posted
Currently I am writing my first book but I don't know where it is going to end up. I started with just a basic idea of what I wanted the story to be and tried to make an outline. Whenever I started writing I would end up with something completely different to my outline because it felt more right. Is this a normal thing to happen or am I just not doing the outline correctly?
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The outline may be nothing more than something to get you started. It certainly isn't carved in marble.
Go where the story wants to go, and then see what you have after the first draft is finished.
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posted
Both Robert and kdw are correct. Outlines and story notes are simply 'scribble pads' for collecting your ideas and bringing them together in one place. This, however, bothers me:
quote:Originally posted by newtothegame:
Currently I am writing my first book but I don't know where it is going to end up
I cannot conceive of writing a story without knowing what the end will be. Not the details, but the simple plot notion that boy gets girl, or boy, that the mad scientist is thrown into his own vat of world destroying organisms, or whatever other end you have in mind for your story. If you don't have any idea of how the story will end, IMHO all you have is an idea that could be turned into a story, not an actual story you could write down. If I were to ask you what your story is about, could you give me a concise answer? If you couldn't, this implies that trying to write the story you don't actually have clear in your head now is starting just a tad too soon.
posted
There is a kind-of exception, which I'm guessing doesn't apply here---if you've sold your work to someone on the basis of an outline. After that, further changes would have to be negotiated.
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posted
Writing from an outline plan deviates no matter what type of composition: prose, poetry, script, academic, journalism, etc. Ye olde high school outline methods taught generally help focus a topic, organize composition layout, and suit only one type of composition; that is, a research and report type, including book reports.
The research report structure and organization is rigid and contains five parts: a thesis paragraph, three corroborative support paragraphs, and a conclusory paragraph. Longer compositions extend the paragraphs into longer sections.
Later grade level, college, research reports contain additional parts. The thesis section is an argumentation claim. A substantive reason for the claim is next, followed by corroborative support sections, three at least. Before the conclusory section, a section anticipates objections to the claim and support and another section rebutts the objections.
However, though a research report is one of four metagenre -- performance (fiction, poetry, etc., research, analysis, and argumentation -- all composition and narrative generally are argumentation rhetoric though of different rhetorical purposes. Rhetoric and argumentation can be translated as persuasion narratives and each metagenre's modalities as distinct forms of persuasion. Performance, for example, pivots upon moral human condition values and beliefs.
An essential feature of performance compositions is unity between parts and parcels and wholes based upon personal moral values and beliefs under investigation. Young adult literature, for example, pivots upon emotional maturation accompaniment of physical maturation.
A key feature thereof is overt and covert dramatic complication with dramatic conflict -- as it were, a moral crisis struggle incited by self-interest and with substantive motivations, stakes, and outcomes.
An overt complication-conflict is a tangible, material, concrete want and problem wanting satisfaction. A covert complication-conflict is intangible, immaterial though substantive, and abstract moral values and beliefs in crisis.
A performance composition plan also pivots upon that overt-covert complication-conflict paradigm. For example, say a three-act structure: start, middle, end. The start first quarter word count plan prepares the overt-covert complication-conflict -- the argumentation claim asserted, so to speak. The middle half suspends satisfaction of the overt-covert complication-conflict. The end quarter transformatively satisfies the overt-covert complication-conflict.
For example, choose an overt, tangible, material, concrete complication-conflict. Lack of funds and recognition, problem; need for money and fame, want. A rational moral crisis then is greed-charity in contention -- a covert, intangible, immaterial, abstract complication-conflict.
Develop an overt-covert complication-conflict as part of prewriting planning for outlining and Barb's your aunt. A draft then stays on track due to a basic plan of action and direction. Without such a basis, an outline and its narrative draft wanders off course interminably.
Otherwise, other-mind influences -- subconscious, nonconscious, unconscious minds -- will and do influence conscious-mind composition. That is the intuitive-discovery development of the writing and all the more essential for artful and appealing composition and passion and conviction for it.
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quote:Originally posted by extrinsic: A key feature thereof is overt and covert dramatic complication with dramatic conflict -- as it were, a moral crisis struggle incited by self-interest and with substantive motivations, stakes, and outcomes.
An overt complication-conflict is a tangible, material, concrete want and problem wanting satisfaction. A covert complication-conflict is intangible, immaterial though substantive, and abstract moral values and beliefs in crisis.
posted
Congratulations, you are a discovery writer, sometimes called a pantser (because we write by the seat of our pants). So am I. And I had a nearly identical experience with one of my early books.
Bottom line, there is no one right to write. There is only what works for you.
I do often use what I call a rolling outline. Though it isn't really an outline, either. But I will often set up a rough sketch at least of what will happen in the next three to four chapters, advancing as I go. That's just what works for me--at this stage. Subject to change without notice.
Posts: 4633 | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
That you are writing a story without knowing your destination says that you are probably taking the view that a story is, in essence, following an interesting person around, while s/he does interesting things. Basically, a chronicle of events with nothing pressing enough that it demands the full attention of the protagonist—or the reader who has that character as their avatar. And if you don't give the reader a pressing reason to keep reading, they won't.
The general structure of a story is:
• Our protagonist has a generally predictable life, be that bad or good from his/her viewpoint. • Something happens, called the inciting incident, which knocks our protagonist out of his/her comfort zone and removes their control of their predictable future. • The protagonist repeatedly tries to regain control, but no matter what they try, they fail, which raises tension, and maintains uncertainty, while steadily narrowing the protagonist's options. • This continues, to the point where the protagonist should say, "Hey, this is crazy, so I'm out of here." But due to the situation—as they perceive it—they cannot. Eventually, this progression leads to: • We reach the black moment, when failure seems assured. But then, falling back on the hero's one true and dependable resource, dumb-luck, our protagonist spots the thing that will turn certain defeat into the victory that poetic justice demands as a reward for being steadfast. The audience cheers. • Having carried the day, which could range from defeating the gods to finding the perfect dress for the prom, our hero learns what the reward will be for having prevailed.
Wandering, as you say your story is doing, cannot follow that path, and so cannot lead from scene to scene in any coherent fashion, which means it's a linked series of short stories (each of which should follow the outline, above), or, a detailed history of some events in a fictional character's life.
The short version: to write a scene for the page you must, first, know what one is, and why. There's a lot more to writing fiction than there appears to be, just there's more to any profession than there appears to be. So spending a bit of time digging into the nuts-and-bolts issues of why a scene usually ends up in disaster for the protagonist, and what a short-term scene-goal does for you (to name only two), would be time well spent.
You have the necessary enthusiasm and the desire. That's great. Add a few tricks of the trade, to give your words wings, and who knows where you'll fly to?
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quote:Originally posted by salamanderseven: Wow. This is great and worth being here.
quote:Originally posted by extrinsic: A key feature thereof is overt and covert dramatic complication with dramatic conflict -- as it were, a moral crisis struggle incited by self-interest and with substantive motivations, stakes, and outcomes.
An overt complication-conflict is a tangible, material, concrete want and problem wanting satisfaction. A covert complication-conflict is intangible, immaterial though substantive, and abstract moral values and beliefs in crisis.
A partial product from a decade of intensive investigation. Most of the time and effort sought verification and primary and original sources -- or lacks thereof. New knowledge? Extant knowledge? Extant knowledge ripe for fresh addition? Extant knowledge reorganized for enhanced access? Alas, extant knowledge thousands of years old, albeit ripe for fresh and further developments. Fortunately, proof is present; presence is proof.
Easier said than done. Daylight dawns at the farthest end of the abyss.
Posts: 6037 | Registered: Jun 2008
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quote:Originally posted by Jay Greenstein: The general structure of a story is:
• Our protagonist has a generally predictable life, be that bad or good from his/her viewpoint. • Something happens, called the inciting incident, which knocks our protagonist out of his/her comfort zone and removes their control of their predictable future. • The protagonist repeatedly tries to regain control, but no matter what they try, they fail, which raises tension, and maintains uncertainty, while steadily narrowing the protagonist's options. • This continues, to the point where the protagonist should say, "Hey, this is crazy, so I'm out of here." But due to the situation—as they perceive it—they cannot. Eventually, this progression leads to: • We reach the black moment, when failure seems assured. But then, falling back on the hero's one true and dependable resource, dumb-luck, our protagonist spots the thing that will turn certain defeat into the victory that poetic justice demands as a reward for being steadfast. The audience cheers. • Having carried the day, which could range from defeating the gods to finding the perfect dress for the prom, our hero learns what the reward will be for having prevailed.
That's one way to structure a story. There are others, some more rigorous, some less. And, yes, even if you're a discovery writer, it pays to study story structure. I'm fond of the three-act structure, myself. The difference is that I rarely know all--or even most--of the points on that structure when I start writing. Obviously, it helps to know the inciting incident. I usually have at least a clue what the midpoint will be. And the climax. (All, of course, subject to change at least a little as the story flows.) Where story structure really comes in for a discovery writer is after the first draft is written. Then you can determine what those plot points actually turned out to be. And, in the revisions, reinforce them and also tweak the pacing so that they occur at about the right places.
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posted
if "dumb luck" is meant ironically . . . Otherwise, late coincidences disturb dramatic momentum, raise melodrama, and disappoint. Late inevitable surprises, though -- exquisite!
Each scene of a vivid, lively drama, optional for brief anecdote, vignette, or sketch narrative, best practice entails relevant, timely, judicious trial and error, proportioned fail and limited success, reversal and revelation, complication satisfaction progression despite setback, natural, misfortunate and fortunate crises, cue accumulation for later synthesis and application (Chekhov's gun corollary), and back and forth oscillation cycles throughout a whole, at the least to preserve outcome doubt and cycle minor and major tension setup, relief delay, and partial relief sequences until a bittersweet outcome end's full tension relief.
Discovery, planned, melded, or phased process writer.
posted
Personally, I like the outline because I can balance my arcs and sub plot structure and make sure everything has a beginning, middle, and end. I also come from a nonfiction background where many of my article ideas are heavily plotted before writing (and often illustrating) because of the strict word limits on short work.
I think each person uses the outline differently. Nobody, unless the outline is simply fleshed out to become the story, can remain unchanged. For me, I make sure the changes work, or rework the bits that no longer fit as intended.
I feel like my story gets improved because the outline allows me to think about the entirety of the manuscript. True stories are not written in a fit of inspiration and perspiration on a sunny afternoon. Scenes can be written this way and from scenes, great things can arise.
As others have mentioned, outlining allows you to make notes to yourself, you know the little things like "foreshadow the dragon eating flowers" or "she wears a hat with fresh flowers to church in the spring" so when the dragon rears up and steals her hat, the reader will know it wants to eat the flowers. Smart readers like to see things coming, not everything, but they want to see some of it. I think this is the greatest thing outlining can give me.
Outlining also helps me with my character bible. I can get descriptions down, note when they have to change (not just outfits, but when they're limping or have been burned halfway to a crisp). I'd lose all track if I didn't outline.
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