Are you a planner or a pants-er? This is a question writers often get asked, but there is no ‘right’ answer. So in general, I am a pants-er – mostly. I don’t have a full outline, chapter by chapter, of my novels. But, I write fantasy, so I tend to know a lot about my world, the culture/religion, some history, etc. And in general, I know the beginning middle and end that I’m working towards.
Of course, what inevitably ends up happening is that I trash the last half of my novel and re-write it, but that’s a post for another time. My current work in progress followed my general process: idea, world-building, beginning/middle/end – write. It was intended to be a standalone fantasy novel.
Somehow, it turned into a duology.
As I was writing the last two chapters of this WIP, I couldn’t wrap-up all the loose ends. It needed a sequel. Which, I was comfortable with, even happy about because I really like these characters. So I thought, let’s set out and make a plan for this one. At least something a little more concrete, which I think is necessary because I have to tie up all those loose ends.
So I set out with a book, colourful pens and the binder of background notes and maps from the first novel and started planning. Let me just say, I actually like planning, it’s just, usually, a story idea pops into my head and carries me away as I start to write, and I can’t bring myself to stop long enough to really plan things out. But I enjoyed sitting on my couch, papers laid out before me, a plethora of coloured pens at my disposal and just letting the creative fires burn. It’s fun and it really gives you a charge.
About four pages into all of this planning, laying out possibilities and ideas and plot points, I wrote something, stopped and had to grin. I’d basically written the primary theme/problem to be solved for the third novel in this series.
So when I started this novel, it was a standalone fantasy. When I finished it, it became a duology. And when I sat to plan the sequel, it turned into a trilogy.
It may be an unexpected turn of events, but I’m still grinning, I’m still planning and I can’t wait for the surprises my characters have in store when I start writing.
Sheena Lyn 