A Show of Hands: Are You Writing a Novel?

[J. Scott Milford]

Hi everybody. I'm just wondering if I can get a show of hands.

How many people here are presently writing novels?
In what genre are you writing?
Are you using or planning to use The Marshall Plan?
If you are presently using it, how has it helped you?

Currently I'm writing a book but not a novel. I have a started novel tucked away and now I'm thinking about picking it up again in 2009. I think the Marshall Plan would remove the blocks I ran up against when I was working on it before. The genre for my novel is horror.

[Jon Donley]

I'm working on two projects - a novel I wrote about 25 years ago, and have picked at ever since. That one is historical fiction set in the conflict areas of Rome vs. Gaul and the British Isles. I love it, and hope that the Marshall Plan will help me give it the proper plot dynamics. Unfortunately, my decades-long work as a newspaper journalist and editor has influenced my writing habits to some detriment; I have trouble tuning out the editor and letting the writer finish the chapter.

The second project is light goth fantasy set in New Orleans. I had a first draft in progress when Katrina put me more in the survivor mode, and I'm just sitting back down with it. And Katrina has, of course altered the course of that tale. I think the Marshall Plan is helping me structure that story much more powerfully for the first draft. I was happy to discover the template program . . . which allows me to stop work on programming my own template generator. The absence of a software program was always the only kvetch I had with the Marshall Plan. I just can't stand cribbing handwritten notes into photocopies.

[Heather]

Hi Scott,

I'm writing a paranormal romance.

I use The Marshall Plan to help me flesh out character motivations and to layer the plot to create a richer and more complex story.

Are you working on a non-fiction project currently?

Heather

[J. Scott Milford]

Heather,

Yes, I'm currently writing a non-fiction book. I am a former piano teacher of 10 years. During that time I developed a system for motivating my students to practice every day without being asked by their parents. The results after ten years of testing and tweaking were really excellent, including some students even choosing to practice one to two hours per day. I decided to share my experience and system via the book I am now writing.

In 2009, I'm planning to try The Marshall Plan software. For that, I'll dig out the fiction manuscript I started a few years ago (and subsequently encased in concrete, then buried in my backyard after I hit a block in the story). My early readers were very encouraging, but they always are...when you know them personally. :-)

I've never lacked for imagination. But I have lacked an understanding of what makes a good book tick. I read far more non-fiction than fiction. But a few years ago, I began taking notes every time I read a book of fiction. I was trying to dissect and analyze popular works of fiction to understand how great stories were built. That turned out to be a very daunting task and I stopped doing that.

However, I can't praise Evan Marshall and his book (The Marshall Plan...) enough. For the past few years, I've been looking for a book that did exactly what I was trying to do. But without the technical expertise I required, I didn't feel my time was as productive in trying to decipher good fiction by myself.

In 2009, when I pick up my old manuscript (in the horror genre), I expect magic to happen. I hope I can deliver. But with Evan Marshall in my back pocket, I think I have a chance.

Cheers,
Scott

Heather said:

Hi Scott,
I'm writing a paranormal romance. I use The Marshall Plan to help me flesh out character motivations and to layer the plot to create a richer and more complex story.
Are you working on a non-fiction project currently?

Heather

[Heather]

Scott, if you can apply your piano practice tricks to writing consistently then I think you might have two marketable non-fiction books! The biggest problem I've heard spoken of consistently in any creative process is motivation to get butt-in-chair (or on the piano bench).

I admire your drive and enthusiasm. Both will take you far.

Heather

[J. Scott Milford]

Heather,

From my perspective, motivation comes in two forms: motivating others, and motivating yourself. The first is far easier to accomplish than the latter. But the reason for this isn't mysterious, which I'll address in a minute. I've been thinking about writing an article about motivation and how it pertains to writers. Here's a sneak peek at what I have in mind.

There are two ways to motivate anyone. 1) Pain, and 2) Pleasure. I am convinced that everyone has his/her price! There is a way to motivate everyone! Though the process may take a lot of trial an error. I used to work as a mental health counselor at a school for children with behavioral disorders. I had plenty of opportunities to try out certain methods of motivation. Most of them failed initially, but eventually you begin to understand what makes someone tick (what his/her price is) and their behavior becomes more predictable. Therefore, motivating them becomes more consistent. I'm really simplifying this because the details are far to involved and aren't needed here.

This is what I know; people will do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. This is especially important to understand when motivating someone else. However, when motivating ourselves, you need a carrier or vehicle through which to deliver the pleasure or pain motivation. And the strongest carrier I've found is accountability.

It's extremely difficult for us to motivate ourselves once we're out of school. When there is no one there to make us feel uncomfortable or responsible for some external outcome, it's nearly impossible to motivate ourselves to do something that requires great effort, even if it's something we think we really want to do.

Here's what I suggest. Find something extremely meaningful that you do on a regular basis. Give someone else the ability to prevent you from doing it if you haven't met your writing quota for the week. Type up a promise that you intend to keep recognizing that failure to keep your promise gives the other person permission to take X action thereby preventing you from participating in the meaningful activity--no exceptions, no excuses. Be sure to select something that will really hurt if you have to give it up. You'll know if you've selected the right penalty because getting yourself to write will be fairly effortless from then on. I know this from first-hand experience. Now I meet my quota every week without fail since I've introduced this plan into my process. I've tried so many other techniques, none of which had a lasting effect. This will work!

I hope this helps. If you try it, let us know how it works for you.

Happy Writing!
Scott

[cstcross]

I'm currently working on a second novel, an epic fantasy, and I use the Marshall Plan to great effect. I have had a few road blocks and difficult moments, but I'm now in the home stretch, hoping to have my meditation draft done by the end of the year. (My first draft is a meditation draft, followed by the revision and then submission drafts.) The challenge in writing spec-fic is a whole world has to be created with enough detail to make it believable to make the reader want to escape into it. In addition to the Marshall Plan, I also use the Franklin Covey system to work out the necessary balance between work, home, and writing so I can accomplish my goals. In working on my 2009 plan I have several projects and goals to conquer, and careful planning ensures I have the best chance of succeeding without going bat-bonkers trying to sort it out later.

[J. Scott Milford]

Could you share a little more about the Covey system and how that helps you balance writing and work? Also, have you found that you run into fewer episodes of "writer's block" because you're using TMP?

~Scott

cstcross said:

I'm currently working on a second novel, an epic fantasy, and I use the Marshall Plan to great effect. I have had a few road blocks and difficult moments, but I'm now in the home stretch, hoping to have my meditation draft done by the end of the year. (My first draft is a meditation draft, followed by the revision and then submission drafts.) The challenge in writing spec-fic is a whole world has to be created with enough detail to make it believable to make the reader want to escape into it. In addition to the Marshall Plan, I also use the Franklin Covey system to work out the necessary balance between work, home, and writing so I can accomplish my goals. In working on my 2009 plan I have several projects and goals to conquer, and careful planning ensures I have the best chance of succeeding without going bat-bonkers trying to sort it out later.

[cstcross]

By utilizing the Marshall Plan in conjunction with the Covey it significantly minimizes my encounters with the dread Blinking Cursor of Doom. There are still Moments, I won't lie--I know hero has to do A in order to get to C, and I know exactly what B has to in logical terms, but how to write it? Especially when B stands for Big, Honking, All-Important Moment that can make or break my story?

I find that by breaking it all up into manageable bits--advocated by both Marshall and Covey--planning ahead serves the joint purpose of brainstorming without realizing you're actually doing it. You're in a writing frame of mind in the planning stages, working with your Internal Editor instead of struggling with it. Part of Covey is planning ahead on a weekly basis based on the roles you play in your life, master tasks you have to perform every day at work or at home, and then drilling it down to daily specifics--so it all comes down to not only WHAT you're going to do and WHEN you're to do it, but HOW.

Every writer gets stuck at some point; the trick is to mimimize the impact on your life and goals. If for some reason your patron muse just isn't in the mood to work with you, there are ways to conjole her.

[J. Scott Milford]

Another vote for Covey. I especially like the Marshall/Covey plan...we're in good company!

:-)

cstcross said:

By utilizing the Marshall Plan in conjunction with the Covey it significantly minimizes my encounters with the dread Blinking Cursor of Doom. There are still Moments, I won't lie--I know hero has to do A in order to get to C, and I know exactly what B has to in logical terms, but how to write it? Especially when B stands for Big, Honking, All-Important Moment that can make or break my story?

I find that by breaking it all up into manageable bits--advocated by both Marshall and Covey--planning ahead serves the joint purpose of brainstorming without realizing you're actually doing it. You're in a writing frame of mind in the planning stages, working with your Internal Editor instead of struggling with it. Part of Covey is planning ahead on a weekly basis based on the roles you play in your life, master tasks you have to perform every day at work or at home, and then drilling it down to daily specifics--so it all comes down to not only WHAT you're going to do and WHEN you're to do it, but HOW.

Every writer gets stuck at some point; the trick is to mimimize the impact on your life and goals. If for some reason your patron muse just isn't in the mood to work with you, there are ways to conjole her.

[James M Ellis]

I am currently writing a novel. I completed my first draft during the Summer of 2006 and have worked on re-writes. It wasn't until I picked up The Marshall Plan that I was able to make progress. I was so pleased with The Marshall Plan that I gave my copy to a friend that is also writing and I bought me another copy for myself.

I am writing in the High or Epic Fantasy genre.

This novel I am writing is the first of three in a series. It is a story I have had in my head for 20 years and just couldn't find the best way to tell it. It has changed over the years but is still based on the same ideas I had so long ago. My friend basically kicked me in the rear and told me to write the story or forget about it and so I spent two months writing the first draft. Some friends and family loved it (of course) but I needed to refine it and re-write. That's when I found The Marshall Plan.

[J. Scott Milford]

James,

How has The Marshall Plan influenced how you approach the novel-writing process? Did you use the full plan or did you modify it for your circumstances?

Cheers,
Scott

[James M Ellis]

Considering that I had already written my first draft before I found the Marshall Plan, I would say that I modified it to my needs.

The next book I will use more of the Marshall Plan, however, I will still modify areas to fit my style of writing.