90 Day Writing Challenge - Week 7

I wrote this post a week ago. I have no idea why it didn't post...

So, I'm about 6 1/2 weeks in on my 90 day writing challenge. I'm not as far along as I would like to be, but that is at least partly because I have gotten to the point that I need some more organizational work before I can do more actual writing. I think I'm still on track to finish the rough draft before the end of the challenge, though. Not where I originally wanted to be, but way further than I was when I started.

This week's question is about what kind of writer I am, whether I'm a plotter or a pantser, character first or plot first, what kind of structure I use, that sort of thing. Now, how to answer those questions...

As for the plotter or pantser question, I prefer to look at it another way, because I'm really neither. I see myself more as a navigator, planning a cross-country trip. In a way, all writers are, the question is how do we plan that trip? Some, the pantsers, just point the car in the general direction of the destination and go letting themselves kind of drift across the countryside, as long as they're still heading in the right general direction (heck some of them don't even know the destination, and just let the characters or story drive). Others, the plotters, map out their route and only deviate if they run into a road that got closed. I'm somewhere in between. I have a map, I've even planned a route, but if the characters want to take me on a few detours along the way, or decide that taking I-55 doesn't work for them and they'd rather head a little east and hop on I-57 instead, fine. (Yes, I'm aware that both of those highways go north and south, and therefore aren't really great for a cross-country trip, but they're what's closest to me, and what I could think of off the top of my head.) As long as we keep heading in the right direction, and get to where we're going with a minimum of side trips, I'm okay. I've heard my writing style described as being a "plantser", but that word just sounds so odd to me.

I write very character-driven stories. The plots are little more than a way to explore these characters and see what makes them tick. As such, I usually start with the characters. Eternity's Price started as me wanting to tell Catie's and Eli's story. I've changed various things in the plot, adding things here, taking away things there, tweaking some other things, all to find the best way to show their love story. The whole POINT of Eternity's Redemption is my muse decided that Ana was a fun character and wanting to explore what made her the way she was. Eternity's Promise didn't even HAVE a plot beyond very nebulous ideas until I created Livvi for Magic's Curse, and Magic's Return is really about watching the vampires who used to be mages dealing with suddenly having their full powers back - and the oddest love triangle, ever. Let's just say that Rory's girlfriend is... interesting...

And finally, the kind of structure I use... And for that I have no answer. I don't think these are Hero's Journey kinds of stories, but that is the only plot structure I could actually recognize if I saw it. So... I have no idea what kind of structure I have. Maybe one of you guys can tell me, someday...

And that's it for today. Tomorrow I will post this week's check-in which will be about my inspiration for writing.