I used to do this in childhood (i imagine a lot of people did), im wondering if anyone has ever done this (in adulthood obviously) and actually made a decent story this way?
Yes however I usally do not start at once upon a time and never stray until I reach the end. Often the evolution of the character's later in the story will warrant rewriting the front half but if that is the price I need to pay to write non cardboard characters my only question would be. Who do I make the check out to ?
In order to compensate for my present tense style of creating I start everything with "Once upon a time like a split second ago " to remind me present tense does not roll as easy in prose form
I write my novels this way - my first draft is always a disaster and needs completely rewritten often the plot is back to front, inside out and upside down. Characters need adding and taking away etc. Just had to rewrite beginning of one story because murder was in wrong place and it couldn't continue that way. Whether they are any good I guess is upto the reader but I am pleased with the results. (unlike Killian I write my novels in present tense).
I think present tense suits the more contempoary styles that form part of writing now. Also now I have been writing it pretty constantly for a year is now a habit I am not sure I can be bothered breaking lol
I, personally, think writing, and writing well, suits all writing styles. I just write the best I can in whatever style it comes to me, and in as many drafts as are needed until the kinks are out.
Thats the story of my stories, I get a basic idea, like, a main charecter or/and a situation that the charecters in, and I build the story around that
Go ape chit....Ignore the over emphasis on technical (the writing) pay homage to the art (the creative) Try not to edit while you’re creating. Creating and editing are two separate processes using different sides of the brain. Make a deal with your internal editor that it will get the chance to rip your piece to shreds; it will just need to wait some time. It is easier to reel it in than it is to crank it up. Granted my advice is probably inapplicable in a plot driven who-done-it
Yep. I started with a basic idea and started writing it, but my brain is always a few steps ahead so I know what happens next, where the book ends and so forth. My latest screenplay I did not even have a genre planned, I just wanted to take a break from my novel and sitcom so I started typing with nothing in my head and it turned out to be my best work.
I do this because I can't plan. I come up with a character, maybe a concept, and write. I end up with relatively complicated plots and a few ideas added here and there. But the plot is written by the seat of my pants. I'm 24K one of these actually.
If nothing else you come up with some cool bath water babies stuff you can use in another piece when a current improv stalls or careens off track bath water babies = deleted sences, deleted characters saved for future use
I usually go dot-to-dot, where I know where I want to try and end up. I did write something that was basically no-plot and labeled it self-indulgent when I uploaded it. A few people liked it, at least one hated it.
I often write a story as I go and skipping the planning stage of my story. I often do this and post it in the short story contest. Notice that it does not fit well perfectly without re-drafting it at all.
I've tried doing this several times, but I never manage to finish those stories. I need to plan them out first, or they just end up being all over the place with too many plot holes for my poor brain to handle. The plan doesn't have to be that detailed though. Just need to take note of the key events and the end of the novel. That way I have something to go by and base the characters around.
If it's a short story around 500-2k words I can do it. Anything longer and I just trip over my own feet and the plot turns into disaster. There must always be a plan.
Surely. It's the only way. Who gets the whole story beg/mid/end, plot and sub plots in one inspirational moment? - It doesn't happen for me, I have to work at it. And if I do know where I'm going and what I am aiming for, I often change direction and end up somewhere complete different from where I envisaged in the first place.
Am I the only person who doesn't do that? I always have to have it planned to some degree otherwise I don't know what I'm writing. I mean, if at least have the beginning planned, then I can work from that and figure out where it needs to go. Most importantly, I need to plan out MCs beforehand so that I can see them all individually and know how they will behave... D:
I've always done it as a child but I don't really do it any more...I vaguely plan out then kind of make it up as I go.
I usually just go for it as well. As I write things come to me but it's not a plan so much as an organic process of "I planted that seed there and it will bloom into something" - whether it comes up as the flower I expected or a flesh-eating triffid is where the fun is.
My question is who does and has made a success out of it? And by success I mean, the second draft takes less time to write than the first. I personally think this method is used by those who have a greater passion for the idea of writing, than actually writing a novel. Which isn't really a bad thing. Elgaisma described something about her first draft coming out disjointed, upside down forcing her to do volumes of rewriting, and that's exactly how I imagine it would end up being. In the end you're using the stimulus of writing to build up your plot. While others like myself only start a project when they have enough of a plot to stimulate the writing. Both methods could work, but I think I'm safe in saying you'll do way less typing and retyping with the second one.
Doing it that way when my Fibromyalgia (ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) doesn't get in the way I can easily produce a novel every two to three months. (To completion). I have only been writing fourteen months but have one complete work that I am now sending out to publishers and agents, two complete first drafts (one is further on than that but have decided I want to progress further in my writing ability before completing it) and I am currently working through a story that I am tearing my hair out with but very, very pleased with. Second draft is much easier takes much less time to write - but I very rarely refer to the first draft when doing it. Usually takes a third before I am happy with it. However I don't think my current one will need that - think after the deletion it will probably only take a second draft and an edit (may take more remains to be seen). I am hoping over time as I get into a pattern and the hang of things it will take less writing. I am seeing things change and this one won't need the level of editing my first did.
