Dead, Dead, Dead (Holly Schindler)

 

Every single piece of tech I owned died this week.

Okay, not every. But this past week, I had to buy:

A new phone.

A new laptop.

A new pen display.

(!!!!!!!!)

Which means I spent the entire week also setting up tech. Nothing ever transfers, so it was all downloading apps and getting the right mid-draft files sent to the new computer and, and, and…

There are so many dumb daily things that have to be done—dishes and laundry and filling the tank and walking the dog and cooking and mowing—and then dumb annoying unexpected things you get hit with—like every piece of tech you own dying in the same week—that I think it is utterly astounding that any creative person ever gets anything accomplished.

Seriously.

Anyway, in honor of new tech, I have developed a plan to start putting up more short form vids on social media (I’m @hollyschindler on IG and @holly.schindler.author on TikTok). I’m also starting a new series on my Substack, and it’s all about plotting for those who are far more interested in character than action. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bumped into another author who tells me how hard it is to plot, simply because they are character people.

I am also one of those character people. But I’ve spent the past several months hammering down some techniques that allow me to plot—not through action but through character. (And by plotting the character journey, I come to know what needs to physically happen.)

The first of this character-plot series (which I plan to spin into a course and a book) will go live next week.

Until then…

~

Holly Schindler is an award-winning author of books for children and adults alike.