It's been a while!

Well, it's been a busy week. I've been sticking to those priorities and managing to get some words on my new rural romance, Fixing Fences.

Whilst sticking to my studies, I've managed to knuckle down and write 22k since finishing Deceive Me in Ireland, (with the help of coffee of course), brining it to 25k. :)
Fixing Fences is about a city girl seeking her history in the Hunter Valley and fixing her existing relationship with her mother and her inner self. And finiding love along the way...

My skills at plotting are refining themselves and this time, I've managed to plot my novel from start to finish (with room for some kangaroos of course).

To keep myself inspired this week I've been feeding my muse with Jilted by Racheal Johns who I had the pleasure of interviewing some months ago. I'm thoroughly enjoying it and finding that it really helps to read the work of other great writers when the words just aren't flowing like they normally do. When the words don't flow it's best not to panic. So I keep calm and read and off my muse goes again.

Well, a new week has begun and my muse is chomping at the bit to have her way.
Happy reading/writing everyone!

W

The Pros of Plotting

I started out as a pantser. I had an ending, then a beginning and that's pretty much all I had. Everything else was decided as I went.
I'm currently writing the second novel in my series, 'Deceive Me in Ireland' and to avoid all the hassles and rewrites this time, I decided to plot. And you know what? I groaned and moaned the whole time, pulling my hair out over how I would get from A to B and what conflict to have. But, it all came together.
I started out by plotting the first few chapters. Then plotted the coming ones. Then a few more on top of that and as my characters grew so did the story in my head. By the time I hit the 50k mark, I knew exactly where I was going. I was no longer driving around with the headlight off and yet, I was still surpising myself.
Every now and then, I would have a pantser moment. A new twist, a new solution, a new chapter. The plotter and pantser in me are finally working together. It's like having a few kangaroos jump out in front of you. And of course, you never swerve.

I'm now plotting my next novel, a rural romance set entirely in Australia. I'm going to miss my Irishmen, but I'm excited about the prospects of a new challenge.
I have decided to still to my plotter ways and I'm still expecting a few roos. But there really are benefits in plotting.
For one, you save time. There no getting stuck at a crossroads or finding yourself down a deadend street.
Secondly, you get there faster, because as I found, I knew where I was going. There was no hesitation and yet there was still the same excitement you feel watching it all unfold.
And lastly, there's no turning back a hundred times just to get it right. I know the things I struggle with and so I plot them. I run my directions past the locals (my CP's) and then after a few quick alterations, I'm off on my way.

So tell me, are you a plotter or a pantser?

W