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  1. Somethingnew

    Somethingnew Member

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    How to flesh-out a plot idea?

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by Somethingnew, Feb 21, 2019.

    Brand new writer here!

    How do you develop a plot idea?

    I have a few ideas, but I don't know how to develop them into something more significant. I don't want to take the time to read a book about writing at this stage of the game. (I'm in a learning phase with my business and always reading/taking action for that.) I need some idea for how to turn a sentence idea into a complete story or novel.

    What kind of work do you all do to get started with your ideas? Do you keep notes? Do behind-the-scenes work like writing backstory?

    Thanks.
     
  2. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    Well I brainstorm a bit, and start where the
    story feels it should start at.
    I keep a bare bones amount of notes for
    keeping names and some continuity errors
    from cropping up.

    Though I am not too familiar with turning a
    sentence idea into a longer work (maybe a
    few hundred words at best).
    So what are you working with, and do you
    have an idea of how to expand upon it into
    a story length work?
     
  3. EBohio

    EBohio Banned

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    Houston, we have a problem here.
    You have to learn your craft before you can start. If my dentist said he didn't have time to read dental books I would walk right out of his office.
     
  4. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    Well it depends. While I am not a fan of reading
    books about writing, I kinda agree with you.
    :superidea:
     
  5. EBohio

    EBohio Banned

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    But I'll help you anyway.

    Reading anything can give you ideas. By anything I mean, you could be at say, a dentist's office flipping through a magazine you normally have no interest in, like Popular Mechanics, and subconsciously get ideas. So when you are not writing, read. All writers should read.

    I get ideas from watching tv, listening to my kids fight, and bouncing ideas off people.

    The point is anything can give you ideas so when something does pop write it down. Like in a journal. Because if you don't write it down, I guarantee you it might just disappear. I don't keep a journal but I do have this little notebook that has all kinds of "ideas" in it. So maybe while I'm sitting in the dentist's office something may occur to me out of nowhere but I'll remember I have something like it in my notebook. I pull out the notebook and add to a previous thought. Soon I might have a whole paragraph to get started.
     
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  6. Somethingnew

    Somethingnew Member

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    Solid point. When you put it that way, it hits me clearly on the head. Though I will say that I learned to teach with trial by fire. As far as writing, I know a little, but probably not enough to make money.

    Do you have any recommendations for a starting place to learn? I've listened to parts of On Writing by Stephen King.

    I know I need to make more time to read the genre I want to write, so that will be added to my routine. I suppose I should begin by deciding which of the paths I'm going to follow since I have 3 distinct ones at the moment.
     
  7. Somethingnew

    Somethingnew Member

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    Thanks for helping anyway. I inspired my students to keep idea notebooks so ought to do it myself. I have a small list of ideas but nothing developed.
     
  8. Somethingnew

    Somethingnew Member

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    I've seen a number of posters saying they don't typically suggest titles about writing. If that's the case, how do you learn? If you are doing to recommend a title to a new writer, what would it be? I figure some solid learning will happen here. What else works outside of books and practice?
     
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  9. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    I don't have any in particular, though the few that I have
    looked at are more focused on writing properly, and not
    the typical author schilling out how to write like them
    type of books. Also having a genre specific reference book
    on how to create worlds, beings/creatures, and all that
    jazz can be handy too. I have one that is really indepth
    on Sci-fi. :)

    But the best way to learn is to study the way the books
    you enjoy reading are written, and try to apply that to
    your own work in your own way.
    You can also do this with movies and video games, if
    they happen to have a good story to them with a decent
    structure overall.
    They say that the best way to learn to write is to read
    what you enjoy. Takes time, but the best way to learn.

    Perhaps you would benefit from making an outline
    of the story you want to write, plotting out all the
    characters and major events and such.

    Good luck. :superidea:
     
  10. EBohio

    EBohio Banned

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    Creative Writing classes, even if it's a free one put on by your local library. You'll get guidance, learn the basics, and can bounce ideas off the other students.
     
  11. Reece

    Reece Senior Member

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    What excites you about your ideas? Why is it that you want to write them down, expand upon them? There is a nugget in there somewhere that will inspire you. Is it that you want to see a particular world? Do you want to see a certain character grow and change? I don't get the sense that you want to write simply for the sake of writing. You have ideas, and you want to work with them, but you need to find out why. At this stage, I don't think you need to worry so much about the craft of writing so much as the act of telling a story. I would suggest you read something, but not a book on writing. Read a novel that you will enjoy. Then jot down bits and bobs that you found really gripping and figure out why. What story do you want to tell? Why do you want to tell it? What do you want the reader to feel when they are reading it? It's hard for me to give suggestions without knowing what you have so far, but if you have a person in mind, try to figure out more about that person. What do you want them to experience? Do you have a place in mind? What does it look like? Have you decided on a theme? Do you want to write a thriller? A romance? Figure these things out first. What do you like and why do you like it? Write what you would want to read.
     
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  12. EBohio

    EBohio Banned

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    Right on. I have been meaning to ask you @Somethingnew, why do you want to write a novel (or short story)?
     
  13. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    I enjoyed reading the following. I can't say whether they're helpful or not; I tend to absorb information and forget where I learned it.

    The Forest for the Trees, by Betsy Lerner
    Bird by Bird, by Ann Lamott
    The Kite and the String, by Alice Mattison
    The Hidden Machinery, by Margot Livesy
    Still Writing, by Dori Shapiro
    Write Away, by Elizabeth George

    They're not mostly about the sentence and paragraph level--they're more about the discipline and inspiration and ideas and plot level. Write Away feels like the most stringent--it's enjoyable to read, but it takes you through a clear, structured body of information.

    For the sentence and paragraph level, I recommend just reading good books, tons and tons and tons of them, and also doing a ton of writing and getting critique. A few good references to clear up things that puzzle you might also be good, but I don't believe you can learn sentence-and-paragraph writing by instruction. You learn it by practice and example and critique.
     
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  14. Seven Crowns

    Seven Crowns Moderator Staff Supporter Contributor Contest Winner 2022

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    A story condensed into a single sentence is called a logline. Some people save that for the end, but it is a VERY smart way to start, especially on bigger projects. It's the DNA of your story. While an outline is flexible, your logline is absolute. You chisel it into stone like it's like the word of God, and you don't betray it. It lets you tell your publisher what's on deck, and it straightens matters in your own head.

    Here. I just grabbed the first site I could find. It looks okay: https://www.raindance.org/10-tips-for-writing-loglines/

    First: I would urge you to make sure your one line is complete. (See above. It's not hard, but it does take a certain elegance.)
    Second: Expand this idea into one page (or two). The result is technically a synopsis, but if that sounds too bookish, then just think of it as a page of possibilities.

    This is a very good site showing an obvious synopsis and as a bonus it's in 3-act structure. I would definitely follow that for a first effort. It will keep you sane (trust me), and it's not much reading. There are whole books on the subject, but it sounds like you're busy and this is just for fun. There's nothing wrong with that!

    http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2012/04/17/how-to-write-a-1-page-synopsis/

    If you're serious about using something like this, you'll spend quite a while getting your ideas in order. From there you daydream a lot. (That's one of my favorite parts.) Maybe you write your specific ideas down (I do), but you just want to get a feel for the journey before you start.

    If this is your first effort, and you just jump right in, then it is VERY likely that you'll be defeated by the 'murky middle.' That's basically an inability to link the opening to the ending in a compelling and natural way. That's why I suggest you do the logline/synopsis approach. It will avoid that common pitfall. I'd recommend a lot of thought before you put fingers to keyboard, even if you're not being super formal with notes.

    Do consider checking out some writing books on a later day. Forums can only say so much.

    Edit: Skipped the other questions . . .
    I always make notes, even for flash fiction. I write complete character arcs for everyone of importance, but these are very loose and unpolished. Though they're useful to me, they would be a mess for a reader.
     
    Last edited: Feb 22, 2019
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  15. Somethingnew

    Somethingnew Member

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    Thanks!
     
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  16. Somethingnew

    Somethingnew Member

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    This is helpful, thank you! I'm sure there's variety in how writers learn, practice, and work: This sounds exactly like me. It's concrete enough to give me a plan of action but loose enough for my own tweaks. Now I've got a plan.
     
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  17. Somethingnew

    Somethingnew Member

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    I have no idea. But now I know what to think about. I see myself going down the lines of getting to know a character.
     
  18. Somethingnew

    Somethingnew Member

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    I don't yet have a solid answer.
    In part, I want to do it because I think I can't. It's a challenge.

    I think there's also an element of wanting to communicate and connect. I connect to myself through writing but I keep my distance in relationships. I think writing is an outlet for me to connect with myself and with others in a way that I wouldn't in real life. Maybe?
     

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