From Brain to Page: How Skylar Kade 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 skylarkade@gmail.com with the headline "From Brain to Page".

From Skylar Kade:

So Erin Nicholas might not get it, but I'm a plotter. A HUGE plotter. Sometimes I spend longer planning that sucker out than I do writing it, because the words just floooooow when I have a good story arc going.

I think in three act structure, like a screenplay. This helps me segment my story and pin it on big turning points. This also helps my pacing, so I don't rush the ending, as I'm always tempted to do.

Recently, I've gotten picky about how I do this planning. It's all long-hand in composition books, and I write, tweak, and rewrite my plot points until the hero's weaknesses jab at the heroine's strengths, and the big successful turning point for one might cut at the other, etc. When the bits between my plot points starts unfolding and all the GMCs click into place, I know I'm ready to write.