how do you usually work out how a story going to turn out? I was thinking of trying this out: plan a rough beginning/then a rough ending/and then various in betweeners for example B for beginning He was a mathematician and famous band singer E for Ending He turned out to be the related to a Prince from a different coutry not yet existing . IB for inbetweeners rupture of the band bumping into a very old friend stumbled against a mathematical theory How do you go about your stories?
I'm curious what you mean by "stumbled against a mathematical theory"? I think perhaps (and this is in my opinion) you should do more planning before writing that than. It's good to have rough ideas, but it'll be a more complete story if you get to know your character better and the essential plot parts. How could someone be related to a prince of a country that doesn't exist? And why is that good? Or is it not good? How are you going to link these seemingly disparate ideas and what does math have to do with it? Does the theory prevent him or help him figure out or do something? Is this a real theory you'll be using or one you make up? For us mathematicians, it should be something proven or something we could prove. It should be believable if you're going to work math into it. Just my opinion again. I often see in movies or read in books involving math huge errors that the non-math person may not notice but that turns me off because I notice. Such as the movie "Proof" with Gwyneth Paltrow. The whole concept and interaction between characters and how they talked about math just wasn't realistic to me. Math people wouldn't talk to other math people the way they did. Just wondering anyway what more your story will be about. You cannot communicate it well (imo) until you actually know.
I always know exactly where I'm going and how I'm going to get there before I start writing. My outlines tend to end up quite long (35k is the maximum to date) as a result. My ideas come to me in the form of scenes, rather than overall concepts, so sometimes I don't even really know what my story is genuinely about until I've spent several weeks with the characters. I usually started from the initial (often key) scenes that inspired the idea and then work outwards from each of these scenes until (a) they connect with each other and (b) I reach an ideal start/end point for the story. This means that most of the time the last two scenes to be planned will be the beginning and the ending.
The only novel I currently have on the writing board I apporached as such: A one page breakdown of the MC's main characterisations and major plot points in bullet point / short pargaraph form. (Size 10 Arial - about 500 words) As it was Sci fi and set in a new universe I had to create that universe, so I then got on with 19 additional pages of background history, alien races major traits, the social system, justice, the economy, crime figures and so forth. The plot and the characters tend to 'grow' themselves in my writing so I don't want to, or feel the need to constrain them and sometimes they do things that surprise me! (Sounds odd seeing as I wirte them but in my style of writing the story happens to me usually rather than me writing the story!!) It's currently in second edit so I have no idea what I think of it yet. With my short stories its much simpler. I start with the opening sentence and it all just runs along from there. Of course I am blessed with a ridiculous memory for utter nonsense and an inagination the size of Europe so...
I get an idea, or think of a character and an interesting circumstance to put him in - and off I go. Little if any other planning involved - a few notes as ideas hit along the way.
I generally get a basic idea, or sometimes just a scene, and i think about it and what will happen at the end. Then i write a basic outline - generally up to three pages - and include all the detailed scenes that played through my mind at the time. I now have a 300+ page book full of just story ideas i have written. Several times, though the storyline flows nicely from start to finish, when i actually start writing it i find i havent put enough detail in and i get lost. or i've only inlcuded one aspect of the story, such as the relationship between two characters. Often i might write 30+ pages before realising that my story has no centre, nothing happening in the middle.
Once I get my general idea, I usually set up the "tent poles" of the story: I. The beginning, such as the introduction of the characters, setting, conflict, etc. II. A turning point to spin the plot in a new direction. III. Another turning point. IV. The climax. V. The wind-down/resolution. Then I basically write out random scenes or ideas that I've come up with and try to fit them in between the bare bones of the story. I develop the story more as I actually start to write it out.
i usually know how a story/novel is going to turn out before i start writing it... and if i don't, i simply let the story unfold till it gets to the end... i wouldn't do any planning unless and until i get to a point where timelines and/or subplots need to be laid out, in order to keep them straight... there's no 'best' or 'right' way... whatever method works for you is the one you should use...
It means that my character who is a Maths avid whilst researching some numbers stumbled on a new mathematical theory. yes you are right, this is just a brief/an outline to what the story is going to be about. I get to know my characters by giving them ideas or points to clear or solve. It is good because whilst I am outlining this story I am also covering myself/planning ahead for a next story. I don't know yet but these bullet points, it is liked joining points together when you are drawing something, it is not about a specific shape, but it is the many possibilites of shapes. it is because I like Maths and so if I am passionate something it will come across in my stories. For example I also like poetry so I will have a poetic feel to my story it could be both story and poetry at the same time. The use of metaphors would be one way of doing it. Maths is always a solution and never a hindrance so yes it would make sense in the story only after one has stumbled into that is, and without knowing of course. The best ever things that are discovered are ones that are not been looked for and which appear out of the blue as if by force. it depends on the story if it is fiction then it made up if it is real then of course it would be real. I understand excatly what you mean. It is not an error it is a mean or a justification that will fit the story so you as a Mathematician would not see it as an error but as a new possibility only to the story though. I am working through it gathering points and outlining situations. It is a forward looking story with a past,a present and a futuristic outlook with events unfolding as the story progresses. It starts with one character and then moves one to more characters as and when needed. I am still working on development and agendas. It is up in the air if you like.
