Travelling the Unknown Road

What happens next?

That’s a question I’ve been asking myself for days now. My characters have reached a place where their biggest challenge is going to occur, but I don’t want it to happen just yet, so I need to throw up another obstacle for them to navigate. But I am stuck.

That is one problem with being a “pantser”.

People will tell you there are two types of writers: plotters and pantsers. Plotters have a detailed outline of where their story is going, probably broken down into scenes using brightly coloured pens and post-it notes. They plan everything out in meticulous detail before they write one word. Pantsers make it up as they go along. They let the story flow, never knowing where their characters will take them and are often surprised at the twists and turns that appear on the page.

So far, almost every story I have written starts with a picture I have in my head. Reez sweeping the steps of the tower where he is now an apprentice. An owl sat in a tree watching two people in the distance. A woman in a deserted library. A man with his fingers threaded through a chain link fence, staring at a stone bridge. Then, I start asking questions. How does he feel? What is he looking at? Why is she alone? What is important about the bridge?

The character comes to life, and my mind starts firing off possible endings until I find one that resonates. Then I start to write.

I have the beginning and the end, but the bit in between is a complete mystery. Which is where my inconvenient muse comes into play. I know that very soon, I will be wide awake at three in the morning bouncing the problem around instead of sleeping. If the answer comes, then I have to either jot down a note and hope I can grab some shut-eye before morning, or resign myself to the fact that my rest is over and I need to get to work. My husband often wanders down in the morning to find me typing on my computer or scribbling in my book. It no longer shocks him that I’ve been awake since six, five, or even four am.

Some might suggest I skip the troublesome part and just move on to the next bit, writing the big ending that I already know about, but I can’t do that either. It feels so wrong to skip a stage. I get angsty and my shoulders itch. I have to solve this first puzzle before I can move on. It’s an annoying trait, but I have come to accept that I am a linear writer. I can’t just create random scenes and cobble them together after the fact. I have to do everything in order.

There are thousands of books, blogs and courses telling you how to write a novel. It’s good to read some of them and get some ideas, but ultimately, there is no right or wrong way. I can tell you how I do it, but it will be very different to Louise Cooper’s way of working, or Terry Brooks’ style of creating. Even terms such as plotters and pantsers are misleading because there are writers who are a combination of the two, finding themselves on a sliding scale of styles. Everyone needs to discover their own way of working.

So, until my eureka moment arrives, I am editing my second novel ready for publication. I am working through suggestions my writing circle have made about my WIP. I am thinking up a topic for my blog. And, as the Easter Holidays are upon us, I will be enjoying some wine with friends and visits with family.

After that, who knows what will happen next!