How I Started planning
Notoriously known for jumping straight into projects, I have decided to take an unfamiliar approach this time. I decided that I wanted to plot out the events, setting and significance of an idea I had for a novel. Ironically, I did not originally have an idea for a novel but I did engage in an impulsive attempt to generate an idea for a novel. So nevertheless, I grabbed my dry-erase markers, my journal, my sketchbook and my two homemade whiteboards and then I got to brainstorming.
Jotting down the structure
The first thing that I started thinking about was the setting. I started writing down every place that I thought would serve as a good environment for the plot. In the past I would have just jumped straight into the plot (the what is happening) and then implement a setting as I go. I now realize that for me this process is naive. I wanted to have a concrete understanding of what kind of world it was that I would be writing within. I came up with ideas ranging from The Gulf Coast, all the way up to a frontier space station. After eliminating an endless amount of places I finally found a place that I took comfort in. I chose a setting that I am well acquainted with because I decided that it would be easier to write within. I thought that if I was to truly delve into the details of my novel setting, I would need somewhere that I am connected to.
Background
Upon finding a setting that I was confident in, I then decided to work towards building an idea of what kind of life the characters would be living in. I started jotting down possible time periods, economics, demographics, technologies and ecological characteristics. I wanted to get a feel of what kind of external pressures I can work with to develop the most interesting plot. A setting that will interest a reader.
The Main Character
Now that I had a when and a where, I began creating a who. In comparison to the setting, I chose to make the main character someone I could relate to. Someone that reflected my core values and even some of my own personality traits. In contrast, I did not want to make myself the main character in fear that it would skew an interesting plot line. After I got a gist of who the character was, I started brainstorming names that I felt will be both catchy and reflective of the setting that I previously constructed.
The Backbone to My Plot
Finally, the plot is the hardest part of planning and requires the most time constructing. I realized that I would not be able to design the plot in a whole day. So, instead I designed a broad plot that directs me in the direction that I would like to take my writing.
The Final Rundown
All in all, the result of yesterday’s session is an adventure story. The idea takes place in a rural swamp (potentially Louisiana/East Texas) during the mid 1800’s. The main character’s name is Willy LeFleur and he lives in a rural town placed at the entrance of the swamp with his sister Wiley LeFleur, mother and a father who is a contract fisherman.
The father left for a contract fishing trip down by the coast and has not returned in months. Willy’s mother, sister and he are struggling to survive due to the lack of income. One day a steamboat rolls into the dock of Willy’s hometown. An old man who owns the boat takes a keen interest in Willy upon initial introduction. Later that day, Willy returns home from a day of fishing in the swamp to find the old man and his mother chatting in the house. The old man tells the mother that he would like to purchase Willy to help fish, clean and circumnavigate the swamp for an expedition to the nearby coast. Willy is not interested in leaving with the old man until his sister explains to him that the family will not survive without the money. Willy decides that he wants to help his family on his own accord, only to find out that his mother has agreed to the conditions without Willy’s consent.
Willy is concerned about the conditions because he only knows half of the way to the coast because that is as far as his dad has ever taken him. Willy ends up successfully navigating the swamp for the expedition after conquering a large variety of obstacles placed along the way.
Upon returning home from the expedition, Willy finds that his family’s house has been reclaimed by Mother Nature. The house has been abandoned and a majority of the things within the house have been either stolen or ruined by the environment. Willy is left with a lot of questions about what has happened and where his family has gone.
“Let me know what you all think, what you all suggest and what you find interesting. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day.”
Cole Lamkins
Semi-Poetic 