In writing book 3 of my Her Inheritance trilogy, I learned how NOT to write a book…at least for me. Hat’s off to pantsers because I think my recent experience comes pretty close to writing by the seat of my pants (the definition of a pantser).
How NOT to Write a Book
- DO NOT change your plot after you’ve already written 20,000 to 30,000 words.
I had every intention of publishing Embracing Her Inheritance last year. But the words and ideas just weren’t there. During NaNoWriMo, I took a deep dive on my plot and realized it was all wrong. Hey, the plot will talk back to you just like your characters do. Once I determined the plot that wanted to be told, I had to go back and rework or delete what I’d already written.
- DO NOT make romance the primary genre of your book when you really don’t like writing romance.
Yes, I admit it, I like to watch those Hallmark romance movies and I even read a book with romance as a secondary plot line. But after awhile it all seems too cheesy and unrealistic. Writing romance is very formulaic, and I don’t like writing to a formula. For me, romance is as predictable as it gets. But I knew you, my fans, wanted to know what was going to happen between Sally and Chase, and I wanted to give you an answer.
- DO NOT forget important plot points that need resolved before the end of the book.
Often, I discover these holes during one of my first edits. But I’m a writer who edits what I wrote the prior day, before I start writing any new scenes. When I’m done with the whole story, I print out my manuscript and then read it for plot holes, character development, and more. It gets more than one read during this stage of editing. However, as I wrote this story, I found myself constantly having to go back and work in points I’d forgotten that were critical to later in the story.
I normally outline the major scenes of my story before I begin any writing. I didn’t do that with this book, and for me, that was a huge mistake. That’s one of the differences between plotters and pantsers. Plotters put it down on paper, but I honestly believe that pantsers have plot and character development in their heads that guide them as they write.
Overall, this book was the most difficult book I’ve written to date. And as I write this post I’ve making my plot point revisions. Another read-through awaits me.
Embracing Her Inheritance will release later this year and I hope you, my readers, get great enjoyment out of it.
This post first appeared on The Motivational Editor.