From Brain to Page: How Kelly Jamieson writes

In this series, we'll be talking to different authors about their brainstorming, outlining, and drafting processes. Want to be involved? Send an email to ninenaughtynovelists@gmail.com with the headline "From Brain to Page".

From Kelly Jamieson:

These two pictures are page 1 & 2 of my plotting notes for HOW TO LOVE – usually they are hand-scribbled, but this one happens to be typewritten because when I was working on this manuscript,  I was taking a course and I had sent it to the instructor for feedback. There are lots of scribbled notes and sticky notes as well! 

I plan my characters and the main turning points of the plot, what the character will learn, the decision he/she will make at that point, and where it will fall in terms of word count, based on the length of the book I’m planning. I’m not a really detailed “plotter” because I’ve found if I plan too much, then I lose interest in the story and don’t want to write it any more. I like to be surprised at what happens when I get inside the heads of the characters and make them come to life.

Sometimes if I’m not sure what exactly has to happen, it doesn’t work for me to sit and think about it — I need to just write and let the characters figure it out. But I do like to have some structure so the story isn’t wandering aimlessly all over the place. I like to have those “turning points” and I envision the story headed toward those as I’m writing.