I had the weekend off, although there was a television interview Saturday morning and then a quick stop to sign stock at a local bookstore, the Ivy. But the rest of the weekend was wonderfully quiet, including some time in my office, paying bills and filing. I happened on the copy of my schedule that included all the events for this tour and counted 35, which didn’t include 3 things I’ve set up on my own. But I’m more than halfway through and, as of April 5th, have no events that require travel.
Today, I get to lead a semi-normal day — writing at Spoons, going to the gym, dinner at a favorite local joint. Granted, there are interviews on either side of the gym, and I’ll sign/talk at A Likely Story in Sykesville before going to dinner, but it’s still pretty normal and I am grateful for it. I did some important planning work on the book today, the kind of stuff that defies description (and invites boredom), but helps me immeasurably.
The planning work, is this for the next book? Can you share what that involves? I am curious about how an author begins a book, whether or not you follow a structure (per writing books) or just jump in to see where you take yourself.
Laura, I do that step first as well. Figuring out what the crisis will be that pulls my protag unwillingly into the fray, so to speak. Not outlining it exactly, but deciding why she would feel compelled to get into the middle of the situation.
Glad you’re back home and can relax a little bit.
See you in October!
Jackie,
I’m not sure that it would be that illuminating to discuss my particular brand of sausage making. Those who have heard me speak know I am particularly fond of Madison Smartt Bell’s book, NARRATIVE DESIGN, and that I believe all novels have a visual incarnation. This one currently runs on two parallel tracks and the trick is to figure out how the one track (first-person, set largely in the late 60s) can tell a story of which the narrator is seemingly unaware, while the modern-day track (multiple POVs) has to layer in a lot of the backstory that the first-person narrator has unwittingly foreshadowed. I know — the foregoing makes NO sense.
One of my guides for thinking about this book is a Gail Godwin novel of which I’m particularly fond, A MOTHER AND TWO DAUGHTERS. The book is quite graceful in the ways it provides the full life stories of its three characters, showing them engagedin present-day activities (a trip to the mall, a night out at the movies) that lead seamlessly to memories that illuminate their present-day situation. Years ago, I once read a review of a movie by a talented but new young director that noted his inexpetise showed in that he often filmed people sitting around, just waiting for the phone to ring. This can happen in books, too, with characters just staring in their coffee cups, summoning up convenient memories. In fact, the early draft of EVERY SECRET THING was pretty much like that until I moved all those women out of their kitchens and into their daily lives.
But, with each book, I have to learn how to do it all over again.
We must have the same disease, because that two-track description made normal sense to me.
I’ve read NARRATIVE DESIGN twice and thought it was terrific (and even wrote him fan mail about it, including what a great lumbar support it was on the train), but I forgot it existed until you mentioned it. Next time I need to go looking for somebody talking about writing, I’ll pick that one up.
NARRATIVE DESIGN is one of my favorites too & helped me a lot when I was writing my memoir. If you think it’s hard to fashion a narrative arc out of fictional plot points, try real life! grin. I ran across Bell’s book when I was deep in the pit of despair (slough of despond?) & it was just what I needed.
Glad you were able to make it home for a rest.