The plot process

[FallingToFly]

1. I'm surprised no one mentioned outlines. I know some authors write out each scene, similar to a play, and then the creative part comes when they let their characters interact with the setting and other characters in the scene.

2. Again, if you have an outline, plotbunnies generally aren't strong enough to steer you away from your short term objective and long term goal.

3. Edit.

4. Edit more. Listen when someone tells you it's crap. Rewrite it, and then hope it's not regurgitated crap.

I've tried outlines in the past, and ended up at a dead end.

Literally a dead end- I lost my drive to write the story. I have a couple dozen of them floating around, and no urge to write those stories now.

 

[penandpaper]

I've tried outlines in the past, and ended up at a dead end.

Literally a dead end- I lost my drive to write the story. I have a couple dozen of them floating around, and no urge to write those stories now.

Interesting. I find that helps with direction. I guess everyone's different. Perhaps, you could try just a very bare bones style outline: one or two words about the setting, one sentence about conflict in the scene, and a list of characters in the scene.

 

[FallingToFly]

I sometimes do something similar- I scribble out a few lines from the scene and carry them around with me for the day. Usually by the end of the day I have a few more ideas, enough to restart my writing engine.

 

[_Lynn_]

1. I'm surprised no one mentioned outlines. I know some authors write out each scene, similar to a play, and then the creative part comes when they let their characters interact with the setting and other characters in the scene.

2. Again, if you have an outline, plotbunnies generally aren't strong enough to steer you away from your short term objective and long term goal.

3. Edit.

4. Edit more. Listen when someone tells you it's crap. Rewrite it, and then hope it's not regurgitated crap.

The only time I have used a true outline so far is for NaNo. Even then, I ignored at least half of those notes once I began writing. Now, I just jot down a few of the main details when I start a new story.

Edit? Interesting concept.

 

[sr71plt]

Interesting. I find that helps with direction. I guess everyone's different. Perhaps, you could try just a very bare bones style outline: one or two words about the setting, one sentence about conflict in the scene, and a list of characters in the scene.

Yes, but those are notes, not an outline.

(And why would I try what works for you when what's working for me seems to work for me. )

I do extensive outlining for nonfiction. Indeed, it's going to be needed for the proposal package, so it seems better to work from it rather than working to it after the text is done. (Which is too late for the proposal package anyway.)

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

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[penandpaper]

Yes, but those are notes, not an outline.

(And why would I try what works for you when what's working for me seems to work for me. )

I do extensive outlining for nonfiction. Indeed, it's going to be needed for the proposal package, so it seems better to work from it rather than working to it after the text is done. (Which is too late for the proposal package anyway.)

Sorry sr71,

I made the incorrect assumption that you were stuck somewhere in your writing. My bad. (We all know what happenes when one assumes. )

Sounds to me like you should jot down the answers to your own questions so we can read them

 

[sr71plt]

Sorry sr71,

I made the incorrect assumption that you were stuck somewhere in your writing. My bad. (We all know what happenes when one assumes. )

Sounds to me like you should jot down the answers to your own questions so we can read them

Stuck? That's not my problem. I've spun out 3,500 words between my last post on this thread and this post. My problem is stopping--or in getting one finished before my mind next dumps the next almost complete story in my lap.