This week’s questions are from Jami Denise
If you stopped by after visiting Rhenna Morgan please continue the hop.
When writing your novel, do you know how it’s going to end before you write, or do you write from start to finish?
I used to not know until it was finished, and then I got into the habit of plotting, sub-plotting, charting, piecing everything together . . . then I learned a simple truth about not finishing what I started: too much planning and not enough doing. I went back to writing rough draft start to finish. Most often I know the start and bits & pieces of the middle, but rarely do I know how my stories are actually going to end.
How do the people you know impact your writing? Are you influenced by friends and family for your characters?
Not the people so much as their actions, and I’ve only once written a story based loosely on someone I actually know. There were a few times when I was reading a magazine article about someone’s life whom I obvious don’t know, and a story started weaving its tale inside my head even before I finished the article. One instance; a single sentence got me thinking.
Describe the hero in your current WIP in three words.
Strong, single-minded, and silly
next up, please stop by and find out what Fiona Riplee has to say!
Rain's Writing Realm 
You hero sounds fun! I like a man that can be strong and silly.
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He’s warrior material on earth for a reason, and it’s a bit difficult for him to change his old habits 😉 Thanks kindly for stopping by and for the comment!
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Welcome to the group! I’ve stomped around the plotting ground also and found I got bored. Which is backwards from me in real life because I want a detailed plan. Writing tends to free me from all of that.
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Hi Dani and thanks for dropping by and commenting 😀 I used to just free-style, and then I learned a bit about structuring, so I got into that habit and ended up never finishing a manuscript. I went back to 1st rough straight through, no looking back til it’s done, and I was amazed. I actually typed THE END! It’s going back and editing a few dozen times that becomes structural and tedious (and boring sometimes) 😉 Worth it in the end, though!
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Love a hero who can make me laugh!
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Hi Kim, and thank you for dropping in, commenting, and letting me know what you think. I adore a man with a sense of humor, and I try to incorporate it in most of the leads I’ve created. Others have needed some coaxing just to crack a smile 😉
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Strong, single-minded, and silly sounds like great fun to me. Write on!
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Thanks! I will (am, actually). Appreciate you stopping by and saying hello, too! 😀
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And welcome to the group. Nice to have you with us. That hero sounds great.
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Thank you! I appreciate being invited to join such a great group of like-minded authors.
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You’re right – plotting isn’t writing, and it can certainly get in the way of getting to The End. Sometimes we just have to go with the flow and listen to our characters!
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To be fair, it’s when I go back revise that I fall back on the charting the course thing. Just not when I first start a new manuscript. I can’t get to the end unless I just write to the end. Thanks so much for dropping in and saying hello!
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It’s great to find characters in unexpected places. Usually all you need is one characteristic and the rest of the character comes to life. Your hero sounds like great fun!
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I agree, Veronica. Reading about the lives of others is about the same as meeting them or watching them at the mall, I think. It might not happen often, but when you meet someone or hear about some aspect of their life, our writing brain is wired to weave a tale 😀 Thanks kindly for stopping by and saying hello!
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Silly?! I bet he’s a fun guy. Welcome to the group.
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Thank you for the welcome! I’m extremely glad to be here with y’all! Yes, he’s silly. I have him photo bombing and doing slightly inappropriate things at inappropriate times to help lighten the load of his overburdened character. 😉 I appreciate your having stopped by to say hello!
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I love this: “then I learned a simple truth about not finishing what I started: too much planning and not enough doing.” What a perfect way to phrase it. It’s so true. Thanks for the post!
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Hi Jami, and thank you for stopping by to say hello. It’s true, too. I never EVER finished anything I started until I learned that when you start a story, you just tell it beginning to end . . . THEN go back and revise, change, chart the course, and set sail (so to speak). It works (for me, anyway).
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Everyone has to find their own way writing and getting it finished 😀
Great answers! 🙂
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Hi there! Thanks so much for inviting me to this great group of writers! I hope you’re doing well and working on your latest manuscript? Have a wonderful day, too! 🙂
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Any hero that can put a smile on my face is a winner in my book!!! Loved your blog!!!
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Hello, and thank you for the compliment! I appreciate that you took the time to drop in and look around. Enjoy your day! 😀
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