Plotting, Post-it Notes and Persistence

When I find something I like...It's usually pretty obvious.

Yes, these post-it notes are a good sampling of what you'll find on my desk, in my drawers and stashed away in the office supply cabinet of my house. (Don't judge me, I can't help myself. It's a sickness. I wonder if there's a 12-step program to cure an addiction to post-it notes?)

Now imagine a whole workshop devoted to plotting (usually my biggest roadblock and cause for hours of time spent staring into space) and that workshop requires POST-IT notes!

Okay, so give me a minute while I jump for joy.

Over the years I've been perfecting (haha) the craft of writing romance fiction, I have been persistent in my attempts to plot before I sit down to write.

I've got a huge white board of destiny with squares that I often stick my sticky notes to where I plot the major events and follow characters through conflicts and resolutions. But no matter how hard I try my method just seems to be lacking something.

This weekend I have a feeling I'm going to find out exactly what I'm doing wrong and how to fix it.

The Long Island Romance Writers are hosting a plotting, layering and texturing workshop with the wonderfully talented New York Times Bestseller, Cherry Adair.

As every writer will tell you, there are a hundred ways to plot (and some of us don't plot at all.) And I am always fascinated to hear the process of another author. But at the end of the day, the thing to remember is that we are all different and our ways of achieving a working and believable plot CAN be as different as the stories we write. Taking all the ideas of others who successful plot time and time again and making it work for you and your style, is what this game is all about.

This weekend I get to play with sticky notes, spend hours plotting my next book and enjoy the company of 50 authors!

Do you get excited about plotting? Do you love post-it notes?

Welcome to the judgement free zone!