Blonging

Typo read recently in a blog comment: "blong".

Posted recently on 2 B Read:

For my latest book, I'm expanding my method. I have spreadsheets that
explain the goals, motiviations, and conflicts of each character. I have a
character chart, where I explain what each character needs to make them happy.
And I wrote the most detailed outline I have ever done for a book.

Your process is as personal as your underwear, so in no way can I dis anyone's process, but this freaks me out. Charts? My last two ideas for stories came from dreams I had. I work from the subconscious, the unnoticed texture of the stuff I'm taking in, the almost-connections made by my mind, usually when I'm not looking. A chart would kill what little creativity I have.

This is one of the reasons (one of the many reasons) that Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer's blog is so fascinating to a writer. I'm not sure if Mayer makes actual charts - he never says - but he likes his process just so. Crusie, on the other hand, writes headlong, with barely an idea of what she's doing, until she decides to toss whatever doesn't work and start over. She is open about writing entire scenes, entire sequences, only to delete them when they don't go anywhere.

My method, so far, is somewhere in between. I start something with an idea of where it's going, but I'm open to any better ideas that pop up along the way. I'm thinking, though, that I should try the Jennifer Crusie way. Just drop myself into something and see what happens - the sheer, terrifying white page. Sure, a lot of stuff gets thrown out, but the stuff that's left is good. The charts have scared me silly; I can't stand the thought of them. I think I'm going to run the other way.

Abby