Day 14: To Snowflake step 8 or not to Snowflake step 8

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Today is my writing Sabbath, so I didn’t work on my series today.

I realized that I’m doing an awful lot of work laying the groundwork for these books, essentially ten full-length novels, all in advance before even writing them. And I still have a lot to do—Snowflake step 6 (expanded synopses) for nine of those volumes, which includes characters’ spiritual and romantic arcs, then Snowflake step 8 (scene spreadsheets). I can typically start writing at that point, because I write out my blocking descriptions for each scene just before I write it.

I’m trying to decide if I want to complete Snowflake step 8 for all those volumes first before I go back to editing volume 1, or if I can get away with only completing Snowflake step 6 (including spiritual/romantic arcs) for all the volumes. If I only did Snowflake step 6, then I’d do Snowflake step 8 on each volume right before I started writing it (starting with volume 2), rather than on all the volumes at once.

I’m thinking that might be okay, because hopefully all the major plot threads will have been addressed when I do Snowflake step 6. Snowflake step 8 is essentially just scene arrangement.

I suppose I’m anxious to finally start writing this series. What I’m doing is necessary for my writing process, but pretty extreme—plotting an entire series in such detail when I’ve only written the first volume. After all, when I plotted just one book in this much detail, my writing friends ran away screaming.

Well, I don’t need to decide right now. I still have to do Snowflake step 6 on all the other volumes. But if I’m lucky, I’ll finish that by the end of the month, maybe? I hope so!

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