Plot Plan
12/06/09 19:39 Filed in: Writing
For some reason, my imagination kicked into gear
again yesterday and I found myself working through
the rest of the plot for The Silent Goodbye.
I think it started with the simple idea that the next
section of the novel will begin with Gold being
dumped off at the motel in the middle of the night
and deciding to take a long, hot walk back to his
apartment.
I started wondering what he would be thinking about as he made that journey and, even more interesting, I started to visualise the setting through which he would be walking. The motel is located in the west end of the city (Hamilton) and his apartment sits just east of the downtown core. So that makes it an hour-long walk, first down the hill along Main West, then through strip-mall heaven, past the University, across the bridge over the highway, then up the steep hill to Queen Street. Down hill once again past city hall and finally through the dangerous downtown area and into the residential neighbourhoods beyond.
I know. Nothing really special. But I like it as a backdrop. And I like being able to make the city much more a part of the story.
So that's the next part I'll write. I'll have him thinking about the two major challenges that face him: the trial of his client on a sexual assault charge and his own looming duel with the assassin.
I've got the timing down too. The first scene of Gold's journey back to his apartment takes place late on a Sunday night. Since the duel starts on the Wednesday, Gold has to sweat through two full days of fear and preparation. What follows is a full five days of tension, fight or flight, and near misses before the trial finally gets underway the following Monday. With the opening of the trial, the suspense builds as Gold defends his client in the courtroom while trying to defend himself everywhere else.
I had the structure of the plots, several scenes and even some snippets of dialogue wafting through my brain throughout the day, an amazing feeling. Not wanting to forget any of it, I sat down and did a plot plan for the remainder of the novel. Two separate plots which come together at the climax of the book.
It was a fairly large creative effort. Nothing like coming out of the blocks fast!
I started wondering what he would be thinking about as he made that journey and, even more interesting, I started to visualise the setting through which he would be walking. The motel is located in the west end of the city (Hamilton) and his apartment sits just east of the downtown core. So that makes it an hour-long walk, first down the hill along Main West, then through strip-mall heaven, past the University, across the bridge over the highway, then up the steep hill to Queen Street. Down hill once again past city hall and finally through the dangerous downtown area and into the residential neighbourhoods beyond.
I know. Nothing really special. But I like it as a backdrop. And I like being able to make the city much more a part of the story.
So that's the next part I'll write. I'll have him thinking about the two major challenges that face him: the trial of his client on a sexual assault charge and his own looming duel with the assassin.
I've got the timing down too. The first scene of Gold's journey back to his apartment takes place late on a Sunday night. Since the duel starts on the Wednesday, Gold has to sweat through two full days of fear and preparation. What follows is a full five days of tension, fight or flight, and near misses before the trial finally gets underway the following Monday. With the opening of the trial, the suspense builds as Gold defends his client in the courtroom while trying to defend himself everywhere else.
I had the structure of the plots, several scenes and even some snippets of dialogue wafting through my brain throughout the day, an amazing feeling. Not wanting to forget any of it, I sat down and did a plot plan for the remainder of the novel. Two separate plots which come together at the climax of the book.
It was a fairly large creative effort. Nothing like coming out of the blocks fast!