I think it was the Scriptnotes podcast I heard this on. They were talking about the importance of character over plot. The example they used was the audience does not care about archeology, they care about Indiana Jones.
They were saying the characters should dictate the story and not the plot. Or another way of putting it, the plot is there to service the characters not the other way around. With the Mission Impossible movies, it’s more the characters servicing the plot. I do like the Mission Impossible movies but Ethan Hunt is kind of a forgettable lead. Fun to watch but not iconic. It’s the stunts in the Mission Impossible movies that are memorable.
I am currently writing the second Woodland Book. I don’t have a regular writing process. I tend to jump around, writing different scenes out of order and going back and plugging them in where they’re supposed to go. I wrote a one-page synopsis. So I had the broad strokes figured out, including the ending which for me is key.
I spent a year writing a story I had no end for and never figured it out along the way. So that story serves as a reminder to start with a destination in mind. If you find a better destination along the way great. Either way, you’ll have an ending to arrive at and not a dead end.
I had figured out the ending for the second Woodland book so I was confident with moving forward. I started writing from the beginning, knowing the general idea of where I was headed but not necessarily the specifics of getting there. Just writing on the page, seeing how scenes would unfold. I had the broad strokes but not the details. I was moving along okay with it but realized it was missing something.
Woodland is about best friends Niles and JB. Niles is the main character but it is about their relationship. I had not really included JB in that initial synopsis. He was just kind of along for the ride and ultimately not integral.
I got stuck. Just writing scenes was not helping me figure it out. I think a lot about story in terms of plot but pretty much every writer ever tells you that for a story to resonate, it has to be about the characters. I had been thinking (if at all) only about JB as a plot device and not as a character.
Even though the story is not specifically about him, I realized for JB it was. So I reapproached, thinking about what did he want and what were his problems. And low and behold when I figured out what he wanted and his point of view, it actually tied back in with the plot and now made his presence in the story meaningful.
Figure out your characters and it will guide you with figuring out the rest.
Write on.
Other Stuff
As mentioned last month, I received the contract for Woodland. I went through it line by line making notes of things I didn’t understand or wanted to push back on. I sent that over to my agent and we hopped on a call to go over it together. She explained some of it as well as addressed the things we would push back on. She then went over it with her lawyer and “covered it in red ink.” She’s going to return it to the publisher with our notes.
I don’t think I’ve really talked specifics of the contract here and I’m not really ready to since it’s not finalized. I’ll go into more detail here after things are finalized.
I will say that I don’t love the deal but it was clear what it was from the start and I am willing to move forward with it. (So long as the sticking points I stipulated up front are addressed). My mindset is that they are offering some of the things I am looking for and at this point that is enough. If things go according to plan, in about 3+ years there will be two Woodland books out in the world, in bookstores, libraries, and in reader’s hands.
If things go swimmingly, they will be successful and I will negotiate for a better deal on subsequent Woodland books. Or maybe they fall flat. Even so, it will give me some legit experience as well as show other publishers I can deliver. I have a number of other non-Woodland books I am super excited to put out in the world. This is a step that will make those books more likely to happen and be successful.
I am taking the long view and building a career and fans along the way. If you have any specifics you have questions about, ask away and I’ll address what I can now or later.
Family Stuff
It was my second Father’s Day as a dad. Sophia took us to a fancy bakery where we got giant cookies for breakfast. She knows me well. We ate them in a lovely park and then played with River at the playground. Classic see-saws along with most of the playground mainstays I grew up with are a thing of the past.
This park had a modern see-saw that was set on giant springs. It was actually a decent update unlike the modern merry-go-round at the park near us. (A terrible design that barely functions.)
Thanks for reading. See you next month!
-Josh
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