Storytelling
for Pantsers:
How to Write and Revise Your Novel without an Outline
1. What
really inspired you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or
experience and conveying it into a Book? There are 20 million people out
there who want to write a book, yet only 1 million books in total are published
per year. What that means is that the vast majority of people who want to write
a book never finish a book to publishable.
To me that's a tragedy.
What I've noticed
about so many writers is that they come up against the nonlinear nature of the
creative process and they get stuck. In
other words, they’ve written chapter 1 and then chapter 8 and then chapter 5--these
are smart people and they want the creative process to be a little bit more
straightforward. Unfortunately, our brains don't cooperate with this mission
and the result is a lot of frustrated writers who never get their message out
into the world.
I wanted to do something about this problem,
to help people to get their stories out and to get them out well. I combined my
years of experience working with writers with my study of Neuroscience to
create a guidebook to help writers out of the murky-murky mess they often find
themselves in and to find more straightforward success in sharing their
important message.
2. What
is it about and whom do you believe is your targeted reader?
This book is for
you if you:
• Have started a
novel at least 68 times (the same novel) and only written the
first chapter
• Write chapter 1.
And then chapter 5. And then chapter 2. etc.
• Need to write to
discover your story. (It’s highly likely you’re also the kind
of writer who,
when asked what writing is like, says “I just watch my characters
and write down what
they do.”)
• Get lost in the
weeds of writing and revision because portions of your novel
are in different
phases of the writing process.
• Feel frustrated
because “Dang it; writing’s hard enough. Why do I always
have to complicate
it?”
• Think the cover
of this book is cool, or wear pants. Because, hey, the cover is
cool. So are you,
and so is this book.(Who says you can’t judge a book by it’s
cover? Pshaw.)
3. Are
you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer? Hungry for a book that shows you
how to write and revise your novel without an outline?
Discover the
secret sauce to help those of us seat-flyers get at least some grounding
in what we do, and
to find and use a system in the chaos that is pantsing.
4. What
do you hope will be the everlasting
thoughts for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them
long after putting it down?
One of the most
gratifying pieces of feedback that I've gotten from readers of Storytelling for Pantsers: How to Write and
Revise your Novel without an Outline
is that they finally found a home. What I mean
by that is that many writers have been told that they must outline in order to
truly be a writer. They've tried to outline, they've tried to be a writer
they're not and they're frustrated and the writing isn't going anywhere. What
they tell me after finishing Storytelling
for Pantsers: How to Write and Revise your Novel without an Outline is it
they finally understand the writer that they are, they're motivated to write
and most importantly for many of them it's the first time that they're writing
style has been validated not only by another author but by science itself.
5. What
advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers?
The best advice I
have is: find the writer you are, and be that writer. Neuroscience has given us
so many clues into how to optimize brain function better to be more creative,
and to stay in creative flow longer. If someone tells you “In order to be a
writer, you MUST outline,” or “you must NOT outline,” or “you must stand on
your head while writing…” they’re full it. While that may be true for them, and it may indicate their journey
to find their best writer, there are very few rules that are universally true.
In order to be a writer, you write. You put words together. That’s the rule.
So, find YOUR best writer, and be that writer. There’s gold in them there
hills.
6. What
trends in the book world do you see and where do you think the book publishing
industry is heading?
Self-publishing,
or Indie Publishing, has democratized the publication process. This means that
more people are publishing now than ever before. While I am in favor of this
trend overall, I stand with an emerging number of high-level indie publishing
professionals who believe that quality remains paramount--regardless of how an
author wants to publish. For fiction writers, this means that regardless of how
one publishes, a quality engaging, clear story always comes first.
7. What
great challenges did you have in writing your book?
I wrote Storytelling for Pantsers: How to Write and
Revise your Novel without an Outline in a month. I was on a tight deadline
from the then publisher, who asked me to write the book, and we were going to
use it for some major events that were coming up. I did it--and handed in my
manuscript to the editor at something like 11:50 PM the last day of the month,
but I don’t recommend it to anyone! I had no words left at the end of that
month. I had used them all up writing 267 pages of writing advice to would-be
fiction authors, and i was a poor, poor
conversationalist for at least a week afterward.
8. If
people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours?
Because life is short and how-to books should be
funny, not drudgery. I won a humor award for my book--now that’s saying
something for a how-to book. I work with writers who take the writing craft
seriously without taking themselves too seriously, and the style of this book
reflects that mission. Deeply serious about the craft issues that stump
non-outliners, and whimsical and fun in all other moments. Pantsers are unique
individuals, and, as I say “the creative process is wonky.” This book helps
writers to get unstuck and to get some true forward momentum.
About the Author: Annalisa Parent helps writers to finish,
publish and sell their novels. She owns and operates Date with the Muse, LLC,
which helps storytellers to publish traditionally at the highest level
possible.
A Teacher of the Year
nominee for her use of neuroscientific principles, she applies these same
principles to her work with writers to create confidence, writing flow, and
success.
Her book Storytelling for Pantsers:
How to Outline and Revise your Novel without an Outline helps non-outlining
fiction writers to work through the writing and revision process with ease, and
has been lauded by multiple New York Times bestselling author John David Mann
as “brimming over with invaluable practical writerly wisdom...her love of life—pours
out of every paragraph. Read her book. It will infuse joy into your days and
make you a better writer.”
Annalisa writes for
many local, national, and international publications, has written and produced
sketches for a Telly-Award winning television show. She has been featured on
Huffington Post Live for her fiction writing, CBS, Associated Press and Korean
Broadcast Systems, as well as many internationals podcasts, radio programs,
writing conferences and workshops.
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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent. This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America.
