posted
I was wondering, how much time do you guys spend on the planning stage of the whole novel-writing process? I ask because I usually don't spend a whole lot of time planning (Ah! An idea! Okay, "Chapter One"), and that's most likely my problem.
So I've made a resolution. Before I write word one on any word processor, I'll fill out a whole 70-sheet spiral notebook with notes and ideas and character spreadsheets and the like. If that isn't enough, I'll ad more. Then I'll get started. Maybe then I can finish a G-D'ed novel.
Wish me luck, Chris
PS--I've heard Stephen King does almost no plotting at all. "Plot is the first resort of the dullard"... or something like that. But, hey, we can't all be King, can we?
PPS--to those who recieved my short story, is there any chance of getting it back any time soon? And if not, hey, who's interested in critiquing a story for me?
[This message has been edited by cvgurau (edited August 16, 2003).]
Never do, don't think I ever will. I do keep a book as I go along and fill it with thoughts and notes on the story, and keep a book on the characters, world ect.
posted
Don't try to iron out your plot in too much detail if that isn't what you're accustomed to doing. But do explore your characters and the world they live in throughly, or you will find yourself (or your readers) asking questions like "if Vlecci learned to fly in magic school, why the heck didn't he do it in Chapter two instead of spending all day climbing up the Cliffs of Doom?" and "if the city of Grasnia has a telepathy center, why didn't the king use it to contact his vassals in Chapter five instead of sending out a thousand man expedition that ended up with 50% casualties?"
Doodle a bit before you start commiting your story to a final form, or be willing to totally rewrite your early chapters to match up with later revelations. For some people, that doodling will take the outward form of an outline of plot events, for others, it will be a series of character sketches, rough passages, maps, and...well, doodles.
posted
I journal every morning, and many of my stories start as journal entries. I add details and go from there. I have a skeleton that I slowly give organs. When I finish my first draft for a chapter, I share it with the people in my writing group to see if it is clear enough and to listen to any of their suggestions. Then I write the second draft. The final step is to check for careless grammar errors. Then I let my group read it again to see if I missed any careless errors or if the chapter is still unclear. By the end of the story, it often evolves to a different story from the original journal entry. I think you should use whatever writing process that works for you.
Writing poetry is a very chaotic process compared to the structure I use when I am writing prose. My poetry can be inspired by a painting, a dying bug, an article in the newspaper, anything that makes me think or gives me that burning feeling in my stomach. The poem just pours out. Of course, I always go back to check for grammar errors.
When I am painting, I generally use a mixture of the two processes. Any painting I have tried to plan out with too much detail I usually never finish.
Does anyone else have different types of styles when writing in different genres or forms?
[This message has been edited by Oliver (edited August 17, 2003).]
posted
I've never sat down and outlined a novel from beginning to end before I actually started writing. I do usually have several key scenes already kicking around in my head, and most of my plotting is actually doing whatever it takes to string these elements together. During the actual months when I'm writing, I keep 3x5 cards handy to jot down ideas and dialogue snippets as they come to me. As my stack of cards grow, I arrange them in the logical order that they would appear in the book, and this becomes my outline. Finally, I usually stop writing at a point where I'm certain I know what comes next. This way when I sit down to write again, I can immediately get back into the flow. For instance, if I have a scene where a character pulls the pin on a hand grenade, I would stop with the pin hitting the ground. Then when I sit back down to write I know instantly what happens next. This is the best defense against writer's block that I know of.
posted
^ and always remember, it is drop the pin and throw the grenade.
on the topic that was started by the first post: I rarely ever plot out my story before I start. Any time that I have tried to go for something specific, my story ends up going in a totally different direction from about word 3. (Well, if it starts "once upon a time" then we are talking work 5 where it starts going on its own.) Because of this, I always do a scene to see how the characters are starting to manifest themselves before I commit them to some kind of a story. After that I try to give them a goal, or at the very least a direction - of course they don't always want to follow my idea, and I hate reading stories where it is obvious that the author shoved the characters in a direction time and again... I think once is fine, kinda like a parent kicking the kid out of the nest to be on his own, but it gets tiring when it truly looks like the characters are going in a different direction or would act differently without the author interfering.
posted
Actually, the Army has realized that dropping the pin is entirely redundant, and enough morons were getting it wrong that they no longer tell recruits to drop the pin. You just leave it on your finger (that way you also know how many grenades you've thrown).
Anyway, goal directed characters rather than author plot directed characters sounds good to me.
posted
On a series of novels I am co-authoring currently we outline each book before writing it, and it's relatively detailed. However that is only after months of open-minded discussion and plot concerning them. So after a while you do get a general idea where you want everything to go and you can't hold it all in your head. So writing down a brief outline is a good idea, at least for me.
Let's just say any other way I've tried it ended in Writer's Block.
posted
I tend to outline first, then write a draft that looks nothing like my outline.
I guess I actually get a bit nervous when I "just start writing." It helps me to have an outline, even if I am not going to follow it.
Of course, my outlines are often filled with things such as, "and then something happens to that lets character X mad at character Y," so maybe I stray because the outlines aren't that useful to begin with...
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