86. Don’t forget the basics.

You won’t stray far from your path if you remember these.

I don’t really deal well with detail. I prefer the bird’s eye view and seeing the whole picture before I delve into something. That’s why I plan my novels. Some people are “pantsers”, meaning they write from the seat of their pants, but that’s not me.

I see my novel being in pieces. I have to choose the right pieces and arrange them in a way that tells the story I want to tell in the best possible way. For me, that’s the fundamental aspect of a strong narrative: piecing it together.

I can sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the techniques and strategies out there but ultimately, I just need fundamentals and principles. They give me the flexibility to create the narrative as I see fit.

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