tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752863935200357433.post1825330290482512939..comments2024-01-12T13:13:31.281-08:00Comments on YA Authors Cafe: SO NOT THE DRAMA by Paula ChaseYA Authors Cafehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08709796426279258496noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752863935200357433.post-19461698699870337942007-04-06T06:37:00.000-07:002007-04-06T06:37:00.000-07:00Thanks Leslie. What's funny is many times I wishe...Thanks Leslie. What's funny is many times I wished I were a better plotter/planner. <BR/><BR/>And a few times I've attempted to sketch out an entire book - even finished them. But do I end up following them?<BR/><BR/>Usually loosely but somehow the story always veers off whereever it's going to go.Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16995262723350443110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752863935200357433.post-7222885538124891122007-03-31T18:05:00.000-07:002007-03-31T18:05:00.000-07:00I'm thrilled about your success and the continuati...I'm thrilled about your success and the continuation of your series! I'm another one that bows to the Writing Gods. Too much planning ahead and my characters get stiff as scarecrows!<BR/><BR/>Best of luck, Paula!<BR/><BR/>Leslie MuirAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752863935200357433.post-12418351425513553492007-03-29T10:16:00.000-07:002007-03-29T10:16:00.000-07:00Hi Melissa and Mar. Whew, glad someone stopped by...Hi Melissa and Mar. Whew, glad someone stopped by. I'm getting bloated from sipping frappes alone. :-) At least now I can share the calories.<BR/><BR/>I wrote <I>So Not The Drama</I> and its sequel, <I>Don't Get It Twisted</I> back-to-back in '03. At that time, I had an idea for two more books and a desire to create a complete series. <BR/><BR/>All I knew was I wanted to follow the characters throughout high school, perhaps even their freshman year of college to bring it full circle.<BR/><BR/>I never outlined the two additional stories - just knew that if the first two ever got picked up, I had ideas for more.<BR/><BR/>Now, that there are others under contract, I'm letting myself think about plot lines. But I'm still hesitant to think too far out or really commit to plot lines.<BR/><BR/>I found out the hard way how difficult it can be to divorce yourself from text once it's written.<BR/><BR/>One con to having TWISTED written before it was sold, were the changes DRAMA went through during the editorial phase. I had to do quite a lot of re-writing to TWISTED because there were key character changes and one major plot change. <BR/><BR/>Half the battle was convincing myself it was okay to let go of the old text and some plot lines.<BR/><BR/>So now, I have a lot of loose ideas running around in my head. <BR/><BR/>But I'd rather let the story line for each book come organically from the ending of the book previous. This way, I can also feel free to borrow from things going on around me as fodder.<BR/><BR/>I'm a natural pantser, anyway. So no real shock that I'd leave the fates of my characters to the writing gods.<BR/><BR/>I kind of like not knowing what's going to happen until I write it.Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16995262723350443110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752863935200357433.post-9243964180632553822007-03-29T08:36:00.000-07:002007-03-29T08:36:00.000-07:00Great question, Melissa!Paula, I love pop culture ...Great question, Melissa!<BR/><BR/>Paula, I love pop culture too and ALWAYS tell my husband and kids that I'm doing "research" when I watch Veronica Mars, OTH, or Friday Night Lights.MarPerezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17192422264308458705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2752863935200357433.post-73426421674896824242007-03-29T07:45:00.000-07:002007-03-29T07:45:00.000-07:00Hi, Paula and congratulations on So Not the Drama!...Hi, Paula and congratulations on <I>So Not the Drama</I>! I'm curious about the series. Have you planned subsequent books out in advance? Do you know exactly what's going to happen or do you have a looser outline?Melissa Wyatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10274178029526737641noreply@blogger.com