h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Luke

I was wondering, when you write do you write a plan or plotline beforehand? I don't but it has been suggested that it's a skill I should acquire. I think I'm just too impatient. Any advice gratefully received.

Hi Echo, good to hear from you again. I hope your writing has been going well.

As far as plotlines go, I have never plotted anything in my life! A book or the following week.

This is how lazy I am:

I start with a few character ideas, a few locations, a few themes and that's it.

I then write a first draft where I get to know the characters, see what might happen with them and try and create a plot from that.

If I planned it all out before hand I don't think I could be bothered to write it.

For me, I can't think up a character in too much detail, I have to put a person in a situation with someone else and see what happens.

If you want to make life easy, I find stranger characters easier:

ie: Mexican cliff diver who's recently lost an arm in a car accident.
Hitch hiker and rare stamp collector from the Carribean who also smuggles drugs.

If you have a variety of characters with different voices, different motivations and desires, who somehow meet, it can create good tension.
I'm going on holiday tomoz but I will really try to read some of your stuff soon.

Good luck and take care,

Luke