Panster or
Plotter
Day 1
1.
Are
you a panster or a plotter or perhaps a bit of both?
I’m about 80% panster and 20% plotter. Before I begin a new novel,
I have an idea of the main storyline...where it should start, the detours it
should make, and how it should end. That’s usually enough information to start
writing, but there’s always lots of rewrite in the first few chapters as I try
to set the characters and the story.
Once the first three or four chapters are in line, the main
storyline kicks me out of the driver’s seat and takes over. I become a
passenger who writes what she’s told to write. The storyline often takes
different detours than the ones that I’d imagined, and during those detours,
subplots emerge. Based on how long I want my novel to be, I will embrace some
of these subplots while discarding others.
Do I sometimes hit a wall? Yes, and I’ve often backtracked and
deleted entire chapters, but I’ve also plowed ahead after spotting a tiny crack
in the wall then stumbled on a great subplot.
The most important thing for me is to never lose sight of where I
want to end up. As long as I’m heading in the right direction, I let the
storyline take me for a ride.
2.
Which
comes first - characters or plot for you?
At first, I was going to say the plot, but then I looked at the
eleven novels I’ve published so far, and in ten of them, the characters came
first LOL My latest novel, released last month, is the only one in which the
plot came first. So, I guess the answer is: the characters.
3.
What
are you working on now? Is this a book in a current series or something totally
new?
I’m currently working on a romantic suspense time travel series
“Unraveling the Past”. Each novel in the series is a stand-alone with different
characters and different storylines, but time travel is experienced in all
novels.
The first novel “Misguided Honor” came out in September 2019 and
the second novel “Mishandled Conviction” was released last month (November
2020).
“Misplaced Loyalty” will be the third and last novel of the
series. The main storyline and the characters are still blurry in my mind, so
it may be a month or two before I start writing again, but I’m hoping for a
late 2021 or early 2022 release.
4.
Do
you have some kind of object or place that figures in most of your books? I use
gems a lot, hospitals and caves.
I’m Canadian, so I like to set my novels in Canada or have
Canadian characters if the story takes place elsewhere. I also like to add a
few French words here and there, just because my first language is French. You
can also expect a dead body, or two, hidden somewhere in the story since I
write romantic mystery suspense novels.
5.
Do
you write every day or just when the spirit hits?
Before Covid-19 hit, I would have said, I write almost every day.
Since last March, I write when I’m not babysitting my granddaughter, which
means I may write three days in a row then not touch my computer for a week. I
take it one day at a time.
6.
Where
can we find you?
You can find me in front of my fireplace in Northern Alberta or
online at
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/jsmarloauthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005715001393
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2079858.J_S_Marlo
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/J-S-Marlo/e/B071PBFDN8/
BWL: http://bwlpublishing.ca/marlo-j-s/
7.
Who
are your favorite authors? What about a book you’ve enjoyed?
I don’t have “a” favourite author, I have too many to list. I also
like many different genres, though I think I did read all Ken Follett’s,
Barbara Cartland’s, and Danielle Steel’s novels.
I just finished two awesome books:
-
A
Canadian Historical Brides novel by Victoria Chatham: the Alberta novel “Brides
of Banff Spring”.
-
A
murder mystery by Maureen Jennings: “Let Darkness Bury the Dead”.
I’m currently reading a thriller mystery by Dan Brown: Origin.
Thanks for having me today!
Take Care & Stay Safe! Hugs!
J.S. Marlo
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