Writing Down the Bones: Does the scene move the plot along?

So your bones are there, begging to be fleshed out and dressed.You work through your scenes and find one you just love. It has all the right elements, just enough description and dialogue. You're so proud of it you could just burst but...

You read it and realize that this perfect scene doesn't help move your plot. What to do?

Your desire is to leave it there, after all you worked hard on it and it deserves to be read but no matter how wonderful that scene is you have to be strong. Take a deep breath and decide if you can edit it so it does help your plot or cut it. I know that hurts. No one wants to destroy something they worked so hard at but you need to be clinical when you look at a scene. If you don't, someone else will, and that can hurt a whole lot more.

Every word should move you to the goal. Character development, subplots, they still need to take your reader to the climax of your book.

Shamless Promoting!

I have been busy getting the fourth book in my Vespian Way Series promoted as much as I can and tomorrow I will be blogging at Romance Lives Forever. They interviewed me giving me a fun series of questions to answer. Please stop on by!!
http://romancelivesforever.blogspot.com/2012/10/futuristic-unwanted-desire-barbbradley.html

Writing Down the Bones: How does the scene flow?

Now I'm going to go into a little more detail on how to flesh out those scenes. We all do it differently. My techniques might make you laugh.

As I edit I look at several things to be sure it flows. I ask myself  does the dialogue move along nicely or does it seem choppy? Does it make sense as I read it or did I leave something out? Is there enough detail? Can you tell where they are? do I need to add more description? What they are doing? Is it nothing but talking heads or do I show them in action as they talk? Is it consistent?' You sure don't want them standing one minute then a couple paragraphs later have them stand up.

As I work my way through the my work in progress these type of questions float in the back of my mind. I have found if I rush it by trying to do my edits all in one run I make myself crazy and it takes too long.  So I layer it. I'll go through and fix what really jumps out at me. Then let it sit for a few days then go back through it again. I know it sounds like a lot of work but it works for me.

That is what every writer needs to do. Find the method that works for them. I learned the rules we're taught don't always work for everyone. Do what works for you.

Next step of writing: Fleshing out those bones

So now you have the bones. The rough draft is done and you now have to go through it and make it shine. Where to start? I'd recommend you start where you feel drawn to. I normally read through the manuscript to see where I'm weak but I can't help but make corrections as I go through. I ask myself questions:

Does the scene flow?
Does it move the plot forward?
Does the dialog make sense?
Is there enough description or too much talking heads?
Does each scene end with a hook?

I might go through my manuscript three or four times to catch it all. Now I feel I need to explain this. I did try to cut down the amounts of edits needed but found that didn't work for me.  I need to do this in stages to get the best story I can.

more writing down the bones

So my rough draft - and that is what it is - is my characters talking. I think that is why I can fly by the seat of my pants so to speak. Dialogue is very easy for me so that is what I start with. My characters talk and I listen to them. They sometimes know the plot better than I do. It's uncanny how I can write, knowing my beginning and my end but the middle part will be murky yet I always get where I want to go and have never had to throw out anything. I've had to rewrite scenes in a major way once that draft is written or moved a few scenes around but for the most part my stories just flow.

I don't worry about if I used the perfect word, or if I have fleshed out the scene enough. I have time to worry about that later. That's for my revisions or edits. Right now I'm letting everything flow. I know the beginning of my story and the end of my story. It's the middle that might be a bit murky and that is where the fun is for me. My characters know where the story is going to go as well as I do and we go on a grand adventure to get to the end.

Blogging today!

Shamless promoting...I'm blogging at Lily Sawyers blogspot - please come by and say hi!!!

http://lilysawyerbooks.blogspot.com/2012/10/welcome-guest-author-barbara-donlon.html

New Release!!!

I'm so excited about my newest release! Unwanted Desire will be out on Tuesday! Doing the happy dance!!!! Be sure to check it out. www.phaze.com

Barb:)

New Release!

I am excited to announce that the 4th book in the Vespian Way will be released on October 2nd, 2012
Take a look at the cover!!! I love it!!!

Writing Down the Bones

So let's get into the post I wrote last time. How do you start a manuscript? There are so many different ways. I have friends who use post-it notes or index cards to plot out their books. They might write one word on the card but it helps them figure out the flow of their stories.

That doesn't work for me. I like to let my characters take me on a journey, and I have found if I try using the style I mention in the last paragraph it kills my creative juices. So no matter how many strange looks I get from other writers I stick to my guns and let my characters tell me how the story is going to go.

Now don't get me wrong, I do plot, but I do it in my head. I normally start with a paragraph or two of how the story is going to go. Then I start writing. I might not know every scene I'm going to put in the book as I go but I have found I never write something into the story that I have to throw out later. My characters never steer me wrong.

Writing in layers

I'm what they call a pantser. I don't plot out my story before I start writing. To me that takes away form the joy of writing. I seem to write from beginning to end. That is the way all my stories come to me. Have I had scenes pop in my head out of sequence? Sure. But they normally stay in the back of my head waiting for their turn. I think that is what makes some of my scenes so visual. The longer they sit the more detailed they come out.

You see I write the bones of the story first. Mostly all dialog with a few descriptions if I have them. That is my rough draft. Then I go back and read the book to make sure it flows, you connected all the dots. Add scenes if I need them. Then I go through again to flush it out the way it should be. Then I go through one or two more times to give it a good polish.

Each of us have a different way of doing things and this one seems to work the best for me.