If you have an idea for a novel that you want to Write as a piece of speculative fiction, how do you go about planning? Or indeed, do you go about planning? There are writers out there who prefer to write by the seat of their pants, the so-called pantsers.

I’m a hybrid (why do it the easy way when you can make it hard on yourself) and do a mixture of both. My simple planning strategy is, by definition, simple.

Stage 1: Think of a Title – This is what I use to write towards. The focus is the title, sometimes I also design a temporary cover first (as above) and focus and write towards that.

Stage 2: What your book is about? Give titles to three stages in the book. What is the starting point? What’s the main thrust of the story? Where does it end?

Stage 3: Create a series of scene titles under each of the three stages of the book. These describe the action taking place within the three main stages of your book.

And that’s the basis. So here’s what I’ve come up with for The Brittle Land, part 2 in The Brittle Saga Trilogy and sequel to The Brittle Sea.

The Brittle Land

The outbreak of WW1

The Search for the Truth of Richard Blackmore and Maggie
Magda Builds a Business Empire
Peter Asparov WW1 Battlefield

The Spanish Flu Pandemic

Peter Goes Home
The Spanish Flu Devastation

The Great Depression

Wall Street Crash 1929
Job Losses
Dustbowl

Hey-presto, I have an outline. At this stage, let me point out that the above isn’t necessarily the way The Brittle Land is actually going to pan out. I would be mad to do that and spoil any enjoyment readers have of The Brittle Sea and the sequel, The Brittle Land. But for all intents and purposes for our exercise, this is the way I create a simple plan to work to. You would obviously have more scene titles than I’m showing here.

This is by no means a rigid outline. It simply gives you an idea of where you are headed. Once I’m happy with the outline, that’s when I settle down in my office, with a cup of coffee and my trusty dog at my side and do a little pantsing.

Happy writing, people. Power to your fingers.

Copyright © Tom Kane 2020

#TheBrittleSea  #TheBrittleLand

The post The Brittle Land: Planning #1 appeared first on Tom Kane's Blog.