We are delighted to welcome author David Chill to Omnimystery News today.
David's fifth mystery to feature private investigator Burnside is Corner Blitz (February 2015 ebook format). We asked him to tell us more about how he develops his plots, and his guest post for us today is titled, "My 24-Point Writing Process".
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Photo provided courtesy of
David Chill
Many years ago, my older brother was killed in a car accident when he was just 24 years old. Obviously, that left an indelible mark on my life. It also had a profound effect on my writing.
I did not intentionally set out to write about my brother in my first novel, Post Pattern. It wasn't until I was finished with the first draft did I fully comprehend the personal implications of the story. In many ways, the exploration of sibling relationships in my novels is an opportunity for me to better come to grips with my brother's accident. And as Joan Didion described it in The Year of Magical Thinking, a goal of understanding a loved one's death is sometimes our way of trying to bring them back to life.
The topics I choose to explore in my writing are deeply personal. I have written four additional novels since Post Pattern, and a number of them so focus on sibling relationships. Fortunately, I have been able to move past this subject to tackle other issues I care about. While one can't ignore the old adage to write about what you know, there are limits to that approach. We only know so much. I write about those subjects with which I feel a certain level of passion. It's important to recognize that when writing a book, the author will be living with the story in a very intimate way for many months — or possibly years. Having strong feelings about the subject matter will provide the path to move through those dark days when the inevitable self-doubt and writer's block emerge and can feel overwhelming..
There are some writers who tell their stories by simply creating characters and following them around. I am not one of those writers. Prior to beginning any novel, I create a 24 point outline before I start doing any actual writing. This 24 point plan details the 24 most important events that happen during the story. When I was first trying to understand plot structure, I discovered that many stories, often dating back to Shakespeare, could be summarized using this 24 point outline. And within this outline are a number of key juncture points, usually coming at points 6, 12 and 18. These are the critical events, which should take the reader by surprise, and propel the story forward.
I am an author who needs a certain amount of structure. My 24 point outline is done on a Word document and normally runs about 5 or 6 pages before I start writing the first chapter. Over the course of the novel writing, this may balloon to 30 pages or more, as I add depth and texture to the story — and fill the inevitable holes that occur as the plot advances.
For better or worse, I am afflicted with a certain amount of Attention Deficit Disorder. Obviously, this means I am easily distracted and have trouble concentrating. So I follow the guideline Oscar Wilde once employed, which is to say that the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. I realize I may need to spend six hours procrastinating, just so I can get in one or two solid hours of writing. But those one or two hours produce some extremely good work. And whether it takes combing through the internet for bits of trivia or simply daydreaming before I can ease into the actual writing, I know this is simply part of my process. Forcing myself to sit and stare at the screen does not yield good work.
My writing process is such that it takes me five months to write a novel. I spend the first month thinking deeply about the topic and the characters, and the second month developing the 24 point outline. This is my favorite part of the process because it allows me to dream and explore, and build scenes in my mind. Once that is in place, the writing itself becomes relatively easy, and it only takes about two months to write the first draft, which is typically 50,000 words. The last month is spent re-writing, working with beta readers, and then using a few editors to help me proofread and polish the final draft. I often go through as many as ten drafts, because I want the story to be as good as possible; the final draft often extends to 60,000 words or more. And yet, no matter how many times I review and edit the final draft, there will always be a couple of minor typos that slip through. I know this because a few of my readers take delight in emailing me when they catch something.
I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped me become a successful writer, and this includes family, friends, promotional partners and Amazon. But I most indebted to my readers who have sent countless emails, letting me know how much they appreciate my writing, and asking when I will be publishing my next book. As much as my brother inadvertently started off as my inspiration for writing, it is my readers who motivate me to keep moving forward. Without them there would be no reason to sit down in front of keyboard each morning.
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David Chill writes classic hard-boiled mysteries with a contemporary edge. He was born and raised in New York City. After receiving his undergraduate degree from SUNY-Oswego, he moved to Los Angeles where he earned a Masters degree from the University of Southern California. David Chill presently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
For more information about the author, please visit his website and his author page on Goodreads, or find him on Twitter.
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Corner Blitz by David Chill
A Burnside Mystery
Publisher: David Chill
The Governor of California's teenage daughter has gone missing, and it's happened right in the middle of a nasty re-election campaign.
Adamant about keeping the investigation quiet, the governor brings in Burnside to find her. But when the case evolves into murder, everything changes and Burnside is plunged into a scenario where things are not what they appear to be.
Cobbling together the world of politics, sports and teen romance, Corner Blitz moves through the wealthy canyon enclaves to the mean streets near downtown Los Angeles. And as Burnside overcomes the many obstacles in the investigation, he also comes face-to-face with his own past, one that haunts him to this day.
— Corner Blitz by David Chill
