Just What I Needed

Over the past few weeks (okay, months) I've been trying to learn as much as possible about plotting and structure. I just knew that one of the books would hold the key to writing. If I could just understand plot, I'd never get stuck again. I'd never have to back up ten thousand words and start in a new direction.

The book would practically write itself!

Those who know me will understand why this appeals to me so much. I'm very analytical, logical, and organized. I've always worked with goal lists, created technical manuals, and worked toward maximum efficiency. I was a computer programmer and a manufacturing engineer. Those are worlds where you plan and measure, where logic and structure rule.

So it made sense that if I just learned the right way to do it, I could apply a similar approach to my writing. No more writing by the seat of my pants, I could go into my next book with a nice, neat plan and never look back.

Great, except that it didn't work. I plotted out the book, started to write, and hated it. It was boring, the characters were flat, and it felt like pulling teeth. I was devastated. My plan to plan failed miserably.

Then I read Jo Beverly's great article in the RWR, and looked up her old convention speech from 1999 about what she calls flying into the mist (fimming). It turns out that despite my penchant for structure and planning in the rest of my life, I'm a fimmer at heart.

Hmm.

I have to say I was disappointed that there's no magic ingredient, no key to unlock the door to easy, quick writing. Well, duh! ;-) But most of all, I was relieved. Jo Beverly understood exactly who I am, and she made it okay.

So, to all my fellow fimmers, you're not alone. And to the plotters of the world, just know that I envy you. And no matter how you write, just do it!