Water Nymph, John Collier
Finished scene. 1098 words. It’s a good scene, and I accomplish what I wanted to do in it. It conveys Ferrant’s conflict and shows him in action. It’s a good draft of a strong scene, and now I’m going to let it be until February.
Looking over the outline as it stands, and wondering what I should do next to develop and advance the story, I think I’ll not try to impose or contrive anything. I think I’ll write it from what I have and see what comes up in the writing. I’m not a deliberate plotter; I’m not a plotter at all–although a novel needs a plot. That is the bone structure of story, the skeleton upon which everything else stands, and every well written novel has a plot.
I think it is best for me to simply set my characters in motion. This first draft may not have the concrete plot points I’m aiming for because I can’t see them clearly right now, but I’m sure they are there buried in the details of the action I’ve sketched in outline, and when I get to the writing, I’ll learn what I need to know and the plot will come clear. Right now the details I’m writing are giving me a map to follow. They are directions into the country of the novel.
