Accountability Post 2021 Week 07

Introduction to the Accountability Post 2021 Week 07

Is plot braiding a thing? After watching Dan Well’s YouTube videos about story structure, and seeing how he laid out multiple 7 point arcs to construct a novel, it looked so much like braiding rope that the image stuck in my mind.

I brought that up because I was happily building out Conrad’s plot arc when I realized I should have introduced one of Martin’s plot points first. I had gotten the strands out of order. Fortunately, computers make that easy to remedy. Just insert a new chapter above the old one! I still remember trying to do that on a Smith Corona Classic 12. Ugh.

I’d started on “Point of Know Return” when I realized that I needed to flesh out Martin’s actions and motivations first! So, with a click or two, I was able to insert “That Was Quick.” Easy!

Accountability Post 2021 Week 07 By the Numbers

In my accountability update for 2021 week 6, I’d gotten to 43,066 words. I had been tracking chapter numbers, but now that I’m juggling chapter positions, that’s not really helpful, so I’ll focus on the word counts. Here’s how I did last week:

Tuesday was a little rough. But 1,621 words is a lot better than 0.

So, I wrote about 6,322 words since my last post. A bit below last week’s pace, but Tuesday accounts for that. I can’t expect every day to represent peak performance.

Heck, Saturday and Sunday both threw their own curveballs. I ended up needed two new minor characters, and I needed to flesh out a set. It’ll help both this novel and the ones to come, so it’s a good investment. Still, I’m taking mental notes on things like this so the next time I lay out a plot, I can be more prepared.

Next Goals after This Accountability Post 2021 Week 07

In the Numbers spreadsheet I named “Plot Braiding”, I’ve finished writing chapters that support the plot points in rows 1 through 20. There are 38 rows. Though that seems to suggest I’m 50% done, I think it’s more likely I’m closer to 35%. Some of the upcoming plot points need the right preparation, and I’ll probably have to jump back in the timeline to lay down the right foreshadowing.

I haven’t talked much about the Ghast, because I want to get the novel to a first draft state before trying to weave her in. The story of the Ghast is greater than the scope of this single novel, so I’ll be able (I hope!) to layer her in at the end. She plays less of a part in the climax of the first book, more in the third.

She plays an even more in the next trilogy. I’m not even going to let myself think about that until this one’s done. I’m trying to incentivize myself. I wonder if it’ll work?

Feedback Welcome!

Do you have any news about what you’re working on? Any tips about how you keep focused? Have you read anything that struck your fancy? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!