It is my aim to use a month to plan my psychological thriller. I have chosen this genre because there is room for the twist and turns that I prefer in a book worth reading and in a film worth watching. I need it to chill down the spine. To be at the edge of my seat when writing, reading, and watching.
I have used almost four months to prepare myself for the task. And my husband will be my best critic during the process. At the moment, I´m gathering loose ends in my research and saving the research about setting and locations for the planning period.
I´m also contemplating the right point of view, for both my antagonist and my protagonist. I´m considering the physiology and psychology of my characters. And I´m taking a day off from time to time for life is not only writing, although it now plays a major part in my everyday.
I currently work with the concept of less is more. Therefore, I only write on this blog on Fridays and only write a thousand words at a time. I also try to declutter my mind as often as possible, for I need clarity and concentrated focus when I write.
Constructing a story from an idea
It began with one word, then a sentence, and so there was a paragraph. The idea just struck me, what if I could do something that I have always wanted to try? What if all it takes it to sit down and actually do the work behind writing a novel? And what if I could manage to write it for real?
Ever since I have been busy studying as much as possible about writing my choice of genre and the psychology behind the great villains and the heroic protagonists. They need to match each other, so I plan to work with a lot of character development.
My novel will be driven by the characters and their inner conflicts while creating and solving the plot in the novel. My idea is yet to be evolved during the plotting month. But it is an idea that keeps returning to me as if insisting on getting written.
So far I have written a couple of pages of dialogue, there are many notes to go through, and it is only a week ahead. So this is it, now I´m actually going to work in-depth with my novel to be. And this is where the fun part begins.
It is like building the puzzle of my life. Only fantasy sets the limit now. I have thought about a few scenarios for possible high-action scenes with strong emotional effects on the reader. Where there is no escape but the quest for mental survival from more or less distorted minds.
I want to create little, sneaky mini-climaxes, an emotionally demanding roller coaster ride, and a feeling of eeriness from page one until the end. I want to show the mind behind the scheme, the female version of a clever, ruthless, and evil villain.
I ask the questions who, what, where, when, why, and how. To keep my idea fresh so there is always room for alterations if need be. It is okay to change during the plotting process. If it feels right, I´ll use the material after a comprehensive brainstorm.
This is my project for the first weekend in February 2020. Until then, my idea lies dormant without being affected in any way. I hold my horses, I know the work will be better if I wait and release my saved energy for that weekend.
I have chosen to use a month for the outlining process. I believe it is possible to get the work done by that time. It is also necessary for me to have a fixed deadline due to my inherent tendency to procrastinate.
Outlining the story into a novel
After a brainstorm, it is time for the outlining process. I plan to use a storyboard and index files for the plot of my novel and my characters. From now on, I will write a daily journal entry for each of my characters so that I get to know them little by little.
This is also where I´ll be contemplating my choice of themes for the novel. And I can´t wait to begin writing backstories, character sketches, and the flesh of my story, the plot. Then my notes will show their true value. It is almost time to fill in the blanks.
I have yet half a book to finish, 2 ring binders of notes to go through with a highlighter, and a couple of notebooks to fill out with relevant notes. The work of this weekend and the coming week concludes four intensive months of research for my novel. It has been a tough ride at times, but always fun.
Now it is time to get an overview of my collected material. Before I unleash the worst nightmare, the ultimate mental roller coaster ride inside distorted minds, and the scariest moments I can think of. I believe I´m ready to embark on the next part of my writing journey.
The writing is not free just yet. There are some fixed assignments to attain before I begin my first draft in March 2020. I plan to follow most of the guidelines I have found for the psychological thriller. So the structure is pretty fixed already.
Next Friday, I´ll write about how I work with a charm bag and a charm bottle. I have a charm bag for the growth and prosperity of this blog, and I have a charm bottle for creativity in the work with my novel.
May you have a pleasant weekend and a prosperous week, dear readers. May creativity inspire and brighten your life. And may you be able to see the outline of your dreams so that you can put them into reality. As we will it, so it is.
The Northern Witch' s Blog 