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ENTRY

The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries
August 29, 2008

At a book festival several years ago, I attended a session with the author Robert B. Parker. He mostly writes hard-boiled PI and detective novels, notably the Spenser series. He spent a lot of time talking about dealing with Hollywood (another story) but one thing he mentioned stuck in my mind. He said he'd recently changed his plotting style. Previously he worked from a detailed plot outline, now he doesn?t work from an outline at all. He didn't elaborate much beyond that other than it allowed him to go where the story was taking him.

Personally, I fall somewhere between the two extremes. I develop a rough outline of a few things that will happen in a chapter or section. The notes are primarily focused plot, that is, what moves the story forward. At this stage I don't need to get into what the character is feeling or how they are developing. Those elements of the character should arise from the action and reactions of the plot. All together I usually have one or one-and-a-half pages of plot notes. Certainly not a detailed outline. Here is an example of my notes for a chapter for a novel I'm working on:

Mariko practicing with string quartet, conflict with her and other members, all high strung except one who is laid back cooperative, she is borrowing another violin, talks with them all but focuses on the one the symphony hall employee noticed, she sees reason for rivalry

One of the key parts of this rough plotting process for me is to have an idea of the ending. It gives me something to shoot for when building the rest of the plot. I usually develop a few other main plot points I strategically place in the outline. These plot points propel the story forward (sometimes backward). They move toward a surprising yet powerful and inevitable ending. Like in a good mystery.

When I'm writing the story, the rough outline gives me something to hang onto, focus my efforts. But I'm not a slave to it. I'm always monitoring my satisfaction (see Theory of Satisfaction entries) Not that I always stick to the ending I foresaw, in fact, I'd say rarely does the book end up looking much like the initial outline. Characters become fully formed (or not) and can take the plot in different directions.

#

© 2010

COMMENTS

Number of comments: 3
click here to add a comment

Jo Reed
Hmmm, kind of how I do it, but I lean more toward a "let things unfold" kind of outline. It's more like exploring, discovering, less like architecture.

Todd
I like that description, Jo.

Jo Reed
Hmm, the first thing I've said you like...

ARCHIVE

date (comments)

Review: Kissing the Mask
August 22, 2010 (1)

Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins
July 12, 2010 (2)

Review: Love in Translation
June 22, 2010 (3)

Jose Saramago
June 18, 2010 (0)

Marketplace of Ideas interview
June 11, 2010 (2)

Imagining Memory
May 6, 2010 (1)

Upcoming Los Angeles events
April 7, 2010 (2)

Time and energy
March 30, 2010 (2)

Review: Botchan
February 28, 2010 (2)

J.D. Salinger
January 28, 2010 (1)

2009 Reviewed
December 31, 2009 (5)

Review: The Word Book
December 12, 2009 (1)

Chaat and Chat event with OH!
November 6, 2009 (2)

Home at last
November 2, 2009 (2)

Los Angeles events
October 17, 2009 (1)

Poets and poetry
October 7, 2009 (1)

Time + place
September 24, 2009 (1)

The future of books
September 23, 2009 (1)

October book tour
September 6, 2009 (1)

Blogging at Powell's Books
August 28, 2009 (2)

The evolution of an idea
August 3, 2009 (1)

The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey
July 9, 2009 (2)

Tour debrief
July 2, 2009 (3)

Book tour events
May 18, 2009 (3)

Simply in the mood
April 24, 2009 (2)

Book tour
April 8, 2009 (6)

The Necessary Book
March 2, 2009 (2)

"Murder Makes the Magazine"
February 7, 2009 (3)

John Updike
January 27, 2009 (2)

2008 misc. (good news, bad news)
January 1, 2009 (3)

Publishing woes and query letters
December 13, 2008 (4)

Punctuation compunction
November 16, 2008 (3)

The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas)
October 10, 2008 (2)

David Foster Wallace
September 14, 2008 (2)

Ending it all
September 12, 2008 (2)

The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries
August 29, 2008 (3)

Blocking out the block
August 20, 2008 (3)

"What kind of books do you write?"
August 8, 2008 (2)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4
July 21, 2008 (3)

Show and tell
July 14, 2008 (3)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3
July 7, 2008 (7)

Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me)
June 30, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2
June 18, 2008 (3)

To be or not to be
June 10, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1
June 3, 2008 (6)

Virtual unreality
May 31, 2008 (4)

The purpose of this blog
May 21, 2008 (5)

Todd Shimoda's Writer's Blog home \| current \| forthcoming \| past \| contact
ENTRY The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries August 29, 2008 At a book festival several years ago, I attended a session with the author Robert B. Parker. He mostly writes hard-boiled PI and detective novels, notably the Spenser series. He spent a lot of time talking about dealing with Hollywood (another story) but one thing he mentioned stuck in my mind. He said he'd recently changed his plotting style. Previously he worked from a detailed plot outline, now he doesn?t work from an outline at all. He didn't elaborate much beyond that other than it allowed him to go where the story was taking him. Personally, I fall somewhere between the two extremes. I develop a rough outline of a few things that will happen in a chapter or section. The notes are primarily focused plot, that is, what moves the story forward. At this stage I don't need to get into what the character is feeling or how they are developing. Those elements of the character should arise from the action and reactions of the plot. All together I usually have one or one-and-a-half pages of plot notes. Certainly not a detailed outline. Here is an example of my notes for a chapter for a novel I'm working on: Mariko practicing with string quartet, conflict with her and other members, all high strung except one who is laid back cooperative, she is borrowing another violin, talks with them all but focuses on the one the symphony hall employee noticed, she sees reason for rivalry One of the key parts of this rough plotting process for me is to have an idea of the ending. It gives me something to shoot for when building the rest of the plot. I usually develop a few other main plot points I strategically place in the outline. These plot points propel the story forward (sometimes backward). They move toward a surprising yet powerful and inevitable ending. Like in a good mystery. When I'm writing the story, the rough outline gives me something to hang onto, focus my efforts. But I'm not a slave to it. I'm always monitoring my satisfaction (see Theory of Satisfaction entries) Not that I always stick to the ending I foresaw, in fact, I'd say rarely does the book end up looking much like the initial outline. Characters become fully formed (or not) and can take the plot in different directions. # © 2010	COMMENTS Number of comments: 3 click here to add a comment Jo Reed Hmmm, kind of how I do it, but I lean more toward a "let things unfold" kind of outline. It's more like exploring, discovering, less like architecture. Todd I like that description, Jo. Jo Reed Hmm, the first thing I've said you like...	ARCHIVE date (comments) Review: Kissing the Mask August 22, 2010 (1) Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins July 12, 2010 (2) Review: Love in Translation June 22, 2010 (3) Jose Saramago June 18, 2010 (0) Marketplace of Ideas interview June 11, 2010 (2) Imagining Memory May 6, 2010 (1) Upcoming Los Angeles events April 7, 2010 (2) Time and energy March 30, 2010 (2) Review: Botchan February 28, 2010 (2) J.D. Salinger January 28, 2010 (1) 2009 Reviewed December 31, 2009 (5) Review: The Word Book December 12, 2009 (1) Chaat and Chat event with OH! November 6, 2009 (2) Home at last November 2, 2009 (2) Los Angeles events October 17, 2009 (1) Poets and poetry October 7, 2009 (1) Time + place September 24, 2009 (1) The future of books September 23, 2009 (1) October book tour September 6, 2009 (1) Blogging at Powell's Books August 28, 2009 (2) The evolution of an idea August 3, 2009 (1) The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey July 9, 2009 (2) Tour debrief July 2, 2009 (3) Book tour events May 18, 2009 (3) Simply in the mood April 24, 2009 (2) Book tour April 8, 2009 (6) The Necessary Book March 2, 2009 (2) "Murder Makes the Magazine" February 7, 2009 (3) John Updike January 27, 2009 (2) 2008 misc. (good news, bad news) January 1, 2009 (3) Publishing woes and query letters December 13, 2008 (4) Punctuation compunction November 16, 2008 (3) The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas) October 10, 2008 (2) David Foster Wallace September 14, 2008 (2) Ending it all September 12, 2008 (2) The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries August 29, 2008 (3) Blocking out the block August 20, 2008 (3) "What kind of books do you write?" August 8, 2008 (2) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4 July 21, 2008 (3) Show and tell July 14, 2008 (3) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3 July 7, 2008 (7) Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me) June 30, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2 June 18, 2008 (3) To be or not to be June 10, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1 June 3, 2008 (6) Virtual unreality May 31, 2008 (4) The purpose of this blog May 21, 2008 (5)