points they want to include in their series that will get them closer to the glorious conclusion they're hoping for.
Each book in the series will of course have it's own outline and structure as well as a unique contribution to the series. But how can you expand that structure and the ideas you have into a larger picture? Where do you place your major structural points? What about those thrilling, attention-grabbing plot twists? Where exactly do they fit in on the spectrum?
And how do you construct "the spectrum" in the first place?
K.M Weiland, writer of the Dreamlander series, wrote an article on Authors Helping Writers Become Authors with this piece of advice:
" THE OVERALL STORY STRUCTURE WILL USUALLY NOT LINE UP QUITE SO NEATLY , BOOK BY BOOK, IN A BIG, COMPLICATED SERIES THAT FEATURES MULTIPLE TURNING POINTS, PERHAPS MULTIPLE CHARACTER ARCS, AND POSSIBLY UNCOOPERATIVE UNEVEN NUMBER OF BOOKS . "
Every book in a series is supposed to introduce it's own plot and unique ideas. And those unique plots and ideas serve a purpose for the overall series.
Usually, it comes down to your instinct as a writer.
In a trilogy, books you usually line up as so:
BOOK ONE: An Introduction
The characters, who the protagonist and antagonist are, the universe, the rules of the universe, the setting, the origin stories, the main conflict that will probably span over multiple books, and usually an early experience with victory for the main characters.
BOOK TWO: An Introduction to the conflict
Here is where we jump deeper into the main conflict of the series. Usually towards the ending, we slowly fade from the former victories, happiness, and old relationships to the beginning of major plot twists and obstacles. This book is kind of the "hook" of the series. The real attention-grabber that makes us wonder "what's next?" and sucks us into the lonesome and desperate lingering for the next book.
BOOK THREE: The Punch
Here's where everything that could go wrong, does go wrong. Fights between main characters, seemingly impossible-to-solve obstacles. The fall, the near-defeat, and the final epic heroic rise of the protagonist in the final battle. And thus, the epic conclusion.
Of course, you might want to include more books in your series based on the ideas you have and major structural points you want to introduce. The important thing to remember though is that no matter the number of books, the first one should always be the introduction, the second one should always be the decent into conflict, and the middle one should always present an obvious midpoint, or major plot development.
You want to hook your readers as soon as possible, and as mentioned before, you should picture your overall series as one big book, meaning the climax should always be in the middle.
6. HOW SHOULD YOU WRITE YOUR OUTLINE?
You're outline should be written in a concise way that you are able to understand. Feel free to personalize, or create your own format.
Writing an outline is either boring or exciting.
On the one hand, some writers find outlines to be dreadfully confiding, dull, and like writing a long, boring essay on what's supposed to be one of the most exciting things in your life.
On the other hand, other writers LOVE being able to spread out multiple ideas and have them all right at a touch of their finger.
It can either be the most liberating thing, or the most frustrating thing you do.
But regardless, an outline is a like a "roadmap" to your story.
In an article on Writer's Digest, editor and author K.M Weiland describes writing an outline for a book like this:
" At their best, outlines can help you flesh out your most promising story ideas, avoid dead-end plot twists and pursue proper structure. And the greatest part? They save you time and prevent frustration........ Figuring out those same elements in an outline requires a fraction of the time—and then allows you to let loose and have fun in your first draft."
There are two key factors involved in writing an outline:
1. Where to write it
and
2. How to organize it
As far as picking where to write down your outline goes, I highly recommend using a computer writing program rather than writing it in a notebook, as you can lose the notebook, and you can use color coding/different fonts and keep track of edits in a digital document.
I personally use Google Docs.
With the program, I can use several different colors, fonts, sizes, symbols, and highlight text to organize different scenes or plot twists, or vocabulary. I can also use the Outline Tool
to navigate through different headers/titles I put in the document to separate different chapters or plot points.
It really is an amazing and easy-to-use program, and I definitely recommend giving it a try!
But you're outline should be written in a concise way that you are able to understand, and that you are comfortable with.
Personally, I write down key points or scenes and separate them with bullet points. Like this:
. Three pigs come across a beautiful clearing
↓
. The three pigs decide to use the land to build
houses for themselves.
↓
. One pig decides to build his house out of straw,
one pig decides to build his house out of twigs, and
the other pig decides to build his house out of bricks
This is just my personal method. I like to have each scene or plot point in a separate paragraph, and I like to see all of the ideas connected. I also use chapter titles as headers so that I can separate different points and events in the story, and make my document easier to navigate.
But where do you begin if you have absolutely no idea where to start?
How do you decide on an outline when you can't even decide what shirt to wear in the morning?
There are a few things to consider before going crazy and opening up Word Document to type up your novel's outline.
If you have no idea where to start on your outline, or you having trouble writing it, here are a few questions to ask yourself about your novel:
1. Who is your protagonist?
2. What is the conflict? What is the protagonist (or hero)'s life like in the beginning of the story? How is their life changed by the conflict created by themselves or the antagonist/antagonistic force?
3. What does the hero or protagonist want? What is their desire or dream? What choices (whether good or bad) will the hero have to make to get this? What will they have to sacrifice?
4. Who or what is the antagonist/antagonistic force? What is their reason for stopping the protagonist from achieving their objective? What do they want? What was/is their life like?
5. What will be the ultimate disaster (or climax) that absolutely destroys the hero emotionally or physically in their attempts to achieve their goal or desire?
6. What conflict will continue to flow through the rest of the story from this disaster? Usually, this conflict "fades" or at lest the protagonist as optimistic outlook on it by the end of the novel, or it opens into the beginning of the next novel.
7. How does the protagonist change from this disaster? Do they grow stronger or optimistic at the end? Or do they feel hopeless and weak?
8. How does the antagonist grow? Are they defeated, or do they become stronger? Why or why not?
9. How will the adventure continue?
I like to use these questions, because it can applied to one book, or an entire series.
Once you answer these questions, you should have the basic structure or premise of your book or series.
But the two most imperative questions I asked myself before writing my series outline was:
1. How do I want this series to begin?
2. How do I want it to end?
After asking yourself those questions, you can start to fill in the blanks with the questions above. You can start asking those questions for novels in your series you already have ideas for, and ones you already know will further the direction of your series.
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