The Journey Begins

Full disclosure: I did not get 7 days of Cicada broken down. I did get 1 day completed, and the writing actually seems pretty good. I particularly enjoyed this moment: But eighteen years later it was the only constant source of comfort across all the rooms they had slept in.

But eighteen years later it was the only constant source of comfort across all the rooms they had slept in.

The tone is leaning toward what I want. While I need to get through the rest of the pages to see what the story is, I’m not terribly concerned, because it’s a series of moments that make up an incomplete story. It’s building blocks that will get me to a complete story in the end.

I may not have met the goal I set, but over the past week I did read through the opening chapters of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. Basically, it lays out the beats of the hero’s journey. She’s quick to point out (and remind the reader) that it’s not a formula and the stories created from it are not formulaic. Mostly, I’m open to the structure, because my story needs it. My brain was on creative overdrive as I read, jotting down notes and coming up with potential plot points.

A related piece I’m really excited about is K.M. Weiland’s new blog series on the Archetypal Character Arc. While Save the Cat! is about the hero’s journey, Weiland is opening my eyes to the other journeys that exist.

Both Save the Cat! and Weiland’s post reference works I own and need to (re)read, specifically Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey and Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces, as well as books I haven’t read but want to. And this is just about structuring a story!

Honestly, there is so much to the craft of writing. And while I’ve learned the basics over the years (thank you stellar K-12 English teachers!), there is a lot about the particulars I need to learn. Fortunately, I have books (such as Janet Burroway's Writing Fiction and Ursula K. Le Guin's Steering the Craft, among others) and writing groups and a curious mind. The geek in me is super excited (and a bit regretful I’ve taken so long to really dive into the craft).

So let’s get started on this journey into and through the craft of writing. For next week, I’m going to keep going on that character/scene breakdown for Cicada, but I’m not promising a set number of days. I’m also going to create an initial beat sheet to start structuring the second draft.

Until then, and as always, make good choices.