Living in the Fog on Planet Jessica

So far this summer, I've been working a lot on my YA book. I can't stop thinking about it. At times, I feel like I live on Planet Jessica where nobody else is invited for conversation or good times except for the fictional characters I'm busy creating. It gets frustrating when I'm actually hanging out with real humans because I'm certain they think there's something wrong with me since I'm not my normal, intuitive self.

Those people are right, of course, there's something very wrong. But it isn't with me - it's with my story. I have an inviting premise. I have interesting characters. I have a fabulous setting. I have great snippets of scenes written down. I even have details that make me smile.

The problem? I have no plot.

This week I set myself the task of remedying that little problem. If you've ever attempted to write fiction I'm sure you can relate. Here are some of the things I tried:

1. Change my main character from a male to a female.

Well, that didn't work at all. I couldn't see the story any differently from a female's perspective. And, if anything, writing it that way limited how I saw the world I'd already created. It suddenly threw into shadow many of the things that I'd clearly defined. Nice idea, but my main character is a boy. The end.

2. Change the way I've been narrating it (from third person limited to first person).

While it totally changes my involvement with the story, writing from my main character's perspective may actually help in the long run. The one thing this does, and the thing I was really struggling with for a while, is that it gives my main character a clearly defined voice. I have him all figured out in my head, but I don't think his personality has transferred very well to paper just yet (of course, that could be the absence of plot). When I started writing in first person, he came alive. I don't know if this change will stick, but it's helping me for now.

3. Interview my characters.

My main character will eventually have three close friends. I haven't had the opportunity to get to know them quite yet because I'm not to the point where their roles become prominent (it's a school setting and they've all just met and don't really like each other). But, as I've stated before, I really believe that characters drive the plot. If I get to know them, they will tell me their stories. So when I went on my three mile run yesterday morning, I spent the whole time interviewing them in my head. I asked questions about their childhoods, why they came to this particular school, and what they plan to do in the future. I uncovered all kinds of secrets that are sure to help. (And, no, I'm not crazy. Writers do these sorts of things - ask anyone who writes.)

While these three "fixes" haven't exactly nailed down my plot, I'm not as frustrated about it as I was a week ago. I once read that writing a book is like driving a car on a foggy night. You can only see what's just in front of you and you have to trust in your ability to get you to your destination.

I trust myself.