From http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/04/book-are-like-orges.html:
I’m a sparse first drafter. I like to bang out a rough chapter and get the basic events down first so I know how the scene plays out. Then, I go back and layer in the other components to flesh out the chapter and bring it to life. This works for me because once I know what happens, it’s that much easy to know how to tweak everything to get the most out of my scene.
I do this by using layers.
Layer One:Plot elements and first thoughts
It’s rough, and usually ugly, but I follow my outline from start to finish and get a general idea of the chapter. Most of the time this is just dramatizing the plot points, and if it happens to veer off from my outline, I let it wander. I don’t worry about much at this stage but seeing how the scene unfolds.
Layer Two: Goals and motivation
Since layer one deals with plot elements, my second pass makes sure the character goals and motivations are true (this is especially important if I’ve gone off outline). Plot may say Bob needs to break into the science lab, but I need to make sure Bob is doing that for solid reasons of his own that are clear in the story. I also make sure my other characters are acting true. A lot of internalization gets added here, since the point is to get inside the POV’s head so we know what they’re doing and why.
Layer Three: Stage direction
This pass is all about clarity. I’ll fix anything that reads as told, not shown, or ambiguous pronouns, or things that see murky. Often this will involve tweaking the internalization, because sometimes we can show the why in how a character acts out the what. If I can get the motivation clear through the action, I get a tighter scene.
Layer Four: Description
I’m not fond of a lot of description, so my early drafts have very little in them. But it’s easier to add after the basics are on paper, because I know exactly what’s in my scene and why. I also know the emotional state of my characters, so I know what they’d notice. I can describe things that help advance the scene and increase tension so readers get a sense of setting without it bogging down the story
Layer Five: Dialog and tags
I make sure that everyone sounds like themselves, and that it’s clear who is speaking. It’s also a good time to mix tags and stage direction, so I get to clean up some lines and make the text read more smoothly.
Layer Six: A quick polish
I read through it once more and just tweak the stuff that jumps out at me. Sometimes this is editing awkward sentences, other times it’s trimming words that feels boggy, or adding some description to something that isn’t quite clear yet. It’s not the heavy polish I’ll do at later drafts, but it’s enough that I feel the chapter is solid before moving on.
All chapters get the first three passes, but sometimes I’ll save the more detailed layers for later when I have a bigger chunk of the book to work with. I typically work with three chapter chunks at a time, so once I’m done with a set, I’ll go back and flesh out that set of chapters. Three chapters is enough for many arcs to play out, and often that covers a plot point from beginning to end.
I’ve found this is not only an effective writing technique, but a good way to handle revisions as well. It’s hard to keep everything a story needs in mind at the same time, and breaking it down into pieces makes it a lot easier to handle.
From http://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/02/if-you-build-it-they-will-read-plotting.html:
Plotting With Layers: 4 Steps to a Stronger Plot
By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy
Plots are like houses. When built on a strong foundation, with good flow and an well-thought out floor plan, readers want to move in and stay awhile. Just as we build in layers, we can also plot in layers. This helps us make sure all the right pieces are in place to hold up our story and allow our characters to live within them.
Layering your plot can create more interesting stories, but it’s easy to go overboard and end up with a convoluted mess. How many layers are good? How many are too many? And mostly, how do you craft a well-constructed story that builds on itself and keeps readers interested?
I’ve talked about writing in layers before, and plotting in layers is similar. It helps to look at each layer individually and try not to build the whole thing at once.
Lay the Foundation for Your Plot
Your core conflict is the foundation of your plot. This is what will hold your plot together and give it the strength to carry the story. A good core conflict will have enough inherent conflict that it won’t be an easy thing to solve. There will be steps to resolving this conflict, and complications to work around. If your core conflict has only one or two tasks to complete to resolve it, then it might not be strong enough to carry your entire novel.
(Here’s more on crafting a strong core conflict)
Build a Frame to Contain Your Plot
The frame is the is smaller arcs and subplots of the story that give it a unique shape. Subplots might branch off in different directions, but are ultimately all connected to that foundation in some fashion. Subplots flesh out the core conflict and allow you to highlight aspects of the story and give it the proper scope.
Too many subplots and you have a misshapen house; too few, and you have an empty structure. The trick is to build just enough rooms for a reader to wander though without getting lost. A good subplot will add complications to your core conflict, work as a step toward achieving that core conflict, or cause trouble in your character’s internal or personal story arc.
Subplots aren’t there just to cause random trouble, or tell the story of another character. They’re there to help illustrate some important point of your core story.
(Here’s more on crafting subplots)
How many subplots you build is up to you, but I’ve found that a few subplots explored deeply works well. That gives you more page time to focus on key areas and really play one conflict off the other. Each conflict will have multiple steps to resolving it, so there’s always lots of things for your protagonist to do.
Put Up the Walls that Define Your Plot
Your theme defines how the plot unfolds. You want readers to go from room to room and explore, but never forget they’re in the same house. A good theme will tie the entire story together and guide you in knowing which subplots help your core conflict and which one hurt it.
For example, if your theme is about forbidden love, then your subplots will very likely explore this, perhaps by showing other things the protagonist (or others) can’t have, but really want, or the consequences of indulging in the forbidden. If you find yourself with a scene that has nothing to do with your core conflict or your theme, odds are it doesn’t belong there.
(Here’s more on how theme ties a novel together)
Every scene is an opportunity to show your theme. It might be a small connection, but all those little moments provide richness and depth to the story. In The Shifter, one of my themes was being trapped. How I illustrated “trapped” varied greatly throughout the novel, whether it was emotionally trapped, financially trapped, or literally trapped, but when I planned a scene, I looked for ways to show someone being trapped in some type of way, even if that was small.
Decorate the Plot with Characters Arcs
Characters are colorful, and each character will solve their problems in their own way. The choices they make determine how the plot and subplots will unfold. A good character arc provides personal challenges along the way to resolving the core conflict. The amount of growth varies from story to story, but who that character is and how they solve their problems creates a tone and voice that’s unique to that tale.
(Here’s more on creating character arcs)
Now Put it All Together
As you plot your novel, look for all the possibles ways one layer could enhance or affect another. Things such as:
- Could it introduce a character or problem that would cause a complication later?
- Could it foreshadow something that might be trouble layer?
- Might it contain a key piece of the puzzle that isn’t figured out until the protagonist has gathered a lot more pieces?
- Can you cause an internal conflict associated with this goal?
- Can this goal force the protagonist to face something emotionally they need to overcome by the end of the story?
- Can this goal cause your protagonist to rebel, sending them in the opposite direction of where they should be going?
Next, look at what happens because of that scene. Does it connect to your core conflict? Should it? Is there’s any way you can also make it affect your protagonist’s character arc?
As your protagonist continues to solve and complicate the story problems, keep looking for ways to connect those problems to either your core conflict or your character’s story arc.
Every time a protagonist has to make a choice, it has the potential to affect more than just the goal of that one scene. Every choice could have larger ramifications, which raises the stakes, deepens the conflict, and creates unpredictability. Layers can add depth to your story and even make it easier to plot, since ideas that don’t fit with the core conflicts are easy to toss aside.
Plots are like houses. When built on a strong foundation, with good flow and an well-thought out floor plan, readers want to move in and stay away.
KC Storytellers 