Plotting, Writer's Schizophrenia, and Me

209 pages into Stephen King's On Writing, and I am just really glad I decided to give this another go.  I had been writing my current WIP (titled:Merge) without a plot, but then it seemed like plots were the way to go.  Me and a friend decided to become crit partners and she sent me her very nicely done plot and I was like "hmmm, this may be what I am missing." Because I've been having a hard time concentrating and staying on task (sleep deprived, I believe now.)  So I stopped writing,  to plot....*sigh*.

Now after reading Stephen King saying he don't plot...I realize that I was okay not plotting, so tomorrow I'm giving up the plot and going on to to the writing.  In my ebook Don't Open 'til Christmas, I didn't plot.  I did make a visual board of my characters, because I need that, but I didn't plot.  I just had a slight barebones idea in my head and I had no idea what was going to come of it.  I loved the thrill of not knowing. 

Another thing about this book that gave me that 'aha' moment, is that he says that he learns things about his characters as he writes them that he had no idea about and so he enjoys getting to know them.  Makes me want to say to my daughter, "see I'm not a loony, or at least I'm not the only loony in the world."  She makes fun of me because I'll say things to her like "I know I was going to make her run upstairs to hide, but she wanted to go in the back room instead.  I had no idea why, until we got there and she told me there was an exit out of the house in that room and that's why she wanted to hide in there."  I know it sounds nuts, but it's true in a weird way you won't understand unless you're a writer.  Or I'll get writing and have it all worked out in my head and my character will say to me, "oh yeah I forgot to mention I can't hide in that closet because I'm claustrophobic...and I feel like screaming at her 'why didn't you tell me this before I worked the whole thing out in my head!!!" 

Anyway I didn't get upstairs until about 10 minutes ago, it's been a busy day, so I have to end this here and head to bed now.

~R