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I have always been a plotter rather than a pantser, but I don't usually outline. I knew this would be a longer story than I have been writing lately -- it turned out to be 7,500 words which I then had to (shudder) edit down to 6,000 -- so I decided to outline it.
But here's how I did it: For each scene I wrote two sentences. The first told what happened. The second explained why it was important. Or putting it another way: How did this scene advance the plot? (Because if it doesn't, why is it there?)
This was particularly appropriate because this mystery story really was a mystery story, meaning my protagonist had to solve a crime. My system made it easy for me to keep track of the clues.
For example:
Scene 6. Chickie, the manager, confronts them and says he doesn’t want Hilda back because she caused them trouble by getting arrested. They learn that Surebank is the insurance company involved in the theft.
Got it? The first sentence is what happens in the scene. The second sentence tells me what the protagonist got out of it.
Worked for me. This time. Who know what will happen next time around?
Rob, I love that ask yourself, "How does this scene advance the plot?" Because when I teach Crafting a Novel, that is one of the big things I ask, and a surprise to most of the students. I think, in writing short stories, we develop discipline that way. Fewer words require more discipline. Good column!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Melodie. It is true that in a short story every word has to justify its existence.
DeleteRob, I made a similar discovery that I had a scene or two that didn't need to be there while working on a five-minute reading of a story I've already sold to a magazine, pub date yet to be determined. To get five minutes, I boiled the first 12 pages down to 3. Now my dilemma is: do I tell the editor who accepted it that I'd like to revise it? They pay by the word...
ReplyDeleteOoh, that's a tough one! You should write a piece for SleuthSayers telling us what you decide.
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Great advice, Rob!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Rob, and well… Congratulations! Did you invent the trick?
ReplyDeleteFar as I know, leigh.
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