Unexpected Plot Twists or Writing While Moving

Heh. I love planstering sometimes. Oh sure, on occasion it drives me batty, but every once in a while, I'm writing along and a plot twist just jumps into my head.

Like tonight. I wasn't expecting that particular thing to happen in the story, but I'm sure glad it did. It was almost like reading a book someone else wrote. And it was so good. :grin:

Ever have that happen to you?

Now that I've written that great twist, and posted about it, I'd like to address something someone commented about in another post. Yes, I am moving and writing. I'm also still schooling (albeit on an abbreviated schedule until after the move). It's not as superhuman as it sounds. I pack and prepare during the day while my daughter is reading or doing her online Spanish course. Since I've made a moratorium against any moving activities at night or on the weekends, I can still work on my writing then. (My husband works too hard all week - bringing home the bacon that keeps me fed and housed and hooked into the net - to have to worry about all the moving crap. Besides, we'll have a happier home if we don't work on this particular project together. Trust me.) Plus, since we aren't moving a lot of stuff, I don't really have too much to pack - other than my books. My books, my job. I wouldn't wish that chore to anyone.

Not to mention, I'm a fast typer, so when I do sit down, my output is pretty high. On the other hand, I can only work in short spurts, so an hour or two works better for me anyway. It's all good. Sometimes I wish I could write for longer periods, but my brain goes on strike if I work it in long stretches.

Anyway, don't expect any output late next week. This stuff has to get from here to there in a few days time, and then I have a moving sale to take care of. I expect to be a toad during those days.

Keep up the good words out there. Time for me to get back to work.

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When Plantstering Goes Awry

Okay, so I'm almost a quarter of the way through Nano. It's shaping up nicely, but I'm running into a problem with the way I usually write a book.

As you may know, I'm a plantster - which means I plot a little but mostly write by the seat of my pants. I generally know where I'm going, but the route to the end isn't set in stone. For me, this way gives my imagination loads of leeway, and sometimes my subconscious throws things at me I never would've thought of consciously. The one time I plotted a whole novel out before I wrote it, the story went as flat as glass of Coke that's been left sitting out for a few days. The fizz was gone. (I love the fizz. I live for the fizz.)

Anyway, with Nano, the more things my subconscious throws at me, the more lost I get. The plot is moving along nicely... and then I remember the subplot.... and then I remember the romance is supposed to be developing... and back to the main plot again. Arrgghh. I remember that I forgot to write in something that will lead to something else and my train of thought derails.

Considering how intricate this story is, it's a wonder I'm making any headway.

The other night I almost broke down and wrote the outline for this book. Based on my past, though, I'm afraid that would be a total mistake on my part. This book is better than what I imagine it will become if I have everything mapped out in advance.

So, I guess I'm stuck this time around. I'll write the whole thing, and then when I sit down to do my edits, I'll take the information and backtrack my way through an outline. Right now, it's the only way. (But I dread the hours it'll take me at the back end.)

Trying to keep a bright side to this, the writing is moving along at a good clip, so if I can write this by the end of June (mid-July at the latest), I'll have the rest of the summer to fix whatever glitches arise.

I know I've asked this before, but some of you may not have been visitors back then: Do you plot or pants or plantster? Could you ever skip over to another style of writing if the need arose, or are you like me and set in your ways?

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