Thank you, Randy.

I might have to read this book. It’s on my bookshelf . . .

At what stage of planning or writing do Scene/Sequel begin to take shape? Is it in the early plotting, so that you’re sure to include the 3 elements of Scene or Sequel before you ever write?

Is it after you’ve laid out a basic storyline? Or is it while you write & flesh out the story?

Me sez: This might be a personal choice thing. Some writers need structure to get their story down, others are seat-of-the-pants writers who don’t do much plotting.

I need structure before I can begin to write. It really helped me last week to look at each scene I was about to write and lay out my G/C/D or R/D/D before I started. It gave me a map to go by. I’ll add that I wrote more last week than I had in a year. So for me, it worked to have the S&S set out from the start.

SOTP writers seem to get stifled by too much structure. They just want to go with the flow and get the story down. And that is fine. You can always go back once the story is written and fine tune each scene into a Scene or Sequel.

If you have to go back and edit something into a Scene or a Sequel, good luck. I don’t see that happening without major rewrites, unless you’re already writing Scenes and Sequels without realizing it.

IMO, if you edit your draft and find pieces that are not Scene or Sequel, you best consider just scrapping that part since it probably doesn’t advance your plot. It’ll just be sitting there taking up space and not giving your reader the Powerful Emotional Experience Randy talks about. Obviously you can always edit it, but it might not be worth keeping. (My opinion of course)

My ultimate goal is that readers will not be able to put my novel down, that they have to keep the pages turning. So much so that they will eventually almost pee their pants.

I’m beginning to suspect Randy had ulterior motive in chosing the name for Powerful Emotional Experience (Acronym = PEE).

I started off this story with an ending in my head and some stepping stones to get there. Then I took a running start by the seat-o-my jeans. Then I realized there were issues I didn’t know how to deal with. Finding Randy’s AFW 3 months ago was an answer to prayer.

In that time I’ve learned more than my head can contain and now, my story is taking a half-time break. (Thanks to everyone on this blog, the half-time show has been riveting.)

My entire story is laid out nicely, thanks to Randy’s spreadsheet example. At this point, I want to go back over the 1st half with S&S in mind and revise or scrap, as Christophe mentioned. I also want to move forward across the skeleton I have in place with what I’ve learned, which I look forward to. Thanks Vennessa, by the way… good tips.

So now I don’t know what to do. I want to go backward and forward at the same time. (sigh) I can already hear the Master say it… “Only YOU can make that decision, grasshoppah.” And probably something equally profound, like ‘wherever you go, there you will truly be’.

Maybe I will try to edit one chapter, write a new chapter, etc. We shall see.

Thanks Randy & everyone here. What a huge blessing this place has been!

Godspeed.

Me sez: I’m a bit the same way at the moment. I want to progress my current wip, but I know there are some major revisions needed at the start, especially with my character motivations. I also know which chapters are heading for the scrap heap. Oh, the agony of throwing out much sweat overed words. But I know the story will be so much tighter and better without those chapters.

Karri Says: (Shame on you, Nessie, for not having read it!) But I expect nothing less from you.

Me sez: Hehe. Take away the first two sentences and look what you have left? *pokes Karri*

Diane Says: And then I have a chapter in which the POV character has a goal and a conflict, but the disaster isn’t really a disaster for the POV heroine but for her antagonist. Does it have to be the character with the goal that has the disaster?

Me sez: I’d say yes. It is all part of the Powerful Emotional Experience. You are drawing us into one character’s head, showing us her goal and conflict. If you switch the disaster to the antagonist, how does this keep our emotions tied to the heroine? If the disaster is the antagonist’s, doesn’t that mean the heroine has succeeded with her goal, or is at least on an even emotional level? What will keep the reader turning the page if the heroine isn’t suddenly thrust into a new area of conflict? Perhaps you need to look at the POV of the scene. Would the scene be better shown through the antagonist if he is the one who is faced with a disaster? Just my thoughts.

I say,
I don’t see why that’s a problem, though keep in mind that usually the Scene is more active than the Sequel. So it could be more gripping for the reader to start with some action. On the other hand, starting with a Sequel puts you right into your protagonist’s head, letting the reader bond with him or her much faster.

In my opinion, I don’t see why a Sequel couldn’t be the start of a novel.

Diane Says,
And then I have a chapter in which the POV character has a goal and a conflict, but the disaster isn’t really a disaster for the POV heroine but for her antagonist. Does it have to be the character with the goal that has the disaster?

Venessa sez,
I’d say yes. It is all part of the Powerful Emotional Experience. You are drawing us into one character’s head, showing us her goal and conflict. If you switch the disaster to the antagonist, how does this keep our emotions tied to the heroine? If the disaster is the antagonist’s, doesn’t that mean the heroine has succeeded with her goal, or is at least on an even emotional level? What will keep the reader turning the page if the heroine isn’t suddenly thrust into a new area of conflict? Perhaps you need to look at the POV of the scene. Would the scene be better shown through the antagonist if he is the one who is faced with a disaster? Just my thoughts.

I say,
I agree with Venessa. Choose your POV wisely. You can get inside the antagonist’s head in some scenes, but if you have to choose between the protagonist and the antagonist, go with the first. You want your readers to root for the good guy, not the bad guy.

Venessa says: This might be a personal choice thing. Some writers need structure to get their story down, others are seat-of-the-pants writers who don’t do much plotting.

I need structure before I can begin to write.

I say: I’ve just put aside my first novel, unfinished, because it was un-planned. I know this deep down. I had the exposition, conflict, characters, and oh, the backstory! Around the time I was admitting to myself that my wip was falling apart, I started reading Randy’s Snowflake Method. It just made so much sense. I’ve made a start on mapping out the story line using the method, and I can actually see this one coming together with an inevitable resolution. I’m writing the character profiles as I go, and taking cues from their individual story lines as I work out the bigger picture. In short, Venessa, I find I’m like you - I need structure before I can begin to write.

However… (keep going, I’m nearly there :))
Camille Says:
At what stage of planning or writing do Scene/Sequel begin to take shape?

I say: I’m not sure I could also plan scenes and sequels at the level Randy demonstrates in his post at the mapping-out stage. One reason is that I’m such a nit-picker, I’ve told myself the only way to get this one finshed is to allow myself to write badly until the job’s done. Consequentially there will be need to be some re-writing, and it is at this stage that I expect to be able to establish the scene and sequel pattern.

But who knows, I might find that at least at some level I have the capacity to work it in at the planning stage.

Okay, done now.

I thank you.

Think he will post tonight?

While I’m here, I might as well comment on this:

Christophe said: You want your readers to root for the good guy, not the bad guy.

I agree, but I think it is also important to get into the antagonists head when given the chance. Antagonists aren’t all bad, and in their own mind they think their actions are right. Understanding the antagonist’s motivations can really up the suspense and add layering to a plot, in my humble opinion.

That’s still something I’m having a bit of trouble with. I tend to make my bad guys all bad. I realize it and adjust, but the urge is still there.