I hope you haven’t given up on me. I know this step took longer than I had planned. I spent most of this weekend trying to finish up enough of my character and story development to be able to start writing this week. My protagonist is the most fully developed character so far. I was struggling with trying to create the rest of the characters but at this point, they are just names with enough background information for me to start writing. I think I need to write about them a little before I can actually create them more fully. I plan to create a more detailed character sketch for each character as they are introduced in the story. If you are anything like me, I find that if I don’t write for a while something nags at me until I do. I couldn’t take the nagging any longer.
My villain and my innocent suspects are all writers who are attending a writer’s retreat with my protagonist. Something happened in the past that has caused one of them to seek revenge. I still have Ben, who I have decided was a college professor who taught a writing class that Rachel attended. He may still be a cross dresser but I’m having second thoughts about that. I think I will let that go until I actually get further into my story and see if it needs to be included. If not, he may just be a stereotypical college professor who likes to flirt with the coeds. He may have been involved with Rachel and one or several of the other students in her class when she was in college. He will end up being my second victim.
As I said, I have decided that the villain is out for revenge. Haven’t totally decided why yet but I will keep developing that part of the story as I go.
I have figured out what the ten most important scenes are and they include the opening, the three plot points, the climax, and the resolution. They are just skeletal ideas at this point that I will build onto as I write. I am developing the plot points by causing something to reverse the direction of the story at that point. They will be my guideposts leading me to the end. I will have subplots but I’m not sure what they are at this point. I will have a romantic sub plot and I do know who Rachel’s romantic interest is. My plan is to work on the outline each day as well as write so that I am always a little ahead of my writing. I am using a three act structure.
Over the next 30 days, my goal is to write 100 pages, 25 pages a week, 4 pages a day. At the end of the 30 days, I will set my goal for the next 30 days. I will tweak next month’s goal after I see how well I do with this one.
I will share as much of my development of the story as I can without actually telling you details that will give the story away. I do want you to want to buy the book, once it’s published.
In the meantime, let me know what you are doing and if you’ve set any goals. I do believe in the philosophy of write it down, make it happen. So now I’ve written it down and shared it with you. I will post weekly so you know if I met my goal or if I am struggling with any part of the process.
In the meantime, keep writing.
Virginia
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