Building a Story Is Like Building a House

with guest Meghan Carver.

Hello, Seekerville! What a thrill it is to be back here again!

A few years ago, my husband and I began dreaming of building our own home. We knew we couldn’t DIY the big stuff – the framing, plumbing, electrical. But my husband really wanted to try his hand at designing and contracting and finishing as much as possible. We already owned a lot, and we already had a built-in labor force with our six children, so why not? (Well, the oldest child, a girl, was only 14, and the oldest boy was only 10. Plus, the youngest was still a regular napper. But go with me here, please.)

As we progressed through the different stages of building, I was, at the same time, moving forward in the Love Inspired Suspense Search for a Killer Voice, and rushing toward the completion of my first romantic suspense novel. (It was actually my second romantic suspense that became my debut novel, Under Duress, still available on kindle.) I discovered along the way that building a house is an awful lot like building a story.

Initial Spark of an Idea/Blueprints

Of course, every story, just like every house, starts with that very first ping in the brain. What if I…? Could I…? And then what if…? Pretty soon, you’re grabbing for a napkin, making some sketches, and daring to dream that you could achieve what, at that point, feels impossible.

Foundation

The foundation really needs to be the most solid part of the structure. Everything rests upon it. In the story, my foundation is the goal-motivation-conflict of my hero and heroine. 

Everything else is determined by the strength of that foundation.

Framing

Because we designed and planned our house ourselves, it was stick-built. This means that we had huge loads of lumber delivered, and then a carpenter and his team put together each wall and then the roof. The framing determined the layout of the house, where each room would go, its shape and size, and thus, its function. In a story, I think of the plot, or outline, as my framing step. I’m a plotter, so this is huge for me. From what I understand from my pantser friends, though, even pantser have some sort of an outline, even if it’s just where the story might go during the next writing session. The frame of my story, in its most detailed state, determines each scene – where it goes, how it moves the plot forward, what its function is.

Once I get my frame completed, I can work on the rest of the house.

Exterior

Brick? Siding? Stone? Combination? What will the outside look like? This is where I start to think of titles. For my two published books (Under Duress and Deadly Disclosure), neither of my original titles stuck, and that was fine. The end results are so much better! But I always need a working title that conveys the mood of the book for me. This is also where I begin to search for images that help me visualize scenes and could be used for cover ideas. Finally, I also begin to think in terms of blurbs, to condense the story down to a few sentences I can keep in the forefront of my mind as I continue to write.

Electrical

There have been times my husband, God bless him, has gone to work on an outlet and found out it’s hot. He gets a jolt! Even though this isn’t a good thing in real life, it’s a must in a story, especially a romance. Every hero and heroine need electricity, sometimes a jolt that makes them step back and sometimes a sizzle that brings them together. How many times have I written in my own stories or read in another’s story about a physical touch causing a jolt of electricity? A lot!

Plumbing

By this point of the building process, months and months after that initial idea, I despaired of it ever being finished. Everything was taking so long and was so much more difficult than I thought it would be. By this point in writing, I want to flush the whole thing down the drain. It stinks. I’m sure of it. But what else can I do but keep going? I’ve put too much effort into it now to quit. And who wants only the frame of a house? It will be finished, even if it needs some major repairs at the finishing stage.

Drywall

At this point, somehow, it all begins to come together and look like a house. I don’t understand the magic of this stage. In building a house, it doesn’t make any sense to me how simply adding the chalky white Sheetrock can give renewed hope that it will be a house after all. But walls begin to look finished, and I can visualize my family living in it. In a story, the same magic happens. As the detailed outline becomes a first draft, as I finish the fragments into sentences, add missing dialogue and action and emotions, as well as incorporate the electrical plan and wrap it all up in the exterior, it starts to look like a complete story. Hope surges. Maybe it will be alright after all.

Finishing – Flooring, Paint, Trim, Light Fixtures, Etc.

Eventually, in building a house, you get to the pretty parts. Laying hardwood flooring, hanging light fixtures, installing countertops. In writing, these are my final edits, the stage at which it truly begins to feel finished. Do I have any repeated words that need to be changed or eliminated? Have I used my favorite words too much…that or quite frankly? Is the heroine’s sweater blue on one page but purple on the next? 

Moving

Whew! I’m all done, and it’s ready to go to an agent or editor. Time to relax in a favorite chair and enjoy the completed project.

I have two copies of Deadly Disclosure ready to go to two commenters, and they come with a little snack of chocolate to munch on while you read! (Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.)

Leave a comment to enter and let’s talk about building houses and stories. Just don’t hit your thumb with the hammer! Have you been so crazy as to build your own house? What part of the process – home-building or story-building – is the most exciting for you? What part is the most nerve-wracking? What parts did I leave out?

Deadly Disclosure

FATAL FAMILY SECRETS

Getting shot at on her way to work is only the first shock of law student Hannah McClarnon’s day. The second is when FBI agent Derek Chambers—her first love—reveals the truth about Hannah’s family. Though Hannah was raised by a wealthy Indianapolis couple, her birth father was with the Chicago mafia. And now, convinced she has information against them, they’re hunting her down. Derek’s first big assignment is to protect Hannah, and it’s becoming more personal every minute. He’s never revealed why he left long ago, and he still believes Hannah deserves someone better. But with the enemy in relentless pursuit, he’ll risk his life to be the man she needs— and loves—again.

By sixth grade, Meghan Carver knew she wanted to write. After earning a degree in English from Millikin University, she detoured to law school, earning a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University. She then worked in immigration law and taught Comp 101 at the local college. Now, she homeschools her six children with her college professor husband. When she isn’t writing, homeschooling, or planning the family’s next travel adventure, she is active in her church, sews for her kidlets, and reads. Her debut Love Inspired Suspense, Under Duress, was a Publisher’s Weekly bestseller. You can find Meghan online at www.meghancarver.com or friend her on Facebook at Meghan Carver.

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