Penny Warner
We had the honor of interviewing Penny Warner about her two new books - The Official Nancy Drew Handbook, which is half non-fiction, half fiction (the parts she made up!) and Dead Man's Hand, the 7th in the Connor Westphal series, and geared for girls age 8 to 78. Penny is the author of more than 50 books.
Penny discusses her writing process, with an emphasis on plot.
Blockbuster Plots [BBP]: How do you go about plotting your books?
Penny Warner [PW]: For Dead Man's Hand, I come up with an idea, then begin to brainstorm how it could play out. Then I outline completely, otherwise I get lost. I need a roadmap that generally reveals the plot, although I don't always follow it when I find a better path, etc.
BBP: Are you a pre-plotter or after the fact?
PW: Did I answer that above? Definitely a pre-plotter - the idea has to fester awhile before I believe that I really have something that will take shape.
BBP: What methods did you find particularly useful in plotting out your project?
PW: How? I've taken your course, of course, and found it enormously helpful. In fact, I take your course at conferences every chance I get. I need the repetition! Before I took your course, I did a simple outline from A to B to C. Now I have more depth in the outline, thanks to your tips.
BBP: Do you consciously develop thematic significance?
PW: I do. I think it enriches the story and characters, and helps drive plot. Whenever I get stuck--which is often--if I flash back to the theme, I find some answers that unlock the problem.
BBP: Are you a character-driven writer or action-driven?
PW: Definitely character-driven--that's why I needed help with plotting. I do have a good time using cliff-hanger chapter endings, which always helps drive the plot, but I have to care about the characters or I don't care about the story or action.
BBP: Plot tips to share?
PW: When I first begin--before I do any outlining or plotting--I draw a small circle. Inside I place the first victim. I draw another circle on top of that and insert the protagonist. Then I draw sunbursts from the center and write the names of the suspects, their connection to the victim, and their secrets. Once I have that, I'm on my way.