How Brainstorming Sessions Can Help Your Writing

Is a romance writer necessarily a natural story teller? I know this may be an odd question to ask as most writers of fiction tell stories. However, not all writers are born story tellers.

With some novels, as you turn the last page, you know the story will linger in your mind for a long while. With other books, you know that the characters will remain with you, even if you forget the ins and outs of the actual plot.

Some authors are more focused on the complexities of their characters, out of whose actions the story grows organically. One of my favourite authors, Iris Bromige, is just such an author. Her books are set in everyday life, and many of the stories have a similar feel in terms of the plot and setting. However, the focus of the story isn’t on the plot twists, but rather on the subtle characterisation of the protagonists.

Other authors are born story tellers who can usually come up with loads of ideas and can imagine a hundred different plot turns. These are the authors who complain that their ideas outnumber the words at their disposal, believing that the space they have in which to elaborate on their ideas is severely limited by the length constraints of a typical novel. They can easily expand a manuscript into hundreds and hundreds of pages, and usually have to cut, edit and delete large swathes of the text after a work of fiction has been completed, as it has usually grown rapidly, like an octopus stretching out its tentacles.

Blockbuster novels are usually plot-driven books – the readers are left catching their breath as they race from chapter to chapter, totally caught up in the story (if it’s a good plot-driven novel).

I’d say that character-driven novels have a more leisurely pace, where there is more time for contemplation. That’s not to say that the books cannot be page-turners – it’s just that the emphasis is slightly different.

Perhaps the ideal scenario is the author who can combine the two styles of writing.

If you are a character-driven writer, brain storming sessions about plot can benefit you dramatically. Find someone with a good imagination, and discuss your book with him or her. Getting feedback from other people can often send you in a completely unexpected direction, as other perspectives can make you see your story in a fresh way. The beauty of this kind of method for the character-focused author is that you’re not forced to abandon your style of writing while you cudgel your brains trying to figure out interesting plot turns in your novel. Rather you can happily use the ideas you receive from other people in your book as you continue to pay attention to how your characters react in the new situations in which they find themselves, and how they grow.

If you are a plot-driven writer, brain storming sessions about your characters can be beneficial – except here I would recommend consulting someone with an interest in psychology or philosophy, so that you can discuss the motivations of your protagonists with someone who has a keen interest in human nature and what drives people to behave in the ways in which they do.

Of course some writers prefer to keep their writing entirely to themselves, without the influence of other people. However, if you’re someone who doesn’t mind discussing your WIP (Work In Progress), I’d say brain storming sessions with a trusted friend can be an invaluable tool in your writing.

Read The Dashing Debutante, Lord Fenmore’s Wager and Send and Receive