I'm planning the events of my entire novel (or novella, depending on how much I manage to get out of it) around the events of one evening, including flashbacks to the past, detailing how the character ended up where they are. I'm scared! It's the best course of action for the particular story, but it's quite a task to handle. Has anyone managed this successfully? Can you offer any advice?
You can, without doubt, plan the entire thing before starting to write. There seem to be some people that do that.
It would drive me even more insane than I have already achieved.
I would encourage the following.
Note your original concept. (Extremely briefly).
Note/name characters that are leaping up and down in your idea - don't detail or back-story them yet - just list them and a tiny (half sentence) about them.
(E.g. Fred - husband of Emily - kind).
Note salient points of plot/timeline. (In your case this seems likely to be start - interuption for flashback - walk from chari to table - interuption for flashback -- and so on - but it doesn't have to include everything - just the things you have i your head as you start).
In fact the important thing - in my experience - is to just get down some of the skeleton with a few ligaments - not even any muscle - unless a particular musclle is very significant.
The above list does not have to be in order - and doesn't even have to be done one item at a time. All you need to do is get the ideas onto paper. that will free up your thinking.
If you aren't holding onto ideas for dear life you are free to develop additional or related ideas.
Next thing - as pretty much always with my suggestions - is to go and have a really nice cup of coffee. :-)
When you have done that, walked the cat and put the dog out you can come back to your basic notes. You will probably find that a whole load of concepts are already bursting to be put on paper.
From here you can write odd chunks that are begging to be on paper - and fit them in or drop them later - or you can head in the direction of a very detailed plan.
You might notice that my working method is a tiny bit different from Adrian Sroka's.
To answer the headline question...
A complete plan first would scare the wits out of me. I don't work that way...
Others do happily work that way.
You will be comfortable if you find which way works best for you. This might take several attempts.
The important thing is to let nothing put you off and to keep trying - it's a bit like getting somewhere in snow - if one route ends up blocked - go round by another and see if that works.
The essential thing is - to enjoy it...
Like we all just love editing and revising!
david
I've never written anything within a short time frame myself, but have you read 'Mrs Dalloway' by Virginia Woolf? It sounds rather similar to your idea in form. If you haven't read it, it's basically set all on the day before she throws a party, with flashbacks interwoven throughout. Admittedly it is a short novel, and the story does follow other people on the same day too, but it may be useful to have a look at. As might Ian McEwan's 'On Chesil Beach'. Sorry I can't offer more personal advice, but good luck with it!
I should note that, throughout the evening in question, very little happens. It's very much her in a room for an hour or so... but it's not as boring as it sounds!