I’m always amazed when I talk to other
writers and discover how many are what I call
"fog-walkers."I’m one myself.
I don’t plot; I don’t outline or jot
notes. I don’t have dozens of sticky notes,
index cards, time-lines, character charts or plot
grids.
Nada.
What I do have is a "germ," a tiny
idea. It can be about a character, theme, setting
or event. It can be nothing more than the headline
in a newspaper or a 10-second sound-byte on TV.
It can be one word I’ve read in some book.
In other words, the germ is microscopic. Sometimes
it stays that way for years. Other times, it evolves
within hours, days, weeks. However, once the germ
has been prowling around in my head like a lone
wolf staking territory, and I feel confident enough
to put some tangibility to it, I begin my story.
I type Chapter One across the top of the screen.
I type the first sentence. Then the next. And
the next....
Usually, my germ carries me through that first
chapter. If I’m lucky, I’ll fog walk
through the first three chapters.
Fog walking is more commonly called "flying
into the mist." Personally, I like the term
fog walking—since I've often walked through
those clouds that fall from the sky to sit on
the earth after a rain. On a few occasions, the
fog is so thick you can't see more than twenty
feet into the distance. Of course, walking in
a familiar neighborhood is easy. You recognize
the path under your shoes. You know where
your journey ends.
Not so if you’re a writer who fog-walks
through her story.
I do not know what my next scene will be. I don’t
know what the next page or paragraph or sentence
will contain. I simply write. Yes, I have an inkling
of what I want to write about
at the time, but I cannot determine how my scene
will end, how my characters will react, what they
will say. And I certainly can’t depict the
conclusion of the book!
Do I love fog-walking? Oh, yeah.
I love the mystery. The awe of seeing characters
take shape, evolve, say things that have me staring
stunned at the screen, thinking: Where
on earth did that come from? And I especially
delight in those moments when I type a sentence
and recognize how it ties to a previous scene,
or offers a clue to a future one.
So how do I get to that eventual ending of a
book? How do I..."plot"?
There are a number of ways, but my favorite is
brainstorming with a writing friend who is also
a fogwalker. Not only do you get to share a little
writing and biz chitchat over coffee for a couple
hours, but you’ll always come away excited
and keenly motivated.
So what if the she writes in a different genre?
So what if some of those brainstorming ideas are
a tad off the wall?
Write them down anyway, take them home, read
them, think about them—and feel inspired
to mold and reshape those kernels, even let them
lead you into an entirely different facet of your
story.
Come away with a couple words or a phrase, and
the session will be worth the time you’ve
spent. Those words/phrase—that one idea—could
unlock a door you hadn’t considered. A door
to which a field of ideas rolls straight
to the horizon.
I’ve been a writing fog-walker all my life.
Oh, yes, I’ve taken plotting courses, read
oodles of how-to-plot books and sat in plotting
workshops, ad nauseam. Until I’ve literally
had knots in my stomach and tears in my eyes,
wondering: how can I be a writer if I don’t
know how to plot?
Well, Nike said it best: I just "Do
It." One word at a time.
So take a breath. Relax. Being a fog-walker does
not mean you can’t write fabulously compelling
books. What it does mean is that you love the
mystery of the unknown. It means you love having
your characters, your story direct you.
Most of all, it means your method of creating
your story is as perfect as any other on the planet.
Mary J. Forbes pens emotional and character-driven
stories for Silhouette Special Edition. Everything
She’s Ever Wanted, her next release,
will be in stores in August 2005. Mary is a member
of the RWA® Greater Vancouver Chapter.
Articles may be reprinted in RWA® chapter
newsletters, attributed to the Spotlight.
Non-RWA® newsletters may not reprint articles
without the permission of the authors.
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