Terri Thayer
We had the honor of interviewing Terri Thayer about her two new books - Wild Goose Chase and Old Maid's Puzzle: A Quilting Mystery.
(Updated note 10/08:The plot interview below took place before Terri's most recent mystery release: Stamped Out, the first in the Stamping Sisters mystery series. Stamped Out received a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly AND 4 Stars! from the Romantic Times magazine, which also reviews mysteries. I had the great honor of working with Terri in the book's early development.)
Terri answers questions about her writing process, with an emphasis on plot.
Blockbuster Plots [BBP]: How do you go about plotting your books?
Terri Thayer [TT]: Wild Goose Chase was my first book so I tried a little bit of everything. I attempted to write all the way through to the end without much pre-plotting. As a result, I spent too much time mired in the middle. I took your class. I made a list of scenes that I knew I wanted in there.
I write mystery, so I always need dead bodies and clues. I did a lot of this without a plan. I wrote a running outline, knowing only what was going to happen in the next couple of chapters.
In my next book, Old Maid's Puzzle, I used the Blockbuster Plots Plot Planner to get more scenes fleshed out before I started. With Stamped Out, I've expanded my pre-plotting even further.
BBP: Are you a pre-plotter or after the fact?
TT: To me, plotting is about making decisions. The character could go down this road or that, take the bus or ride the subway, argue with her sister or get along. Each decision narrows the field of choices.
Now that I have deadlines, I'm learning to pre-plot. It's a far more efficient way to write. I know some writers are afraid that the spontaneity will be lost, but I find myself writing better when I've made some of the decisions beforehand. I save myself a lot of unnecessary writing down paths that are not relevant.
BBP: What methods did you find particularly useful in plotting out your project?
TT: I like to mind map. I like to use my large roll of butcher paper with the track so I can see the highs and lows. I also make charts, and lately have been making collages of the faces.
BBP: Do you consciously develop thematic significance?
TT: It's serendipitous for me. My titles are taken from the names of quilt blocks. I start with that, and the theme often emerges. Wild Goose Chase is the story of a woman who doesn't know what to do with the hand she's been dealt so she wanders, trying to find the answer. Afterward, I found a poem from Mary Oliver about wild geese, that described my theme perfectly.
The second in the series is called Old Maid's Puzzle, and it is dealing with the problems of older quilters. The puzzle of how to grow old gracefully.
BBP: Are you a character-driven writer or action-driven?
TT: Character-driven. I'm always being reminded by my critique group to make my protag more active. Sometimes, I have to remind myself that this is not what I would do in real life. Our characters, must be larger than life would do. Action really begets change, though, so I'm focusing more on that.
BBP: Plot tips to share?
TT: I'd have to say just do it. Waiting for the perfect time, the perfect idea, or the perfect action, is a guarantee that nothing will get written. Just thinking about your plot doesn't work. Get something down on paper. If you're stuck, get away from the computer. Go for a walk. Go to a different coffee shop. Brainstorm with your critique partners. Try writing longhand. The act of putting pen to paper slows you down and makes you think differently. Ask for help. Your book and others have helped me get over the rough spots.