Does anyone know of a systematic approach to creating a piece. Something that would help in the planning idea stage of writing your piece.
I think the more you plan the less you write. Most of my favorite writers have a very simple system. They set aside a chunk of time to write. They turn their phones off, don't answer the door, and just focus on writing during this time.
I'm in the pre-planning stage of my story right now. All I do is ask myself questions and try to answer them. Like what is my mc's goal? Why? Will he reach it? What kind of things are keeping him from reaching it? If I can't answer them right away, I move on to another topic. And if I reach another blockade after that, I brainstorm my setting or conflicts. This isn't the most systematic approach, I know. I've got a few composition books filled with notes and details and scraps of scenes. This certainly doesn't keep me organized,but it does help me get some stuff done.
I agree with most people here that trying to systemize your writing too much will only shorten it or depriciate it. One thing I do recommend though, is have a general idea of what the ending will be before you write it. You have to do this to build foresight, and give you direction when you start to feel writers block. For instance use the LOTR ending, and build a story from that. An evil ring needs to be destroyed, so people eventually get to a mountain and destroy it. Now, build your story from the start, while always keeping in mind that it must ultimatley lead to that ending. You'll find yourself having a much easier time developing the characters and plots that ultimatley lead to that one very ending. Nothing's more frusturating than stories that don't seem to want to end and drag on.
Never heard it like that before but it makes major since. I might work on some stuff during work tonight since it's Friday and all I don't work at work that much (Company Policy).
I know that I've been stuck in the planning process for a very long time. The thing is I plan a bit too much towards the idea and in the end know the entire story front to back to the point where it just gets boring to write with no surprises to you the writer yourself to spice up your story instead of trudging along grudgingly at the slow parts of it. Start on characters first, that way when you get their personalities and details just right you can freely fit them in a setting that you feel most comfortable with. Take it slow and first as a previous poster had stated figure out point A and point B. After that write what comes to mind, how you feel that a character would react in a current situation that you throw at them. You can always edit and make improvements towards something of your piece, plenty of times have I scrapped pages of text details after I didn't like the way a conversation had happened between two characters. Just have patience, time, and a good basis to a plot that you could start on. It's always fun to surprise yourself once in awhile on what you could throw into a piece.
