sometimes i just start random nonsence that somehow, miraculously turns into a story. other times, i get some burning idea, and have a vague plan as to where it's going. mostly, though, i'm like beowulf, and i just write, and have NO idea whatsoever wherer anything is going. then i surprise myself whit my crazy plot twists and whatnot. i can't plan out anything other than speeches and research papers. if i plan it out, i always decide to change it, so it was a waste of my perfectly good time and energy to even try to plan.
Know your characters. Do your research. Pick your locale. Go. I tried planning once. Can't say it worked out too hot. I generally fare better starting with the germ of an idea, a starting point, and rough estimate of where I'm going. It tends to change around a bit through the middle, but it seems to work well enough in my case. Of course, your mileage may vary.
It may give it way more structure, but I find that I loose interest when I outline the story. It makes it boring for you and the readers.
Ah yes, when ever I plot I get quite annoyed at myself.... I am the spontanious type that will work on the novel when one feels and will bring new ideas that work to the pc - a little zest!
I hate planning, even thought it's a "suggested method". I usually end up with two things, thinking up good ideas on the way but not being able to implement them, or implementing them and screwing up, both leave a sour taste in my mouth.
I try to plan, i get vauge ideas of what may happen to my characthers in the immidiate future, but often it will change, even planning out a scene is hard for me, i just like to go by mind.
Usually when I write a short story I know kind of what's going to happen and where I'm going [but not always], to keep the story from rambling all over the place, but beyond that I don't really plan my stories. I get maybe a paragraph worth of an idea, and then think about it for a little while, probably when writing something else - how I did it during NaNo, anyway - and then just started working on it. Usually more things occur to me when I'm working with the details of actually writing the thing than when I'm looking at a plot outline. I just get bored with planning.
I'm working on my first novel-length story, and I'm plotting it out, but not so detailed as I know every scene beforehand. I do set out general events in the order they happen, like a general structure. The problem is that it's difficult to create the alien species... I plan on having two very different ones in the story.
When you are performing improvisational comedy (think Who's line is it anyway) you have to have a strong structure in place. For example: We'll play the props game. So I give you a prop and you have to react to it in a funny way with your comedy partner. Well, you and your partner have decided beforehand that you're going to perform a western scene where he/she is the robber and you are the sheriff. Then you set up a situation - he/she is robbing the bank (audience) and you show up on the scene to save the day. The scene will end when you somehow kill him/her with the prop. Within that structure you create your scene. "Ideas" are taken from the audience but the show is run and set up (beforehand) by the one running the show. Believe me a lot more work and practice goes into Improv than they would ever lead us on to believe. Why the long story? My recommendation is to write in the same manner. The more structured your story the easier it is to get a lot of power into your writing. Otherwise, it's very easy to meander and put down stuff that does not progress the story. Does that mean the structure is law? No. It means that you have confines to work in that will channel the ideas as they come to you about your story. SO...an outline helps, a detailed outline is even better. You don't have to have all of the specifics (in fact it's better that you don't) but you should have a direction that keeps you moving. This also helps you from getting writer's block or just setting the story aside because you are not excited with where it has gone. I don't know, that's my take on it - but some other's (like King) just have stories flowing from their fingers...I only wish I was the same. Till then, I don't mind a bit of extra work. zb
I've tried plotting things out before...but then the plot takes a new twist that's too interesting to pass up. I didn't plan for so the whole outline then becomes obselate.
Stephen King Does it!! - yes but stephen's a qualified published writer.... I usually never outline my plot when I write a book, I always start writing from a point then continue on until it seems it has to end, I have a start point but I always know when the book would end. I usually find myself writing out a synopis for my books, but thats only if I'm keen on writing it. Isle of the dark is one I started on a whim and its been going on for 50 odd pages, in word processor and even though I have not outline any major plot points or sub-plots it has been kept fresh with plot-twists here and there.
the story actually comes to me in my head...i actually have the words and i write down the exact words but when i run out of that word buzz, i go improv and write anything good i can think of...outlining screws up a story, i tried, it sounds too planned and stupid
I write from a need to get the story written down and out of my head. I find that if I plot the story first then I have done what I first set out to do, then no full story. But if I just start writing the story then it follows it's natural path of development with a few surprises as well. The need to get it written down compels me to keep going too.
When I get an idea for a story, the ideas and concepts usually stay in my head until I get the opertunity to write. Then I usually write the first chapter or page or so, before I try and plan it out. I find that once I've written a good opening (which in itself is a bit of a challenge) I can see the path of the story more clearly. Not that the plot doesn't change drastically, but I can usually see where it's heading from the off.
My main project is totally un-plotted so far, and I've gotten up to 53 chapters already, which is a record for me due to my habit of procrastinating/quitting early into my stories. This one, however, has kept twisting and turning and surprising me as I write. Naturally, since it's a rough draft, it's full of achingly horrible writing and gaping plot holes, but I figure what I'm going to do is this: Once I finish my first draft, I'll go back, and then I'll plot everything out. That way, you have a much better basis to start from, you don't have to worry about giving up on your project (Because you've already run through it), and you can add in all the bits you forgot and take out all the excess crap. So, I think for writing a novel like this, a very handy method is to make your plot after you've written through it, so you can revise it for drastic improvement.
I just write as it comes to me. Usually I've thought about it before hand so I know roughly where I want to go with the plot. It tends to change a lot though from my initial ideas. When I get half way through I tend to trawl through everything I've already written and tie up any loose ends that appear to not lean to the direction of the story.
I am new at this, but when I started writing a fellow writer friend of mine told me that a true writer plots out their story. Well, now I realize how untrue that is. We all have our way of telling our story. I tried plotting out my story and found that it's too structured a task for me. I find that I already have an inkling as to where my story is headed and writing by the seat of my pants allows me to grow with my character. I don't know what they are going to do ahead of time, therefore I can experience the journey as I write it.
I don't necessarily plan my novel out (my first, by the way), I simply write things down, such as important events that must take place. I find a good book to have at least some foreshadowing, since a novel without any hint or clue of what will happen next will become stale easily, and give the reader absolutely no suspense. I also plan out my main characters; things like events that happen to them, special characteristics crucial to the storyline, etc. I'm not neat at all. As long as it's legible, I keep on writing. I also have no method of organization, which I guess makes planning for me a little more fun. Call me crazy. I think by doing this not only does it encourage me to keep on writing so I can get to the good parts, but it smoothes out my novel without making it boring.
The first thing I create is characters (sometimes they're a merge of different people and usually look like actors from the 70's in my head haha) but I obiviously evolve them. Then I loosely plan the plot and then let myself write. Sometimes when I'm lay in bed my mind goes off on one and I create new sub-stories within the story that I then jot down. I don't plan it to a "T" but do plan some things. Also research is very important.
I was sitting in a plane today (Spring Break. Three hours next to two crying babies. Yaaaay. >.>), and this idea popped into my head: In a medieval, sorcerous setting, a very young boy's family is forced to move from his hometown due to the violent, insane tendencies of the king (Who is revered as a god by his peasants, which is very dangerous because in this world reality is subjective, and the belief of the people can alter the facts of life.). But the small, innocent boy forgets one thing: His beloved teddy bear. So the moment he reaches his new home with his neglectful mother and Alzheimer's-victim father, he leaves again, embarking on a thousand-mile quest to get back to his home. On the way he meets a cast of characters like a valkyrie on vacation; a beautiful teenage girl who believes life should be like a story (And may do anything, no matter how bloody, to make it that way); a particularly cowardly and dismal man whom everyone has met before (That is very important, but don't ask questions); and a man named Etcetera, who is the God Of Everything Else. (Y'know, pebbles, egg-beaters, door knobs, lawyers- all the stuff the other gods didn't want to touch.) It would be both humorous, adventurous, fantastical, and slightly philosophical. All this formed in my head within about half an hour, and pretty soon I had the bare bones of a plot. A grand quest, some lively characters, a good setting- but do I know exactly how it'll work? Of course not! I start all my books like this, and it seems to work.
I have mostly written anecdotes of my kids daily adventures, family outings and such. Short stories that pop into my head. I am now starting to sum up the courage to attempt my 1st novel and was wondering the same thing plot or not? I decided not so much. I have a general idea of where I want to go but who knows what the chapters will unfold...
I start out with an Idea, any random idea and then by the end of the first paragraph, I try to imagine where it's going to go. I've learned that outlining is pointless for me because I never go back and look at it. I just go with the flow
While I can't fly by the seat of my pants, I can't overplot either. I find that falling into either ditch kills my work. If I try to totally "wing it" I get lost and off-track, but if I try to map out every single thing, it sucks the creativity out of the work. So I plot out major points. I know where I want to start, and where we are going, and the basic way we will get there. But I let the intermediate details and events unfold naturally. Then, once the whole mess is out on paper, I revise, revise, revise!!!
I just wanted to point this out because I thought it was somewhat funny. Lpspider you don't believe in fate as you've stated but in your avatar/icon whats that spelled on your fingers? On the subject of this thread I was reading and I was down right surprised. I've always thought that all great writers knew exactly what they were going to do in their stories before they wrote it. I was astonished (in a good way )when most of all I've read here, no one agrees with that theory. Even the bestselling horror writer Stephen King. I've always struggled coming up with the plot. I just liked going with whatever's flowing. And sometimes my ideas are obnoxious and ridiculous and the pieces don't always fit in the puzzle...but it works for me. I'm writing something right now and I did come up with the main plot but I have no idea how it will end. I'll get to that when I'm there. Anyway hope maybe I've made a decent reply to this thread and thanks for putting it up in the first place. It's made my day.
