Novel Blog - Writing The Great American Novel

Crime, mystery, and suspense writer, Lisa Gardner, shares her personal techniques for plotting a novel on her website at LisaGardner.com. In this article written in 2001, Gardner lists six steps she uses to plot her novels:

• brainstorming
• preliminary research
• first outline
• more brainstorming and research
• serious outline
• start writing

The article provides a detailed description of her technique for using note cards during the plotting and outlining process.

Lisa Gardner's novels include The Perfect Husband, Gone, and The Killing Hour. Her website has a lot of "insider" information that delves into her process of generating ideas, including tricks of the trade, and a tool chest for writers.