As I complete the editing of my first novel (part 1 of a trilogy), I turn attention to laying the plan for book 2. But while planning this, I find myself reflecting on book 1’s journey.
Too often, I would get sidetracked in the writing process. Fiddly details like names, the starting sentence/paragraph or overall structure kept interfering with the flow. And too often, I would stop to resolve issues before I fully understood the novel in all its nuances.
If I could offer any advice, it would be to worry about these details once the book is written. In completing and being overall happy with flow, scenes, conflict, character and other key aspects of the story you are telling, it can then be time to make those little changes.
As an example, I worried about and changed the opening scene multiple times. I learned a lot in the process but never felt really happy with how it set the tone, direction or character intrigue. Yet, once I was happy with everything else, it became a straightforward process to adjust and refine the opening and set the novel on course.
The core element, of course, is to get characters and their conflicts and dynamics right. Spend time thinking about what they want, what their motivations are and how they change via their actions or with interactions with each other. Lessons they learn and how they rebound or work with each other on their journey are vital ingredients.
Once the core “soul” of the story is sorted, and the structural narrative is in place, finer points of details can be polished at the later stage.
A key take-home might be to keep a “to do” list to one side, categorised however you can best find items. In this list, keep ideas with headings for names, places, deeper world-building elements or other elements that can be found more easily and modified later.
GRAVICCINO 