Some time ago I scoffed at the notion that my sequel to ‘A Construct of Angels’ might be as difficult to …er… construct as the original.
See The difficult second novel? Nah!
Well, my confidence has taken a knock. I’m not afraid to admit it, although I do feel slightly foolish at having to retract my former statement.
The high wave that I had been sailing upon, fresh from the joy of having finally achieved a lifetime’s ambition of publishing a book, has now flattened and I feared that I was facing a spell in the doldrums, bereft of the guiding wind that was my Muse.
As the tale within ‘Construct’ drew to a close, I had a clear and certain idea of where the sequel was heading and I’d even planned the ending – something which had been of tremendous help when I’d initially drafted ‘Construct’.
But now that idea is wavering. I still know how the sequel (A Vengeance of Angels) is going to conclude, but as I passed 25,000 words, I lost focus, the thread and my sense of timing.
I can’t tell you much, but ‘Vengeance’ doesn’t follow directly on from the end of ‘Construct’. Rather, it meshes with it, beginning two days before ‘Construct’ ended. That, dear reader, is how I painted myself into a very tight corner. I still have several events that need to transpire before the ending of ‘Construct’ is briefly revisited and the story continues from that already-published conclusion.
So, rather than despair, I reached deep into the archives and dug out my old day-by-day spreadsheet.
(The above is a sample I put together to illustrate its uses. If this inspires you in any form, feel free to create a story from it.)
This is one of the very few ‘planner’ tools I used in ‘Construct’ (I AM a confirmed ‘pantser’ after all), but it was invaluable to me.
Armed with this, I intend to review what I’ve already written, then forge ahead and plan out exactly how my self-imposed spiders web of a narrative will unfold.
What was that, you say? Why can’t I ever do anything the easy way? For the answer to that, you’ll have to ask my Muse.
Where is she, by the way?
*sighs* Well, as Kenny Rogers nearly said; ‘You picked a fine time to leave me Loose Wheel.’
Watch this space for a word count that will clock up faster than Clark Griswold’s Christmas electricity bill!
Write on in 2013!
Pat
Jan 24, 2013 @ 13:19:19
I think my Muse is comatose somewhere at the moment. Possibly frozen solid, in view of the weather. Maybe she’s holed up somewhere with your Muse, having hot chocolate and crumpets in some warm spot. She – and it is a she, I am sure – isn’t talking to me right now. I called her fickle in a post recently, not sure she liked it.
I’m sure you’re right with the quiet admiration and respect thing.
And much as I love your hour by hour schedule, I think you are a bit nuts – 🙂 sorry! If you are a pantser, go with it… it got you through your first book, didn’t it? Have you changed your way of working?
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Andrew Toynbee
Jan 24, 2013 @ 16:13:46
No, the hour by hour sheet was essential to my first book. Because it was set over six days (sneaky biblical reference), I have to be sure that the days were filled and I didn’t have huge gaps on Tuesday afternoon, for instance.
This spreadsheet represents my only (I think) compromise to planning in an otherwise pants-filled world!
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Pat
Jan 24, 2013 @ 18:46:38
Hmm. Pants-filled world. Are you sure that description is really what you had in mind?
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jumpingfromcliffs
Jan 24, 2013 @ 12:04:12
When my Muse disappears, I generally find her lurking in a corner booth at the local pub. Have you tried looking for yours there yet? Maybe they’re hanging out together exchanging lurid gossip and cashew nuts.
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Andrew Toynbee
Jan 24, 2013 @ 16:06:24
OH NO!!!! My Muse is allergic to virtual nuts!!
*panics as future career seems bleak*
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Anne
Jan 24, 2013 @ 09:18:25
Write on, indeed. Good luck with your future relationship muse-wise – have you tried flowers, chocolates, a new after-shave?
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Andrew Toynbee
Jan 24, 2013 @ 09:57:51
She just prefers quiet admiration and respect. I have tried virtual chocolates but her virtual dog got to them first and left papers everywhere.
That would explain my cluttered mind, I guess…
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fortyoneteen
Jan 24, 2013 @ 07:55:47
Wow, I love the spreadsheet… how very organised. Thanks for the peep into your brain Andrew, pantser huh?
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Andrew Toynbee
Jan 24, 2013 @ 08:21:12
Pantser, definitely. I’m guilty of penning a whole series of never-ending stories until the idea for my debut novel came along – complete with ending. Actually, the ending presented itself first.
I now incorporate a degree of planning into my writing, but allow my Muse to wander around between the scaffolding. As long as she heads towards that planned ending, I let her find her own way. 😀
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fortyoneteen
Jan 24, 2013 @ 23:12:55
Your Muse sounds lovely with all her wandering and such.
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Andrew Toynbee
Jan 25, 2013 @ 07:54:55
We’ve become quite close over the years. 🙂 She’s like a grandmother to me…
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Jacqui Murray
Jan 24, 2013 @ 00:43:18
You and I may be the only two writers who plot with Excel. Love it. I add a few columns, but essentially, the same. Then, I change it to text and add it to Word and I’m off.
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Andrew Toynbee
Jan 24, 2013 @ 08:16:40
It gives a better sense of time, I find. It’s stark, but efficient.
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Nicole Bross
Jan 23, 2013 @ 16:06:51
I love the hour-by-hour spreadsheet! “Sonny eats then feeds dogs” made me laugh because at first I thought he ate the dogs…
I’m finding writing a sequel isn’t the piece of cake I’d thought it would be too. I’m struggling with balancing explaining the events of the previous book to catch new readers up with introducing new action… I’m only 1,000 words in though so I’m hoping it’ll get easier as I hit chapter 2. Good luck! Keep that word count rolling forward.
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Andrew Toynbee
Jan 23, 2013 @ 16:31:04
I managed to cover that particular sticky hurdle by having the character reminisce about how the events of the first book changed his life.
As this is the first draft, that may all change later, but it seems to work…
Yes, I see how he might have eaten his dogs before he fed them…lol.
Good job that was just a quickly-conjured example rather than a published work. The press (I should be so lucky) would have had a field day!
Keep plugging on towards that Chapter 2…it’s there, getting closer every day! 😀
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