Story planning

[Ophelia_Coque]

I have written another couple of short stories. In both of them I had an idea for the theme, but then wrote the stories and let the ideas develop as I wrote. Both stories veered a bit in unexpected directions.
I am sure professional authors plan meticulously, but what about Short Story Erotica writers - am I unusual?
Ophelia

 

[Euphony]

No, you are you. You are working through your best process.

As someone entrenched in the opposite camp (ultra outliner,) I understand why my way works for me and wouldn't work for someone unlike me.

If you are in the 99.999% or the .001%, it doesn't write your story for you. So follow your instincts.

I *would* at least cursory research outlining just to see if something within it (even small) works for you but chaining yourself to someone else's process (even if it's common) can end up destructive creatively.

Enjoy your write. That's the only way the good stuff happens.

 

[jackdaw]

I have written another couple of short stories. In both of them I had an idea for the theme, but then wrote the stories and let the ideas develop as I wrote. Both stories veered a bit in unexpected directions.
I am sure professional authors plan meticulously, but what about Short Story Erotica writers - am I unusual?
Ophelia

Look forward to reading those, then …

 

[Privates1stClass]

Although I generally try to stay close to my original plan, my characters many times lead me astray. In the long run, though, my stories have been improved by the changes they've made. Don't get tied down by your original plans--let your characters fly free.

 

[NightPorter]

I'm in the "somewhere in the middle" camp. I have the overarching story laid out ahead of time. It's how I get from A to B that's organic and written as I go.

 

[SamScribble]

All purpose answer to How do Lit authors write?

Yes, some people plan to the nth degree. Yes, some people wing it from the off. Yes, there are authors who employ every possible combination of these two extremes.

No, you are not unique. With thousand and thousands of Lit authors writing hundreds of thousands (millions?) of stories – many of them dreadful but some of them pretty damn good – I’m sure that there is at least one other author that writes pretty much exactly as you do.

Now… enough with the irrelevant questions. Go and write another story.

 

[Lifestyle66]

I only write what I feel like writing when I feel inspired.

I have a general outline of a series of stories I would like to write. But I take out the ones I feel like working on next, even if they are out of order and being published as stand-alone stories.

But yesterday, I felt inspired to write a different story, and I completed it by the end of the day. The theme took me off in a different direction as I wrote it. Now, I'm polishing it and will finish submitting it today.

So much for my outlined plan.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

I am sure professional authors plan meticulously, but what about Short Story Erotica writers - am I unusual?
Ophelia

Not all professional writers use plotting to tell their stories. One famous pantser is Stephen King. You see his pansterism, at times, by dropping subplots and characters that disappear like the card in a magician’s hand.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

When I get an idea for a story, I begin by creating a storyboard, which for me consists of a new spreadsheet in an Excel file that I use to maintain the storyboards for all my stories under separate tabs.

I already have a plot in mind, so on the storyboard, I start defining my main characters. This often includes a timeline of their life so that I am able to maintain continuity with life experiences that may be referred to in the story, as well as align them properly by age with other characters planned for the story, or others that may have made an appearance in another of my stories at some point. Even if the items might not make it into the final story, the timeline for each character will have milestones for things such as the year that they graduated high school, the years that they attended college, and similar periods or waypoints that can influence the direction a person's life might take.

As I start writing, the storyboard grows to include additional characters, facts that have been researched (typically placed as a hyperlink to the relevant website(s)), subplots, and possible conflicts with suitable resolutions. Keeping everything in a single Excel file allows me to quickly bounce to the tab for a previous story to ensure that repetition of phrases, events, actions, or locations is held to a minimum.

 

[PennameWombat]

I have written another couple of short stories. In both of them I had an idea for the theme, but then wrote the stories and let the ideas develop as I wrote. Both stories veered a bit in unexpected directions.
I am sure professional authors plan meticulously, but what about Short Story Erotica writers - am I unusual?
Ophelia

No, they all don’t. In writing discussions, there are usually three basic methods:

• Plotters: start with a synopsis, expand to an outline based on a specific structure and keep refining and expanding the outline until… et voila, it’s done. J. K. Rowling claims she carefully outlined the entire ‘Harry Potter’ series and rarely deviated from it. John Grisham has been quoted “The more time I spend on the outline the easier the book is to write.”
• Gardeners: start with a plan or a short outline, but veer from it or devolve into pantsing small or larger parts. George R. R. Martin is the one who made this term famous, in that he claims he essentially knows where the story is going but not precisely how to get there, and swerving is fine. In fact, this has been cited in all of the ink spilled about why he’s been so slow to get “The Winds of Winter” out. Because his plot wandered, in one interview he mentioned “I killed someone I shouldn’t have…” (no, he didn’t say who) and that’s impacted how he gets the book and series to work out.
• Pantsers: hey… here’s a cool idea. Let’s see where it goes, per this:

• Not all professional writers use plotting to tell their stories. One famous pantser is Stephen King. You see his pansterism, at times, by dropping subplots and characters that disappear like the card in a magician’s hand.

A quote from King is “If I knew what was going to happen next, I’d get too bored to write.”

 

[ElectricBlue]

I have written another couple of short stories. In both of them I had an idea for the theme, but then wrote the stories and let the ideas develop as I wrote. Both stories veered a bit in unexpected directions.
I am sure professional authors plan meticulously, but what about Short Story Erotica writers - am I unusual?
Ophelia

Whenever this comes up (which it does, often) I'd say the majority of writers here in the AH are planners and multi-go-around-editors - maybe 60% - 70% - and the rest are pantsers who may or not squeeze more out of edit. If one extrapolates from this community, it's probably typical of Lit writers overall (but remember, the AH is only a tiny fraction of current Lit writers, so we might not be typical at all).

I, for example, am a stream of consciousness writer, I never plot, never plan, and don't edit much.

 

[KelvinBlack]

Plotters: start with a synopsis, expand to an outline based on a specific structure and keep refining and expanding the outline until… et voila, it’s done.

I generally work to this method. Where a scene has a fair bit of dialogue between characters, I'll often write this out first then fill out the gaps around the conversation. The method seems to work for me.

 

[Britva415]

pantser

As in, writing by the seat of his pants?

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

Hybrid writer, some plotting, lot of seat of the pants, and lot of care and watering as I go. Good thing I do short works or nothing would ever be published.

 

[HeyAll]

IMO too much planning takes away the fun of writing. Planning is important if it's a mystery or a giant story.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

As in, writing by the seat of his pants?

Yup, that's what it means.

 

[TheRedChamber]

No, you are you. You are working through your best process.

As someone entrenched in the opposite camp (ultra outliner,) I understand why my way works for me and wouldn't work for someone unlike me.

If you are in the 99.999% or the .001%, it doesn't write your story for you. So follow your instincts.

I *would* at least cursory research outlining just to see if something within it (even small) works for you but chaining yourself to someone else's process (even if it's common) can end up destructive creatively.

Enjoy your write. That's the only way the good stuff happens.

This, but I'd add that - if things are working for you, keep doing them. If things could be working better, then by all means explore alternate ways of working. That said, trying to get a pantser to completely plan or a planner to completely pants is a pretty guaranteed way to stuff up their creative process, so you might want to take baby steps refining your process with each subsequent story.

A bit of reflection is good. If the story went in an unexpected direction, what was the expected direction? Does expected mean narratively satisfying or does it mean boringly predicatable, and was the unexpectedness a nice surprise. At what point was the expected deviated from and whose fault was it, the writers or 'the characters'.

One benefit that planners have is that they can look at a potential deviation from their original plan and decide fairly quickly whether the deviation is likely to make the story better or worse. One benefit panters have is that they're so lost in the moment writing that they don't even notice the there's an issue and as a result there (usually) isn't. (Maybe, don't know, not a pantser...)

 

[ElectricBlue]

One benefit panters have is that they're so lost in the moment writing that they don't even notice the there's an issue and as a result there (usually) isn't. (Maybe, don't know, not a pantser...)

Correct, or if there is an issue, the characters usually solve it.

I often find that I circle around sex scenes - I've learned over time that's because my characters aren't ready to jump into bed yet, so I keep writing until they are. Thank god for cafés, because those scenes are excellent for the waiting.

 

[Bramblethorn]

No, they all don’t. In writing discussions, there are usually three basic methods:

• Plotters: start with a synopsis, expand to an outline based on a specific structure and keep refining and expanding the outline until… et voila, it’s done. J. K. Rowling claims she carefully outlined the entire ‘Harry Potter’ series and rarely deviated from it. John Grisham has been quoted “The more time I spend on the outline the easier the book is to write.”
• Gardeners: start with a plan or a short outline, but veer from it or devolve into pantsing small or larger parts. George R. R. Martin is the one who made this term famous, in that he claims he essentially knows where the story is going but not precisely how to get there, and swerving is fine. In fact, this has been cited in all of the ink spilled about why he’s been so slow to get “The Winds of Winter” out. Because his plot wandered, in one interview he mentioned “I killed someone I shouldn’t have…” (no, he didn’t say who) and that’s impacted how he gets the book and series to work out.
• Pantsers: hey… here’s a cool idea. Let’s see where it goes, per this:

I'd note that a synopsis - i.e. planning the plot - is only one type of planning.

Several of my stories here involve changing power balances between two characters. For instance, "Magnum Innominandum" was written around the idea of a rising star and a falling star, with the heart of the story at that moment where those two arcs kiss before diverging forever. When I started writing, I did not have a strong idea of the exact events that would happen in the story, but I had a very clear mental image of how that power balance was going to shift, and that guided my choices as I filled in the plot.

IMHO that's as much "planning" as writing a synopsis is, and I've read many stories which fell flat because authors focused too much on planning out the events and not enough on planning a satisfying emotional arc.

 

[Lifestyle66]

After I mentioned yesterday (posted above) that my latest inspiration for a story was ready for publication, I re-read it and added yet another thousand words. The stories seem to take over and build themselves, when I deviate from my plans.

I even came up with what I think might appease the Loving Wives trolls: Consensual sharing, reconcile at all costs, AND burn the bitch ... all in one story!

 

[GrantBricksly]

So, I usually don't do any physical planning for my stories. I have the plan in my head, and thats about as far as that goes. Then I just start writing. However, while writing a story for the Winter Contest, I came up with ideas for connected stories. My plan is to have this whole series of stand alone stories that are all interconnected..same characters/shared universe.

So, I wrote down a quick prompt for the ideas I had for the different stories, so I wouldn't forget. It was going to be a while before I finished the one I was working on. Once I finished it, I started working on the next...and I found myself needing to refer back to the first story to make sure I didn't contradict details from the first such as physical descriptions or ages and things of that nature.

So now, I have a whole other document where I am collecting notes that I need to keep for continuity throughout the shared universe of stories.

Worst thing happened today though...I went to copy/paste one of those paragraphs of descriptions....and accidently deleted it. Didn't even realize it at first. And when I went to go back to reference it...there was just a "c" in the story..and a "p" in the notes page....I was horrified. So I had to try to remember the way I described it and re-write.

 

[Djmac1031]

I'm definitely a "pantser" when it comes to writing.

I've always said I'm a great Idea Man, but unfortunately I have several stories languishing in the Unfinished file because I still don't have an ending or clear direction in mind.

I'm TRYING to at least have an Endgame in mind now before I start. But still, most times I just take an idea and see where it goes.

It's served me well, when I actually finish one lol.

 

[GrantBricksly]

I'm definitely a "pantser" when it comes to writing.

I've always said I'm a great Idea Man, but unfortunately I have several stories languishing in the Unfinished file because I still don't have an ending or clear direction in mind.

I'm TRYING to at least have an Endgame in mind now before I start. But still, most times I just take an idea and see where it goes.

It's served me well, when I actually finish one lol.

See, I'm exactly the opposite. I get the idea for the end game...but then sometimes have trouble figuring out how to get there.

I had one a few months back that I dreamt about the final scene for three weeks straight. It was amazing. And I tried to write it several times. (I still have the story started in my unfinished folder) but I just can't seem to figure out how to arrive at that final scene properly...

 

[Djmac1031]

See, I'm exactly the opposite. I get the idea for the end game...but then sometimes have trouble figuring out how to get there.

I had one a few months back that I dreamt about the final scene for three weeks straight. It was amazing. And I tried to write it several times. (I still have the story started in my unfinished folder) but I just can't seem to figure out how to arrive at that final scene properly...

Maybe we should team up. I'll write the beginning, you write the ends