Brenda Novak
Brenda Novak has written nearly forty romance novels, has more than 3 million books in print and earned multiple honors. I enjoy her books and have come to know her as more than a writer through her Annual Online Auction for Diabetes Research.
Her youngest son was diagnosed with Type 1 at five years old. Last year she raised nearly $280,000 and is hoping to break that record this year. If successful, her grand total will reach over $1 million toward finding a cure through the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami since she began six years ago.
I have donated plot consultations, books and eBooks for the past few years in honor of family and dear friends who suffer from diabetes. Blockbuster Plots for Writers has raised more than $600.00. I would love to break the $1000 mark this year. All cash donations are tax deductible.
If you'd like to bid on a Plot Consultation or a Romance Writers Plot eBook, join the fun!
Go to: Great Cause
Brenda's latest book, White Heat goes on sale July 27th.
Read about her writing process with an emphasis on plot for romance writers. Valuable insight and comments for all novelists and memoirists and screenwriters.
Blockbuster Plots [BBP]: How do you go about plotting your books?
Brenda Novak [BN}:
After writing nearly 40 books I've realized that I don't create my stories when I start typing. They've already been created in my subconscious, sometimes through daydreaming, sometimes...maybe...through night dreaming, because my conscious mind doesn't always know what comes next. I do know when I make a mistake, however. That's when I get stumped. Some people call this writer's block. I loose steam, the tension leaks out of the story and my productivity grinds to a halt. When this happens, I have to retrench to a point when I know the story was working and branch off in a new direction. Every time this happens, however, I find a better way and get excited and start churning out pages again. So I believe it's a good thing, a compass, of sorts.
BBP: Are you a pre-plotter or after the fact?
BN: I'm a mixture. I think about the story and try to plan ahead but more in terms of character and conflict than plot. As long as something interesting is happening--as long as there's something personal at stake with some great characters--I think a story is interesting to read. So that's my first goal. To ratchet up the tension and jump into a meaty conflict. The plot seems to flow from there.
BBP: What methods did you find particularly useful in plotting out your project?
BN: Allowing myself permission to write without trying to direct myself really allows me the freedom I need to create. When I *feel* it, I know I'm heading down the right path. It becomes easier to write, because I'm enjoying the story myself, and I'm allowing myself to be surprised by it. This sometimes sets me up for rewrites. I'll stumble onto something really great that I want to run with on the plot, but will need to go back and tweak the early chapters to make it credible.
BBP: Do you consciously develop thematic significance?
BN: Like plotting, this is more unconscious for me. If I try to put too much on the table of my conscious mind--every element of a good novel--and focus on it all at once, I get overwhelmed. So I concentrate on characters and conflict and these other elements sort of take care of themselves. Once a theme begins to develop and I identify it, however, I try to go back in and enhance it, which is really fun for me. I love editing and polishing.
BBP: Are you a character-driven writer or action-driven?
BN: Definitely character-driven. Those are the kind of books I like to read so those are the books I write. I love lots of action, but if I'm not attached to the characters all the action in the world won't make any difference to me. It won't hold my attention because I won't be invested in the outcome.
BBP: Plot tips to share?
BN: My best tip is probably that you're not doing it wrong if you can't plot an entire story out before you begin. I can't do that. If I try to push myself to do it too hard, I end up bored with my own story, feeling as if I've already told it and wanting to start a different one. So everyone is different. Allow yourself to use whatever process works best for you. There's no *right* way to do it. The right way is whatever way works for you. That said, there are a lot of great helps out there if they fit into your creative process.
Learn more about Brenda, her books, and the auction to raise money for diabetes research.
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