The Dreaded Outline

I hate detailed outlines.

There, I said it.

Yes, I understand the need to know exactly what’s going to happen in my book. Yes, I get that I should have these plot twists and aha! moments in firm mental view before I start writing. Yes, I get that it takes some of the oh crap what is this author going to deliver this time stress off my incredibly talented and long-suffering editor.

And yet.

Here’s a dirty secret I don’t tell everyone: I am, by writing nature, a pantser.

I love the thrill of the write. The feeling that I’m reading a book, not knowing exactly what’s going to happen next, except it’s me coming up with the words. The rush of those words spilling out from my unconscious onto the notepad or computer screen.

Ok. I will admit that there are (many) times when that approach involves adrenaline and white knuckles and why do I do this to myself moments. Swearing up and down that next time – NEXT TIME – I will do a proper outline and save myself from this stress.

Probably explains why, for Shifting Loyalties (book 3 in my Mark of the Moon series), I agreed to do it. The dreaded outline. In detail.

And I’ve tried to follow it. I have.

So…yes, I will admit that it has helped. In many places. Rather than staring at the wall or into space trying to figure out the what next of it all, I have an idea of the next what. Those days when I’m feeling uninspired, it’s ok because I KNOW WHAT COMES NEXT.

Concept right?

I’ve relied on it so much this time, though, that when I hit a point where I didn’t have the story outlined in detail – more of a broad brush with smudges at the edges  – I went blank. And then I remembered why I did the outline. Because suddenly all I had to work with was a pristine page and a series of bullet points that said, essentially, something big happens and wrap up the story.

!!!

Moving forward? Pretty sure I’ll do this kind of outline again. Will I follow it though?

I’ll let you know when I get there. J

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Beth Dranoff is the author of the Mark of the Moon series, published by Carina Press and Harlequin and available through most online retailers. She lives in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, with her family, her dog and more books than she can count. Is it before noon? Then there’s probably a mug of coffee nearby as well.

Follow her on Twitter @randomlybibi, on Facebook or drop by BethDranoff.com to find out what's new.

Take a Chance on Urban Fantasy

I write Urban Fantasy.

Maybe you’re thinking, eh, I like cozy mysteries and I didn’t get that whole Harry Potter/Twilight thing so I’m not going to read it. Or maybe you figure it’s all about vampires and weird stuff and it’s not real fiction so you don’t want to go there. There are lots of reasons to come up with to avoid it.

Then again, maybe it’s worth taking a chance on something new.

Because Urban Fantasy is really just mystery/suspense with magic.

A few more things about the genre to consider:

1. Urban Fantasy is about breaking rules, not following them. 
We can create universes with our own beings, languages and rules. Why follow what someone else has already done?

2. Although sometimes Urban Fantasy follows rules anyway.

Because the lore exists, and not everyone wants to break all the rules all of the time.

Lucifer

3. Urban Fantasy features strong heroines. 

They may not always start out that way, but they usually do get there.

Lost Girl

4. Although even if the lead is guy, there’s usually a strong female close by.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

Lost Girl

5. Urban Fantasy isn't limited by reality. 

While the setting for urban fantasy is recognizable – in the case of my Mark of the Moon series, I set it in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (a real place) – it can also be about what’s just around the corner from the normality you can see.

Grimm

6. Rescue fantasies go both ways. 

Urban Fantasy doesn’t always feature the white knight on a horse swooping in to do a swoon-worthy rescue. More likely? The white knight is a different species, easy on the eyes, and maybe he’s been enslaved for a century to a Big Bad. Enter our heroine, who sees him for what he really is, and rescues the guy herself. Because why not?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

7. Sexy fun times. 

Not a given, but it does seem to be a frequent feature of the genre. And come on, who's complaining?

The Vampire Diaries

Ready to give the urban fantasy a chance yet? Come on -- you know you want it. 😉

Beth Dranoff is the author of the Mark of the Moon series (Mark of the Moon and Betrayed by Blood) published by Carina Press/Harlequin. Shifting Loyalties, book 3, is expected out Spring 2018. Beth Dranoff lives in the Greater Toronto Area with her family, dog, and more books than she can count. Is it before noon? Then there’s probably a mug of coffee nearby. Follow her on Twitter (@randomlybibi), like her on Facebook or check out her site at bethdranoff.com for updates and news.

Serialously Late!

And other terrible puns.

I apologize -- I'm writing the final chapters of a serial novella I began a couple of months ago on Wattpad. I've reached the point (at last!) where the writing is going well and I am completely immersed in the story. That's the good part (as far as enjoying the work) and the bad part (as far as getting anything else done).

The story is called The Haunted Heart and you can read the first eleven chapters right here.

It's a ghost story and a romance, but not only is it serialized, it's the first of four interconnected novellas, so while part of the story completes this weekend (fingers crossed) the full story won't complete for...well, it's possible that it might take years. Writing schedules being what they are.

In fact, I just signed a contract with Carina Press for two new stories. Stranger on the Shore (classic romantic suspense with an M/M twist) and Fair Play, the sequel to Fair Game. So that's a lot of next year taken up already.

I've never done a serial before, and it's been a fascinating experience. Obviously there is pressure to produce. That's not a bad thing; in fact, right now it might be a very good thing for me. It's strange getting feedback as I'm working on the rough draft, but it's also encouraging in a way I didn't expect. It's difficult sharing a rough draft (and I know how rough this is), to work through questions of age and motivation and backstory in public. I hate the strings of the puppet show to be visible! At the same time, I'm relieved to find that I'm not any more acutely aware of the reader than usual, so that's good. I guess it turns out I'm always aware of the reader, but that awareness only influences me so far. So that resolves one of my fears about working this way -- the fear that the story might change into something not my own if it was revealed in its malleable form.

As a reader, I'm not a fan of serials. I like being able to look ahead. Yes, I admit that. If the tension becomes insurmountable, I like to look ahead and decide if I'm going to keep reading. I'm one of those. You can't do that in a serial. You can't read ahead and you can't know how it all turns out. I guess that's a good thing. I was climbing the walls reading Ginn Hale's Rifter series.

When I'm done with this story, I plan to let it sit for a while. That won't be easy to do because we're all conditioned to cranking stuff out at the speed of light. But I know there are layers here that I'm missing because of the time factor, so I will finish and then I will go back and layer in the little details that give any story its richness and depth. Also I made my mind up that no erotic scenes would be shared in this format. That's more because Wattpad is mostly populated by very, very young writers and readers.

Anyway, this was an experiment for me, and so far it feels successful. I've noticed that a number of writers are experimenting with serialized stories, so I wonder if the serial is making a comeback? What do you think? Do you enjoy reading serialized stories? Do you enjoy writing serialized stories?