Is it Thursday already? I should write something, then.

Save the Cat is a good book if you’re wondering how to organize a novel. Lays everything out in step-by-step. I recommend it for anyone who wants to write, but doesn’t know where to start, or how to organize things.

I think it’s a shame that it’s now a de rigueur standard for books. If you don’t hit the plot points at the right pages, the agent isn’t going to look any further. I think this is a shame. This doesn’t allow for experimentation, or variations on themes. A lot of good books might be overlooked because they’re not following the path that Save the Cat has set up.

I don’t hate it. I just don’t think that it should be used to the exclusion of everything else. I understand – at the end of the day, this is a business, and risk aversion is rife. I am using it right now to write a YA novel. I like the structure, but I don’t like the notes that plot point x should come in at such-and-such percentage of the novel. I write because I am horrible at math.

Speaking of writing, I enjoy writing Unbroken without an outline. It’s a little slow, because I have to figure out what to do next. I am getting a new novel out of it, though. I am amazed at Tyro’s quick thinking and Ghislain’s steadfast trust in her and her grand design. Right now, they’re dancing for money, and they’re going to run afoul of the clergy and hopefully get to the train scene that I want to write. I think things have been a little safe right now, and I want to get them to the next big city to move the story along.

April 24^th is not coming fast enough for me. I want to get The Show Must Go On in front of someone, just so I can see if it’s good enough for printing. I also need to get back to looking up agents and publishing companies that are looking for horror. It’s a shame that Writer’s Digest no longer prints their guides to agents and publishers. Query Tracker is good, but they’re a little thin on horror. If anyone knows of any other resources, drop a comment. I would like to find some small publishers. I think I would get better results from them as opposed to the Big Five (now four, I think).

Well, I think that’s enough for now. I should try to get back to writing something. Take care and see you next time.