Philip Lee McCall II

I was ready to begin the adventure of writing my novel. I sat at my keyboard cracked my knuckles, my imagination machine was churning out ideas in a vast amounts. My fingertips hit the keys, letters danced upon my computer screen. I shouted, lookout editors and publishers here I come! Suddenly without warning, I panicked and hit the mental brakes. Where was this story going? Did I need an outline?

Normally most smart people when going somewhere they have never been to before, asked for or got directions. The page before me suddenly appeared so very white and blank; my writing bravado went right out the mental window. I was lost and my characters were nowhere around.

I took part in a writer’s workshop sometime ago and the subject of outlines was discussed. It seems some writers find them necessary, while others throw them to the wind and ride the roller coaster of uncertainty. I was working with a good friend and co author of a science fiction novel. We spent many hours at a local restaurant and drank many cups of coffee to find out where the end of our story was. We knew it and could see it but could not find out how to get there without clear and simple directions.

Therefore, we wrote an outline, it was almost a necessity considering we were both writing the same story. The last thing we wanted was to end up at different destinations.

I also wrote an outline for the novel I was writing solo. I felt it was important to know where I was going and it gave me a loose skeleton on which I could hang the skin of my prose. I believe it is a personal choice whether one should use an outline. I would however stress that no one gets too lost with directions.

Everything revolves around knowing where you have been and where you are going. The same is also true of your characters. Though some writers would tell you, they just let the creativity flow and they will arrive where the story meant them to be. I would compare these type creative people to certain drivers I have had the great pleasure to meet on the road, they are the ones who meander about the lanes, and suddenly cut you off as they make a desperate U-turn almost killing everyone in their path. They are not bad drivers, as they flutter about like two-ton metal butterflies from flower to flower. Please forgive me you wonderful Sunday writers, I mean you no harm. Drive on literary brothers and sisters.

I am not saying there is one way to write a novel and that you must have an outline. Try a few things and see what works best for you. If you do not choose to use outlines, as least know where you want to be when you are done. Remember you are trying to complete a manuscript.

Copyright 2010 – PLMII

You are reading this because you want to write a novel; well so did I. How great it is to know someone else shared your dream no matter how daunting it will prove to be. I do not remember the exact moment I decided to write a novel, but looking back a better action plan needed executing at that time. I could say to be best recollection it was in the neighborhood of my late teens, when I thought writing a novel was a valid idea. Youth is filled with such delusions of grandeur that perpetuate ever onward until reality hits you boldly and with little apology smack dab in the face, and believe me it hurts.

I started my road of many manuscripts always gravitating to the next best seller in my mind, the road ahead unclear but who cared I was a writer. In my own little world of bestsellers I lived a life of earth shattering yet never complete novels, I was a genius but in reality, I was a big and obnoxious fool. Years waned and I struggled to find my mental muse, she was always on vacation and when around of little help with her inconsistent nature. Today she helps but I seldom listen because she will always lead my off on some fruitless literary endeavor. So It was in my days of ignorance that I wrote ever onward never completing a darn thing, until a challenger arose.

My wife and best friend gave me an ultimatum one fine day and said write a book or take a writing class, my choice. I stood up like a defiant masked rebel of the imaginative night and declared I shall complete my book; I needed no writing class. I took the class that September unmasked and feeling rather foolish about my eloquent denial that I needed help. The class showed me that I was just a writer ant in a large mound of other writer ants madly in search of publication. Were we any good? Well we thought we were. The teacher a well-known author cashed reality checks against all our bloated egos, it was time to write or get off the keyboard. Did I learn anything there in that classroom among the tears and ink stains? Yes, if I wanted to be a writer why was I standing in my own way. I thank my writing teacher of that writer’s track for the needed lecture and making sure, I was up to the task. I thank my wife for making me take the class, once again she has shown how much she loves me and how much smarter than me she is. I love you dearest wife and thank every single divine entity in the universe that you love me.

After the class, I began to attend fantasy conventions religiously. A fantasy convention is an interesting place it opened my eyes to one fact; everyone thinks they are a writer. I am sure now that my dog is one too. I know that he will get publication by a major publishing house before, I do. Damn his creative genius always wanting to play fetch when I should be writing, your four legged plot has been uncovered my dear canine. Back to conventions, in this wonderland of fantasy and science fiction you will find troves of information and frauds on writing. One must be careful and not reveal your writing identity less you be preyed upon. Like anything else in this world, writing is full of those out to make a quick buck without little concern for the writer.

I found that writer’s forums are great places to get information and meet other writers. The networking aspect of these places is unparalleled. Rarely do writers get the opportunity to mingle among their own kind to share ideas and sneer secretly at each other’s genius. If conventions and self help writing books have not yet clued you in to one simple fact, let me provide you enlightenment. Writers complete what they start. The process flows from creation to completion. A repetitive process without a defined end serves no purpose. No matter how bad you think your book is, or how great it will be, incomplete is just that incomplete. I am sorry to inform you that while I wrote all my books, I did only two simple things; I made my self write everyday and did myself a favor and stopped filling my own mind with slothful excuses.

Here is a list of my personal favorite slothful excuses:

• I am tired
• Writer’s block
• It just does not feel right
• Maybe I should rewrite
• The sky is blue Its raining
• I must watch the latest episode of…
• It’s Friday
• It’s Sunday
• I should give my dog a bath even though he is clean

I am not sure how many you let stop you from writing in the list above, and I am quite sure you have your own set. If you learn nothing from reading my entire article other than, I tend to whine. Then you should write the following down now and put it where you can see it everyday. “Writing Process = I will finish the manuscript I start because that’s what writers do.”

Copyright – 2010