posted
I've been working sporadically on a story for over a year, I have at least two different beginnings in my notebooks, I also have a variety of subplots and two seperate plots, one written down and one not. Does this sort of thing happen to anyone else? For those who have been writing longer than I have (most of you) do you think it is better to have a solid outline then write, or write it all and judiciously edit later?
FYI: I have over 20 pages already written, which is good for me as it takes me about an hour to write a page and I have some self-motivational issues.
posted
Yes, I know I get that way sometimes. I have a problem with starting a story, getting a decent ways into it and then dropping it to start another when I get stuck. I found out that doing an outline of the story seems to work for me, it takes a little longer but I don't seem to get sidetracked anymore. Maybe the two storylines could create two different stories? Or it could create a parallel storyline.
Posts: 11 | Registered: May 2006
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posted
also... another question worth examining is: Is it neccessary, or just, good writing, to have different points of view through out a story. Should it stay with 1 character the whole time? Or should various parts of the story be told from another's perspective.
I realize a lot of the answer (and a lot of you will say) 'much depends on the nature of the story.'
but as a rule... what do you think? good? bad? strawberry jam?
posted
Most of the novels from various author's I've read recently have all included separate plots that all have something in common in one way or another. Also, you may have two best friends who each are gaining their dreams and you decide to plot their advance towards it, where they obtain it and someday meet again. That's what usually happens anyway. I'm also talking about fantasy novels for this Posts: 384 | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
I think it's best to have one solid main plot. Any subplots should contribute to the overall main plot. One shouldn't be too committed to any subplot or story idea. If the subplot or story idea doesn't fit, kill it, no matter how much you love it, and save it for another day and another story. I think Stephen King calls this "murdering your darlings," or something like that.
As for whether to outine or not. I think that depends on the writer. Some writers don't need to outline a thing, others, like me, can't write a word unless they've produced a detailed outline first.
posted
That particular line may be from King, but the expression "kill your darlings" did not originate from him. I see conflicting opinions as to whether the phrase originated from Mark Twain, William Faulkner, or Samuel Johnson.
For your amusement, here's a web page with many pithy and wonderful Quotes About Writing.
posted
OCS has a very good discription of how to use several ideas in one story. Click on 'Uncle Orson's Writing Class' and then on 'Inventing Stories'.
Posts: 35 | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
Iteresting thoughts guys. I have no problem "murdering" my "darlings" but should you even create two darlings just to kill one of them? Or do, mad scientist like, choose to create the more interesting experiment 626 or do you stick with the alien sandwich making abomination because everybody likes sandwiches? Do you let the story evolve, stick with the plan, or write them both to see wich one is better?
I can skin a rabbit two ways already(never skinned a cat), wich way is the best?
read on for less interesting stuff: The OSC thing on inventing stories was nice, but I do that whole smacking unrelated stories together thing almost automatically. Anyone needing story ideas you can talk to me. I just can't figure out what I want to write, I already have 3 different worlds and several stories in each wanting to escape the confines of my thick skull it's just figuring out wich to do first, then wich version (I always think of more than way for an MC to solve a problem) my underlying problem. I thik writing out the more evolved story would be best, wich is what I'm going to do. Unless I change my mind.
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