i can't believe i've made it this far now, thirty pages into it and i've just started on the fourth chapter. it probably sounds funny to some of you, but i've always wanted to write a book and felt i could... but never got serious about it until now. i'm having some issues with trying to figure out the plot though. i had it all planned out almost to a tee, but have started thinking about making some changes to it. it's weird because at first i felt like this was the plot i've been looking for to write, but now it feels like it may be a bore. maybe because it's sunk itself in my head so much that nothing comes as a surprise anymore... do you guys feel attached to what you're writing at all times? do you guys keep writing even though you're not getting a good feel of the story?
Go with what seems natural while you are writing. Unexpected things happen all the time when authors are writing stories. Follow the changes and see what happens.
What Liz said. As you write, your characters develop and you begin to see more possibilities for them. As your story develops, you see nuances and subplots that hadn't occurred to you when you first developed the plot. Not only is that normal, it's a very good thing for your story and shows you are growing as a writer. Outlines and character arcs are great devices, but they should never limit you. I outlined my current project very carefully, but that has not prevented me from making changes as they occurred to me. Good luck.
my reaction to writing is why plan the plot? i have things i want to happen in the story, but i never plan how im going to get there, i do what i like to call 'Half Planning' which is basically a character description and a few key elements that influence the story a lot like for instance, a character has bi-polar disorder, how is that going to affect him to, say, go on to be a famous composer? let it flow, if you get writing and you feel it going in a different direction than planned, go with it, it may be a better idea than the one you originally thought of, you can always go back and change it!
I'm a first-time writer too. The thing that completely surprised me was how the plot and dialogue takes care of itself. I go into a chapter with an outline of what needs to be said and what needs to happen, but by the time I reach the end of it I have pages of stuff I'd never foreseen and other plot avenues to explore. The bit that weirds me out the most is when I realise that some unplanned detail that bubbled out of my subconscious thirty pages ago is a catalyst for something that's core to the plot but I hadn't even attempted to address yet. Trust your subconscious - it knows where the story is going.
i know what you mean by words just somehow making its way onto the pages almost flawlessly at times even. the thing about unplanned details bubbling out of the subconscious after the fact, is having to go over and re-do stuff earlier on to fit it better into the story... what i'm having problems now is not knowing if i've introduced the characters well enough, or if i've narrated too much or not enough or too much character thoughts, etc... i don't know if that makes sense
Some outline, some write by the seat of their pants. Neither is wrong or right. Do what works for you. The OP sounds like a planner. Perhaps you may like to look into structure, and certainly different plot schemes -- none of which is right or wrong, but they are worth investigating to see what works for you. Google is your friend. Also, the process of drafting is a different process to that of editing and revising. They use different parts of the brain. I find draft the work, then set it aside for a period, before coming back to it to edit and revise. So, to answer your first question, yes, it is all too easy to become attached to your writing and to see it in an objective manner -- set it aside. Also, that's the great thing about communities -- get feedback, but remember, don't edit until you can see your writing objectively. Yes, keep writing regardless. Better to write crap, then to write none at all (and lets face it, drafts are crap -- the art of writing is in the rewriting). And, to improve takes writing. Write, write, write. Like I say, when you come back to it, ensure objectivity. And, look to improve your craft -- always.
