Ditching My Outline to Start a New Novel - Writing Vlog

[@d.c.contor]

You could do a whole series on hiking one trail, like what the trail watches people go through. So everyone hikes the same hike but they all are going through their own trials or something like that?

[@rachaelbirch9303]

This is a fantastic idea! I love it. Sort of a Love Actually, some are good relationships, some are bad. Some are last hikes for someone dying, etc

[@claire5062]

Some could be spring break romances, summer traveling romances, some could be study abroad romances, and they wouldn't all have to be at the same time if you DID want them to be friends. Two people could fall in love per year (if you don't count freshman year, because no one should fall in love freshman year)

[@LesandaMooreAuthor]

I'm writing a series like this now. The summer one has been published and I'll start drafting the spring break one during NaNo in November.

[@hollyschmatz1671]

Love your videos! I know you said you had wanted to make this series about traveling and trying to figure out how to connect each book in the series. What if you have a central person to this family like say a grandparent or this eccentric relative that nobody really knows about, and that person traveled a lot when they were younger. And all the younger relatives that are old enough to travel goes a different part of the world that this relative has been when they were younger. Each of them can learn something about that relative and meet the love of their lives. There could also be some sort of mystery about this relative where everyone unlocks a different piece of the mystery. And then the last book brings it all together.

[@maureenyonovitz5903]

I'm honestly already way more excited about this series instead of the bucket list idea. I think it would be interesting to have all the girls get to know each other and develop female friendships over time along with the romance. Either way, a story about Iceland sounds very cool and fun!

[@23daughters]

Great idea. They could all start off not knowing each other, but become friends by the end of the series.

[@ReneArtistry]

I am thrilled you are doing a clean romance series. I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes. ❤

[@hc2622]

I would love to see if you have more details on how you went from your first outline to the one you love. I've been stuck in that same funk with Book Two for a while now and it's frustrating me. I did pick up that 7 Figure Fiction book you and Bethany keep talking about, and I'm going to dive back into my structuring books for reference. But seeing HOW you transformed yours would be super helpful!

[@S-T-A-R-]

So happy to see you getting back into writing again, Mandi! Personally, I’m totally into the idea of summer break travel romances. If you’d like, a couple of the girls could be friends, like in pairs of two or three, so for some of the books there is that sort of connection, and maybe there could also be like a “rival” or a popular girl that’s out of the loop from the other girls except at school where she’s cold to them but by the end of her story she could mellow out thanks to meeting someone on her summer break, and become friends with the others?? Random thought.

[@heatherkirchhoffwritesya]

Can't wait to hear more about the series!

[@madebymalayka]

Your new idea is really heartfelt. Glad you got the chance to brainstorm while your little one slept! 🩷

[@anaccidentalretiree-tammye3425]

Some could actually not travel abroad maybe domestic travel / camp counselor/ Family’s Summer home and maybe one doesn’t travel at all because they are working their way through college but that doesn’t mean romance can’t occur! As I recall there weee all types of economic backgrounds when I was in college at both a private and then state university ( I switched for economic reasons and had to work summers for my spending money during college. Plus experience since I taught children’s theater at 20 and was going into elementary education.) Anyway just a thought. Someone could be in summer school too. My son took classes in the summer and graduated with a double major in December of his Senior Year and Married the following spring to his college sweetheart. So… lots of options for your series.

[@animature4929]

I travelled alone to Paris when I was 15 :D But in all fairness, it was within Europa since I'm from Germany. I went on a school exchange, so you could do that if you want slightly younger protagonists.

[@d.c.contor]

You could also have them be like roommates or housemates. They don't have to be besties to have their lives intersect.

[@hc2622]

Thank you for writing clean romance :)

[@23daughters]

I second this. I dislike romance because of the smut, so anything clean is much appreciated.

[@destresswithyoga]

I like your new idea! ❤❤

[@LesandaMooreAuthor]

Love the new idea!

[@jenniferward6821]

Well done. Glad you’re back. Enjoy the baby

[@opticalmixing23]

You are an amazing person. A mom and a writer, you always have some cool books you're working on and are doing all this other stuff. How do you do it? Pro tasker!

[@charmaineguard3258]

You could have each of them book their travels through the same travel agent!

[@hayley1662]

If you want to do hiking, do hiking! It’s not repeating yourself, it’s called finding your niche 🤗 and you will be known and loved for it

[@haydenyuy7060]

I agree. You can do the same story in a different way. R.L. Stine did that with his Fear Street books.

[@rachaelbirch9303]

I’m currently kind of stuck because I started writing a low key fantasy book a couple of months back off a whim. Then plot. lol. Any way, I have to do a bit of reworking the plot before I go much deeper into the tale and it’s just not as enjoyable lol

[@23daughters]

Hopefully there will be a love rival male character who the MC likes at first but whose behaviour makes the MC realize how she feels about her best friend. Very tropey, I know, but I like when that happens.