This is step 4 - expand the previously written paragraph into a page. If done properly this could become your synopsis.

With each step I take, I discover a hole in the plot. Step 4 was excellent for bringing these holes to the surface. I found myself asking “why would that happen?”, “would he do this instead?”, “what’s his motivation?”. By the time I’d finished writing the page, I had heaps of notes/questions written on a note pad and another new character who needs to be created. (Luckily, he came with a name tag.)

Unfortunately, my one page summary did not turn out to be written well enough to be the synopsis, but that’s OK. I might attempt writing it again later, once I’ve filled in a few more holes. Maybe I’ll do better then.

So…step 4 is done, and I should be moving onto step 5 now, but I think I’ll pause and add a Step 4A instead - making a list of subplots. The major ones are concrete in my mind but some of the minor ones need clarifying. I think I’ll start a spreadsheet and see if that will help me sort them out.

Filed under: Marlinor Archives, My Planning, My Writing: