1. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    Stop F*cking It Up

    Discussion in 'General Writing' started by deadrats, Nov 22, 2017.

    Ever worried you're just going to mess everything up when you move forward with your story? I'm happy with what I have down, but I feel almost frozen to continue. I've got about 50 solid and edited pages. I tried making an outline of sorts, but I found I didn't like where I was taking things in my outline. Am I just going to hate everything outside those 50 pages? I can make myself just push through, but I don't tend to like or use what I write when I do that. This is my novel. My baby. I'm going to spend a lot of time with this novel. I don't want to fall out of love with my story or mess it all up. I'm not one who can just write with the idea of fixing things later. I want to make smart moves and I want to stop f-ing up this story. Any thoughts or advice? Thanks in advance.
     
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  2. EdFromNY

    EdFromNY Hope to improve with age Supporter Contributor

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    It sounds as if your devotion to an outline is the problem. Outlines are fine, but they need to be kept loose to allow for character growth beyond what you expected when you first conceived of the character, as well as plot twists beyond what you expected when you first devised the story. I decided a while ago that possibly the most important thing to using an outline is knowing when it has served its purpose and now needs to be left by the side of the road.

    My suggestion is to re-read what you've written so far, and, forgetting the outline for a moment, think about what your characters would most likely do next. Then write it.

    Good luck with it.
     
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  3. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    I should clarify. I usually never work with an outline. I only made a very loose outline to see if it would help me move forward. But the outline sucks and I have no intention of using that one at least. I'm not sure another outline would help. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time.
     
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  4. Azuresun

    Azuresun Senior Member

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    Those moments can be scary, but the best advice I can give is to just say "screw it!" and press on. Let's say the worst happens, and you end up with a mess. Big deal, just write something else and salvage the good bits from your first work.
     
  5. EdFromNY

    EdFromNY Hope to improve with age Supporter Contributor

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    If you usually don't work with an outline, and this experience has not helped you, I would think reverting to what you know has worked in the past would be the best course.
     
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  6. 123456789

    123456789 Contributor Contributor

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    Ed, how is't going? I'm curious how you would define an outline?

    For example, if we were outlining the beginning of The Godfather, would it be like?

    • Wedding party outside, with Al Pacino's character, who has come back from service (I think), and his girlfriend
    • Upstairs the Godfather has important meetings
    • etc.
    Or would it be more or less vague than this?
     
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  7. EdFromNY

    EdFromNY Hope to improve with age Supporter Contributor

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    Really well, my rational friend. I'm currently in the final stages of editing my newest project, a crime novel, and I hope to begin pitching it by the spring.

    Lots of different ways to do outlines. Chapter outlines give the gist of what is to happen in each chapter, and maybe list the major characters involved. OTOH, I was at a writing conference last year at which Jane Cleland, a well-established mystery writer, presented her method, which requires a detailed analysis of word counts at which each subplot is to be introduced and at what point to introduce your mandatory. Talk about "formula writing"! I was still sitting there horrified when Steven James started the very next session by saying, "Well, I know Jane's had a lot of commercial success, but I have to say, I don't know how anyone could possibly write like that!" And I exhaled.

    The only project of mine that I ever outlined was my historical novel, and I did that because I needed to chart my story along the lines of actual historical events. I also had to make sure I fit the appropriate fictional family generations into their appropriate historical eras. Taking a page from Michener, I boiled that down to a chapter outline, establishing what historical events and what major fictional events occurred, with a word count "budget" for each chapter. I was 2/3 of the way through the novel when the outline went in the dumper, because certain events required much more space than I'd planned, and certain others were, upon reflection, not needed. One entire chapter got tossed, and three others were merged into two.

    For my current project, I started with a detective assigned to a horrific crime, with one witness who had a secret so terrible she couldn't possibly come forward, and with circumstances such that usual police methods at coercing cooperation would be to no avail. The detective, also a woman, would have to reach the witness another way. I decided on the witness' secret first. Then I decided on what my detective would be like, and then I decided on the crime. After that, I started writing.

    Actually (and I know this will come as a shock), I have never read the book, nor have I seen the film. So, all Godfather references are lost on me.
     
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  8. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    You could always try my wee trick—which I didn't discover till well after I was deep into my first novel. But that was to ask myself, every time I sit down to write a scene: what do I want this scene to accomplish?

    It might be anything, but it should be something. Are you trying to instill doubt in a character's motives? Are you trying to show how two characters interact when faced with an outside problem that affects them both? Is this the chapter or scene where you want the reader to realise the teacher's cunning 'plan' isn't going to work? Is this the scene where you portray the point of no return in a marriage?

    This means you don't need to plan too far in advance, and you can let things develop (as they will, in a novel.) But it also means you write with purpose. Not just 'what happened,' but what you want the scene to do for your story. And be specific.
     
  9. LazyBear

    LazyBear Banned

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    I always mess things up when trying to add jokes that goes too far and the characters have to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives.
     
  10. Mr. Write

    Mr. Write Member

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    If this were me, I'd stop writing and start thinking. Stop writing for a week and just think of different scenarios. What if I try this? What if I try that? Spitball different directions in your head. Eventually one should jump out as better than the rest. By doing this you don't write yourself into a corner that you hate. Not saying to stop writing for so long that you lose all momentum, but sometimes if you don't like where you are going take the time to stop and rethink.
     
  11. Rosacrvx

    Rosacrvx Contributor Contributor

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    This made me wonder, do you know the ending yet, or are you pantsing (as they say)? This is very important for any advice given here.
    I always write with the ending in mind. Couldn't do it any other way.
    But if you don't know the ending and your story is running out of steam but you're happy with what you have so far... Time to end it with a bang, I'd say.
     
  12. 123456789

    123456789 Contributor Contributor

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    Truly incredible ;)
     

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