“Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. When you read, you begin with A B C. When you sing, you begin with Do Re Mi…”
Somebody called Julie sang that once, and I think she made a solid point. The beginning of writing a novel is an idea. A question. A picture in your head that just won’t leave. When I began writing “The Ripple of Stones” I couldn’t get this question out of my head: who would we be if we could let go of who we were “supposed” to be? As the idea developed, other questions gnawed at me:
“How can a series of misunderstandings lead to heartbreak?”
“Why is it easier to put up barriers than be truthful?”
“What would star-crossed-lovers look like in modern times? How do we legitimize that trope and allow them to overcome?”
“Where does the obsession come from for Michigan beach stones? Is there something more there? Something deeper? What would that look like?”
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting in my parents’ living room chatting with them about “The Ripple of Stones” and my Dad was telling me all of his favorite parts and quotes. Spoiler alert, the love scenes were not my father’s favorite parts of my book…
He began to nudge me about the sequel. More magic, he said. More of the sitting on the dock and stretching the sunlight. Less heartwarming schlock. Definitely less kissing. Maybe next time, he suggested, there could be a troll under the bridge, or a dragon flying down from the Upper Peninsula. “These are excellent ideas,” I said, laughing. “Feel free to write your book: ‘The Dragon of the UP’ sounds fantastic.”
Now that “The Ripple of Stones” is sold in stores throughout Michigan as well as online, I am beginning a new novel. The second. The Prequel. I invite you to join me as we walk through the process of writing a novel together. You will need a notebook or notepad, a writing utensil, your voice-to-notes app on your phone, and an unfettered imagination.
In my process, I can’t begin anything until I begin to meet and create my main character. So, let’s meet yours as well. As you begin, answer the following questions. (My main character will identify as female. Please feel free to adjust your pronouns as needed:
*What is her name?
*Why is that her name?
*What culture is that from?
*Why?
*What does the name mean?
*What is the etymology of the name?
*Where does she live when we first meet her?
*What does it look like, smell like?
*What does the air feel like when it brushes her skin?
See my sketch below:
Next, close your eyes and let your mind wander. (Give the dog a bone, give the spouse the remote, give the kids a screen, go lock yourself in your car… whatever it takes to get some quiet in your brain so you can imagine….) Make some notes. Write down every idea. Don’t question and definitely don’t judge. Just scribble.
(Below, I’m going to show you some of my scribbles. I trust you. I like you. I know you’re not going to lift any of these ideas verbatim because I know you have your own even more brilliant and interesting ones! Thank you for helping me create an environment of honesty and respect as we share and work on our ideas together!)
I might use some of these ideas, I might use none of them. But if I don’t write them down, I’ll forget them. For “The Ripple of Stones,” I wrote down “what’s that thing people do with rocks in a tower – a cairn I think?” I intended it to be a unique but miniscule feature of the cottage driveway; it ended up being a centerpiece of the entire plot.
…Glad I wrote it down.
Ah… and speaking of PLOT! Did you know books need a plot? When I was writing “The Ripple of Stones,” I knew this in theory, but not in practice. I wrote five pages of musing that I was convinced were brilliant. As I was writing, I thought to myself, “Katy, you have written the next ‘The Goldfinch.” Perhaps the next ‘Jane Eyre.’ This is tragic. It’s heartbreaking. It shows the true core of your character’s heart and soul.” I read these five pages back and guess what? They were absolutely terrible. Do you know why? No plot. No action. And therefore, no story. Jane Eyre has a plot: orphaned, angst, bad job, meet-cute with dark and brooding dude, crazy wife locked in the attic, house on fire, running away in the rain, nearly dying of being wet and cold, almost marrying the wrong guy, more fire, blindness, and finally, marriage. A plot.
According to the experts, there are 7 to 9 basic plots. Here are some of the articles I read when I was researching:
Wikipedia (I know, I know, but I like that it gives concrete examples and concise explanations)
Reedsy Blog (more jargony, but you’re smart; you can handle it. Plus, it’s why I put this one 3rd.)
If you hit on one you like, start doing an image search. “Overcoming the Monster Plot Structure” or “Three Act Plot Structure” or “A Hero’s Journey Plot Structure” I love the image searches!
For the Prequel, I picked “A Hero’s Journey.” Because I cannot retain a scrap of information without writing it down, I copied a few different charts.
I did begin writing “The Ripple of Stones” using A Hero’s Journey Plot Structure, but ultimately changed to Three Act Plot Structure. Always allow yourself room to make changes as the story develops.
So there you go! If you’ve got some initial ideas written down, and have learned about and chosen an initial plot structure, you are well on your way!! (Pro tip – the title comes waaaaaaaaay later, after you figure out what you are actually writing about.)
“But Katy,” you say, “What if I have more ideas later? What if I’m at my day job or driving the car or helping my kids or feeding my hedgehog or mid-nap and I can’t get to my Precious Writer’s Notebook???” That is where the voice-to-text comes in! I know you have your phone on you. It’s right there. Don’t play. Give that thought to Siri! Right now!
“Hey Siri, make a Note.” Then say whatever you have to say. When your colleagues/passengers/kids/hedgehog/dream dragon of the upper peninsula look at you askance, shrug and say,
“Hey. I’m writing my book.”
