how do people write?

[karaline]

The true and frustrating answer is that everyone has a different way of writing, and I'd bet sometimes it isn't even the same for one person. I've had stories where I start with a scene and end up with a story, and others where the whole thing is in my head to start with, and others where I write, then outline to get an idea of what I've got so I can figure out where I'm going.

I'm not frustrated by this idea at all, just interested in the different ways people work

 

[karaline]

Its basic animal behavior. Animals push things as far as they can and THAT determines territories. Humans do the same.

I meant more that I was unaware of the history of Chicago, and that it sounds interesting. I don't know too much about the history of the USA (I'm from the UK) I shall investigate.

I do have a series of books by Gore Vidal called the Empire Narratives (novelised history of America) which I keep meaning to read. I haven't got round to it yet though.

Am I breaching forum etiquette here by replying twice instead of replying to both points in one post? I am fairly new to this forum lark

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I meant more that I was unaware of the history of Chicago, and that it sounds interesting. I don't know too much about the history of the USA (I'm from the UK) I shall investigate.

I do have a series of books by Gore Vidal called the Empire Narratives (novelised history of America) which I keep meaning to read. I haven't got round to it yet though.

Am I breaching forum etiquette here by replying twice instead of replying to both points in one post? I am fairly new to this forum lark

Youre doing fine.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I've heard that Dickens was an obsessive outliner and diagrammer. But while his plots are good, readers respond most strongly to his compelling characters. It's as if fiddling with the plot was a thing he did to keep his hands busy while the real story was taking form below the level of consciousness.

He was a newspaper serialist I cant imagine he had time to navel gaze, a luxury reserved for constipated writers.

 

[HeyAll]

Once that light bulb strikes, and I think, "Yeah, I have to write about that," then I start thinking of how I could tell the story.

I start thinking of the characters, what the general story is, what the scenes are, ect...

When it becomes clear enough, and/or I start thinking of dialogue, then I start to write it.

I don't write any outlines or drafts, I go straight to the main stuff.

I know a lot of people here, and authors in general, use outlines and stick with it. These days, the more experienced I am with writing, the more I write. I think of more ideas for a story as I'm writing it, and the story becomes longer than expected.

My early stuff used to be 2 pages. Now most of my current stories are 3 pages, one of my halloween stories is going to be 5 pages, a record for me.

Jonathan Nolan once said in an interview, "If you have a good idea, throw it in."

 

[karaline]

Usually an intriguing scene and character(s) pop into my imagination. It may be no more than a glimpse, or sometimes more detailed. I try to write to capture that image, and if the character develops his/her voice and 'speaks,' I can grow the scene into a beginning, middle, and end for a story. The character is key - has to be someone that I find intriguing on some level - otherwise the process such as it is dead ends.

I can relate to this

If happy ever after does not feel right, don't write it. There can be romance along the way, and then it not end well, you have had your romantic quota filled and then the story can end how you would see it. With what quite often is a heavy dose of reality.

(Yeah, been there a couple of times )

Yeah, I agree. Actually I think I meant more that I often come up with what i think is a completely implausible scenario and I want it to be realistic and for there to be some romance as well.

 

[RoyceConnors]

I'll find a plot bunny hopping around and check it out and see if I like it. If it has potential to go somewhere in a story line, I'll flesh it out more and see what comes out of it. If the ideas seem to play out to a decent plot and theme, I'll start writing it out. If I can't get past a certain point, I'll either stop and rethink it, or can it until something better plays out to it, or ditch it all together.

The longer the story, the harder it is to play it out to see if it works, so I try not to waste time on it, if something better is available.

 

[jacktar48]

It starts with a bizarre idea, usually, and I try to think of ways to make it plausible and invent a story to support it.

Currently I am working on something that will probably go quite long, maybe novel length. I started out with someone's observation that there is little out there in the romantic genre that features people over 50, as if people older than that have no need or capacity for romantic love.

We all know this is not the case in real life. At least I do.

I did work out a vague outline in my head and put down a few notes, but the story is free to go where it goes.

Basically I'm following a standard romantic formula: Woman meets man, there are less than subtle sparks of interest, but there are so many obstacles...divergent social backgrounds and experiences, interfering outsiders, doubts and fears on both their parts, traumatic prior experiences...exploring all these issues and making them interesting takes time.

In the end, I hope the problems dissolve and they find the bliss they seek in each other's arms. But of course I can't guarantee it.

 

[Hypoxia]

I set myself an exercise of writing memorable titles and first lines or paragraphs. I find that most of those lead nowhere. I mean, where could I take this:

ROSES ARE RED, TOO - "What a lovely cock," she whispered, just before biting it off.
Or this: HOME ON THE RANGE - I'd been out here too long -- the sheep were looking good.
Or this: SEX ED - When I married her, I didn't know she was a slimy slut. I found out the hard way.

Well, that last two could go many ways -- but those are slippery little bunnies, eh? And the first might work as the lead-in to a story about a writer trying to create stories. But of the 50 or so exercise pieces, I've been able to use exactly two so far, and one was twisted out of shape.

A story's path from gestation to fulfillment is treacherous.