Caring for plot bunnies

Caring for your plot bunnies Lyndsey's Book Blog

In today’s post, I thought I’d talk about something we have all done battle with at some point in our writing lives – plot bunnies.

We’re well into week three of Camp Nano, and I’m just under halfway to my goal of 35k words of draft two for The Fair Queen. So, naturally, I’m being besieged by plot bunnies.

Now, the most important thing when you’re in the middle of a big project is to not let the plot bunnies distract you from your work. You might be losing momentum, struggling to stay motivated and finding your current work-in-progress boring – we’ve all been there! But, writing isn’t all about the shiny and new sparks of inspiration, sometimes it’s about hard work.

That said, what do you do when a brilliant idea pops into your head whilst you’re busy working on something else, or not in a position to sit down and start writing?

Make a note

If you’re a smart and sensible writer and human being, you will have one of two things within reach at all times – a notepad or a mobile device. If not, grab any stationary surface and inscribing implement (your sleeping cat’s back and an electric razor are not recommended).

Write it down.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a 300 word synopsis or a single phrase, write that idea down right now. You will not remember it when you come to sit down and write later, I can almost guarantee it. How many times have you been to the supermarket and thought “I won’t make a list, I know what we need”, and come home with everything but the one thing you went for? It’s not just me. Write that line of dialogue/character name/plot twist/cover design idea down.

Make it legible

Hands up if your handwriting is terrible? Some of you are probably thinking “I’m a writer, my handwriting is carefully crafted calligraphy, how very dare you”. Well, I’m not one of you, and I’m sure I’m not alone. There have been many times when I’ve come to read my own handwritten notes, usually quickly scribbled, and had no clue whatsoever what they said. Don’t let this be you, do not waste your beautiful plot bunnies by scrawling your notes in chicken scratch that not even an FBI handwriting expert could decipher.

Write in all caps if that helps you to read it later, draw a picture if it’s easier than describing your mental image. Just make sure you will know what the hell you were talking about later.

Proper care and feeding of plot bunnies

It goes without saying that you should keep track of all your notes, use a separate page or document for each project or for ideas that have no specific purpose as of yet. This will help when it comes to raising your plot bunnies into fully grown WIP rabbits (I just made that up, can you tell?).

If you’re between projects, or need a break after completing a first draft or round of edits, then now’s the time to whip out your notes and get turning those plot bunnies into fully-formed ideas. Lay out all your notebooks and open your phone or laptop to your document of notes (I use OneNote on my phone, it syncs to my laptop so I never lose any ideas). Now start trying to connect words and phrases together to make a story concept.

Maybe you’ve scribbled down a couple of great character names, pop them into Google and see where they originate from, which era they suit best, and what characteristics they are associated with.

If you’re a visual person and have a collection of photos saved in your phone why not mine these for potential locations, architectural details and scene prompts? Then, see which of these might fit together with your other ideas. Maybe you’ve got a photo of a gorgeous sunset over a plaza in southern Spain from that holiday three years ago, an elaborate fountain from a Turkish bath, and a dress you’ve always dreamed of buying – could you combine these ideas to create a scene, or even an entire story?

If you take care of your plot bunnies, they’ll take care of you by providing endless inspiration for new writing projects.

Hunting those wiley wabbits

Not sure how to get started collecting plot bunnies? It’s really simple, you just need to make it a habit to write down any little sparks of inspiration you get throughout the day. Carry a notepad and pen, even if you always have your phone on you – for some just the action of handwriting a note can set the muse free.

When you’re out and about, take notice of the little details around you and take a quick photo or jot down a word or two. Listen in on other people’s conversations (subtly, don’t be that guy) and write down any turns of phrase you like or find interesting, record accents you want to use or even steal plot points from real people’s lives. You’ll be amazed at the places inspiration can spring from if you just open your eyes and ears and pay attention.

And there you have it, you’ll be farming an entire herd of plot bunnies in no time, and you’ll never struggle for something to write about. What are your tips for finding inspiration and keeping track of all your ideas? Give me your advice in the comments, I’d love to hear how other people do it!

Lyndsey

Ruler of books tag

I was tagged by the lovely Tanya and Shanya of Twin Bookmarks to do the Ruler of Books tag, which was created by Ariel Bisset (check out her booktube channel!). This is my first ever tag and I’m so excited! I’ll tag a few bloggers at the end, but if you fancy doing this tag yourself just copy the questions and leave a link to your post in the comments, I’d love to see your answers.

Without further ado…

What book would you make everyone read?

There are so many books I would love for everyone to read just so I could chat to them about them! But, I honestly think that everyone should read The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. It’s such a beautiful and heartbreaking book, with a very honest depiction of loss and grief. The concept of the young victim telling her story from heaven is really clever and makes the story even more painful, but Sebold manages to make it such a touching book. The film with Saoirse Ronan is quite good too, but not a patch on the book.

What would you abolish in book construction?

Everyone seems to be going for mid series cover changes (so annoying!), and non-standard heights making our bookshelves look wonky and uneven, so I’m going to go a different way. I would abolish the new trend of printing on super thin, Bible style pages. I know they are used to make really long books more manageable in size, but I am a closet page dog-earer, and the last thing I need is to think I’m going to tear the page by folding it! Or turning it. Or generally touching it. Only robust paper for me, please!

What author would you commission to write you any book?

As a major HP fan I can’t not say J.K. Rowling to this. She’s proven that she can write in several different genres – if you haven’t checked out her crime thriller series Cormoran Strike (written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith) then you definitely should, the first three are being turned into a BBC mini series this Autumn.

I’d love to see what she could do with the YA genre, I know Harry Potter became less Middle Grade and more Young Adult as the series progressed, but I’d really like to read a YA fantasy, or even contemporary, as I know she’d do a brilliant job.

What book would you demote to the library basement to make room for new books?

I’m sorry to say that I am not a fan of the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard. It’s just not my taste, but I know lots of people love it. It’s too similar to so many other series in my opinion, it’s like a combination of The Hunger Games, The Grisha Trilogy and X Men, and with nothing new to add. It just isn’t for me, unfortunately.

What cover artist would you commission to make a mural?

I honestly absolutely adore the covers from the Red Queen series! It’s such a shame I don’t enjoy the books, because these covers are glorious.

What characters face would you put on a coin?

It has to be Aelin Ashryver-Galathynius from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. She is the ultimate queen, and every queen needs her face on a coin. Maybe Rowan Whitethorn’s face could be on the tails side?

What book would you award the “Ruler of Books” 2016 Prize to?

The book that gave me the biggest book hangover of my entire life came out in 2016, and that was A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. I am desperate to get my hands on A Court of Wings and Ruin when it comes out next month! Maas is a genius in my opinion, her characters are so real and flawed, her dialogue is witty and hilarious, and she is the master of the fictional book boyfriend. I think we’re all agreed on Rhysand, right?

I think I’d be a pretty magnanimous ruler of books! If you’ve done this tag before, or don’t fancy it, don’t worry! But if you do, I tag…

Kristi @ YA and Wine

Kelly @ Kelly’s Rambles

Jenn, Caitlyn & Eden @ Thrice Read

Blaise @ The Book Boulevard

Until next time!

Lyndsey

Camp NaNoWriMo word count: 11,854

Ten adaptations I loved

There is nothing more controversial among the bookish community than a TV or movie adaptation of a popular book or series.

I am personally a big fan of adaptations. If I’ve read the book I get really excited to see it brought to life, and to compare the version in my imagination to the one presented on screen. If I haven’t read the book, it either encourages me to get a copy and read it quick before the adaptation comes out, or it means I don’t have to now! Sometimes, I’m not that keen on reading a specific book because there are so many amazing ones on my TBR, but I’ll happily watch a 2 hour movie, or the first episode of a TV show to see if I like it.

Some adaptations have been done really well, and others have been absolutely terrible – but that’s a blog for another time. In no particular order, here are ten of my favourites!

Harry Potter

HP is widely held as a successful adaptation, it not only smashed box office records, but fans of the books loved it too. No adaptation is perfect, but Harry Potter comes close – I’m pretty sure that if you close your eyes and think of a scene from the books, even one not shown in the films, you’ll picture the actors. I can’t think of a single character I would have cast differently. As a massive fan of the book series and someone who grew up with these characters, the films really did J.K. Rowling’s creation justice and I still watch them all the time – especially at Christmas!

Shadowhunters

The Mortal Instruments is another one of my all time favourite book series, and I actually enjoyed the film version with Jamie Campbell Bower and Lily Collins. To be honest, I just loved Robert Sheehan as Simon – has anyone else seen Misfits? Nathan was my favourite! Back to the point, Shadowhunters isn’t the most faithful adaptation but I just really enjoy it as a TV show, rather than a show based on a book. The acting is a bit iffy, but it’s not the worst I’ve ever seen, and it’s just a bit of fun with some of my favourite fictional characters (Team Malec!).

Me Before You

I bought this book just before the film came out and read it on holiday within a couple of days. I wanted to have read it before I went to see the film. If you’ve read Me Before You, you’ll understand why after finishing the book I couldn’t face seeing the film at the cinema. I did watch it recently on Netflix and it actually wasn’t as emotional and heartbreaking as I had expected. Don’t get me wrong, it is still emotional and heartbreaking, but it’s also funny and uplifting and heartwarming. I thought they did a fantastic job of translating the story to the screen, and I thought the casting was excellent.

PS. I Love You

I have loved Cecelia Ahern ever since reading PS. I Love You over ten years ago, and I’ve read almost everything she has written since. The movie with Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler is a great film, even though a lot of things have changed from the book, like the setting, and the method of receiving the notes. It’s one of those films you can enjoy whether or not you’ve read the book because there are enough differences, and enough similarities.

On the subject of Cecelia Ahern, I also loved Love, Rosie (or Where Rainbows End, as it was called originally) both the book, and the film with Sam Claflin and Lily Collins – go check it out!

Pretty Little Liars

This is one book series I haven’t read, but I absolutely love the show! There are 16 books in the series, and 7 seasons of the TV show – that’s a lot of content to consume and you don’t need to read the books in order to enjoy the show. If you haven’t seen PLL, it’s like a combination of Mean Girls and a murder mystery. It starts off in high school, but don’t let that put you off, these girls deal with some very adult problems, and their parents and teachers feature quite heavily too. It’s a fun, roller coaster ride of suspense and emotions, and we find out whodunnit in a matter of weeks, so get on Netflix now and binge watch all 7 seasons!

Game of Thrones

This is another book series I haven’t read, but I do own the first book so I’ll get round to reading it eventually! George R. R. Martin hasn’t finished writing the books yet, and the show has not only caught up but overtaken them, so the story lines diverge quite a bit, meaning there’s something new for book fans in the show. I know this is a major bugbear of some book fans, but it doesn’t bother me, I actually like when adaptations are slightly different, it makes it easier to separate the two in my mind. When the books are as enormous as A Song of Ice and Fire, its nice to have a shorter, more manageable version to get stuck into.

The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings

I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t read these either, but I do have the boxset and fully intend to read them before the year is out! I preferred The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings personally, even though I don’t necessarily think it needed to be split into three films… I’m a huge fantasy fan so I know I’ll love the books, it’s just an intimidating task, but I feel like I have a head start as I know the characters’ and place names already.

Chronicles of Narnia

I read the Narnia books as a kid and loved them, and even now I still enjoy the films, there’s just something so magical about them. I read that they are actually planning to make the next film soon, after a long break since Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It’s a shame the original characters gradually stop appearing as they have outgrown Narnia, but I’ll probably still watch it when it comes out.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover

I watched the BBC adaptation of this on Netflix recently, it features Richard Madden as the groundskeeper Oliver Mellors (the lover), Holliday Granger as Lady Constance Chatterley and Edward Norton as Sir Clifford Chatterley. I thought the casting was excellent, I have seen the original version with Sean Bean and Joely Richardson, but I haven’t read the book so I can’t comment as to its faithfulness (I’ve read reviews that say it’s not very faithful at all, but that didn’t stop me enjoying it!).

(Yes, I know this gif is from GoT but there weren’t any from LCL, and this is basically how he looked as the brooding Mellors anyway!)

War and Peace

Another book I haven’t attempted to read and probably won’t, although this series did make me more inclined to give it a try. War and Peace spans decades, the war and the peace times in between, and how it affects the characters’ lives. The adaptation was lush, with great casting and beautiful period details. It’s chock full of famous faces, which always helps when I watch adaptations, is that just me? I definitely enjoyed this one and finally know what happens in one of the most famous books in existence!

What are your favourite book to movie and TV adaptations? Give your recommendations in the comments! Which adaptations have you hated? I’ll do a blog of my least favourite at some point so we can compare.

Lyndsey