I was wondering what techniques you use to determine whether or not to proceed with a story?
My preferred strategy is to bull through one story while ignoring all others that seep into my mind. However, it seems to be something that is not working currently, as I constantly jump from story to story, unsure which if any to focus upon. Do many people get others to look at early stages of a story and obtain feedback as to the direction the story appears to be heading?
My Real Life is about the same
I have about as much trouble dealing with multple tasks in Real Life (tm) as I do writing stories, although I think I handle story generation a little better.
If I get a new idea while I'm in the middle of something else, I generally let it gell for a while until I can figure out where it's going, and then create a folder for it and make a Synopsis page. This will have as much of the story drift as I can figure out, plus a list of characters (if any at that point) and some kind of timeline if appropriate. Then I let it drop till I've finished whatever I'm currently on. That way, when I come back to it I can use the Synopsis page as the basis for developing it fully.
Can't do that with Real Life. If certain things have to get done, they get done. Mind you, I've still a heck of a lot of not-so-urgent things that need doing, but my muse won't let me...
I have a lot of Synopsis pages, some with ideas that may never see the light of day. At least I have them written down ready for the day when I have nothing else to do (!). Regrettably, my head is also filled with a load of other ideas for tales I haven't even had time to write Synopsis pages for.
I find it tricky to write more than one thing at a time (although I have done it on occasion), since I am wary of plotlines and/or characters leaking from one story into another. I prefer to fixate on one story and get it finished while I have that particular "world" in my head.
Penny
How to proceed
It's a bad idea to let comments be your guide.
They can run hot and cold, and so will your feelings and motivation. When the comments are positive and complimentary, you feel like a genius. On the other hand, it's awfully difficult to go on when comments run against you. It can be quite demoralizing.
However, you have to notice that after ONE bad comment we can feel that no one at all likes what we've written.
My approach is to get the whole story down first. Know where it's going and how it's going to get there; what's going to upset the story and how it will get back on track. Work out all the kinks ahead of time, as much as possible. THEN you have a story to tell.
If you *like* that story, if it excites you, then THAT is what tells you whether to go on.
Next, write ahead: don't post your most recently written episode. Write at least three chapters but don't post them until the story seems to be going the right way. Once you're sure of it, re-read chapter one, tweak whatever needs tweaking and correcting and post it. After you finish chapter four, re-read chapter two, tweaking and correcting, then post it.
If you have the story worked out and few unposted chapters ready, it's much easier to keep going and keep your head.
If someone doesn't like your story and thinks it's going the wrong way, well! You already know how it's going to go, so be extremely careful taking advice about "errors" or changes of direction that some reader insists you must take.
There will always be someone who wants to grab the wheel and steer your story in their direction. It's difficult to not get confused or angry, but the best thing to do is thank them, let them have the last word, and go one with what you meant to do from the beginning. I'm not so good at all that, especially about keeping my temper, but I'm always proudest when I do.
The thing is, if you don't know where a story is going, it can be a lot of fun to write, but it's pretty easy to run into an apparent dead end or to let someone else tell you what you should do.
As far as skipping from story to story... it's easier to keep reader interest if you post regularly and don't make them wait forever (as some of us have).
Very good question!
I tend to work on several stories at once. That is why you usually see a cluster of stuff from me and then nothing for a while. Let me explain. I pick out the old incomplete stories I want to work on, normally there is also that New idea that is trying to muscle in. I work on the older stuff first, and when I'm stalled, then I jump to that New idea. I write for a while on that and then go back to the older stuff. The trick is not to let that New idea take over. That way I make progress on the old stuff and keep my creativity entertained with the new. Sometimes, my muse will reignite over one of the old stuff and when that happens I let her go for as long as she's willing to talk to me. Old business always come first! But it's better to work on anything at all then just sit inactive.
I do let my raw stuff out to be beta read, but only when the whole thing is more or less finished. I'm not always sure if my stories follow a logical path and having someone else check to see if it 'makes sense' helps.
I'm not sure if letting others see parts of an incomplete plot is a good idea. I know that some of my creativeness just doesn't make sense if told in parts. I guess it's like an artist who shows only the finished painting. The incomplete image can be misleading.
Maybe the best way to say this is to trust yourself. You're a good storyteller. Trust in that and write what you feel. If when you finish, you find out it needs some tweaking, well, okay. But don't second guess yourself. Put your doubts aside and have fun writing.
Hugs!
Grover
Stories tend to force themselves on me ...
... and demand i write them. I don't usually show them to anyone until they're done, and then I take their comments and suggestions if i feel they've seen something i didn't, or didn't see something I wanted them to see when i wrote the story.
I've been working on multiple stories for a while now, although some just stop me cold and insist i finish them first. The good thing about having other stories to jump to is that when you need to take a break from one, you can move to another without having to walk away from writing completely.
My advice to you is simple -- by all means, WRITE everything you can think of! Hang onto every story idea, be driven by your own muse, trust that you know your stories better than anyone else, and run with them.
*smile, hugs*
Randalynn
There's some excellent
There's some excellent advice posted here. I have to agree that one should accept all comments graciously, but stay committed to one's orignal plot. If you start to let others steer your writing, you will end up with a mess. Besides, if they really know how to write it better, why aren't they doing it? :)
My story idea method is to create a new file for every new inspiration thrown my way. The file contains a working title, a synopsis, and any reference material I think may be revelant. This insures I don't lose or forget the original inspiration, and provides a place to add notes until I have time to actually write the story itself.
As for writing, everyone gets stuck at times. When I get stuck on one story, I switch to another for a day or three, before going back to the original. Or I clean house, or teach myself to cook or bake something new, or build a time machine (they never work). Anything that will take my mind off that story for a spell. A short break often gives one a fresh perspective on their work.
A general rule-of-thumb is...the longer the story, the more specific and detailed the plot outline must be before you even start writing. You can often get away with no outline on short tales, but a novella or serial needs an outline. Otherwise you will either lose your readers or write yourself into a dead end.
In the end, it's your story. Spin us a yarn. Amaze us, amuse or surprise us. We're waiting...to see how it ends...
- vessica b
I have to agree
It is exactly why I don't make advices on writing - I don't know better. My own cup of tea is throwing new ideas around to inspire the authors and pointing out obscure references and trivia to enrich the side details of the story. I feel that by making SWAGs and by asking questions, I can let the author look at the story from a never-before-seen angle, and that is bound to be a good thing. ;)
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
We need to start a society
... of the muse-less ones.
*sigh*
I try to pay me dues with comments also. I thing by now I must have written at least a novellette's worth of commenting. It's the least I can do.
Kim
Don't ignore a story
just write it. You can always go back to one you've started. I have two novels in progress and have stopped writing one because I just didn't feel like writing it anymore, and this is after twenty-three chapters. I started another novel that's got me hooked about an assassin and I'm into it about ten chapters. Funny thing though, I heard a Christmas carol and I'll be Home popped into my head. I enjoyed taking a break from serious stories and I'm glad I did. Knock yourself out, write what you feel like writing, Arecee
My four cents' worth...
I cannot speak with authority on this subject matter, as I am a newbie in this writing shtick... ;)
But...
I find it difficult to write continuously on one story, and I guess I have a method similar to Grover, but it is not out of choice really. I guess I jump from story to story more because I have trouble maintaining momentum on one story, and therefore fill-in the "creative time" by working on another. And there are the moments that I dread - when the "writing well" dries up for a time, or I am too busy with real-life stuff, to work on ANY story.
I sorta agree with Kaleigh Way, that you shouldn't allow comments to be your guide, or rather, I should modify that statement a little bit: you shouldn't allow comments to be your ONLY guide.
Ultimately, you will need readers to read your work and to judge its quality. I firmly believe that if your opinion is the only opinion you give value to, I think you will end up fooling yourself: you need some outside perspective. But like any professional writer is wont to do, I think you should only pay attention to the opinions of critics or fellow writers whose opinion you value - it doesn't mean that anyone who has an opinion should sway your writing, rather what you need is "quality critics." And John Steinbeck made it clear how to select these quality critics - look for fellow writers whose work has impressed you, and try and solicit their opinion.
Here's another point - someone once said to me that she wrote basically to please herself. I do not agree with that - if you write for yourself, then why put it out in public? If you agree with this, you will therefore come to the conclusion that your writing is basically to cater to readers. Perhaps not ALL readers, but a select audience. In any case, you DO need to listen to "your public." The trick is which opinions should matter to you? I guess you should follow Steinbeck's advice.
And here's my last point - it is easy to get disheartened, especially by very sharp criticisms, sometimes even opinions that basically amount to personal attacks. We are all human, and we are all affected by these. I think it is important to take all of these criticisms that de-motivate you more objectively, and to not let it affect you too much. Steinbeck also had a suggestion about this. He said that you should imagine that these criticisms are criticisms about other people - not you. By doing so, you will be able to evaluate them more objectively.
As to the writing itself - just write when the spirit moves you. There are lots of techniques, I am sure, to get the creative juices flowing, such as Kaleigh's ver detailed method of writing pieces of it ahead before publishing, or the off-the-cuff style of Arecee. My own point of view is just to write when the spirit moves you. This does tend to have a drawback, though, as Kaleigh observed - that stories tend to remain hanging... (this is my main problem at the moment..)
Anyway, good luck in the writing.
- Bobbie
p.s. the reason it's four cents instead of two cents is because of inflation... we're in the middle of a recession after all... heheheh
Thank You for the Feedback
This writing thing creates a twisted world in which to spend time. What works for one person may not work for another. And what works once may never work again. It creates situations where you wonder if you can smoothly rhyme thalweg with egg and makes you try and describe mental images, so bright and real, in a manner not drab and boring.
I guess a person just needs to plug away. I need to plug away. Maybe soon, I will be able to finish my May contest entry, only 4 (maybe 5) sections to go.
Maintaining continuity.
I have to confess, I get serious peaks and troughs when getting motivated for a new story. At the moment I'm re-writing and posting Skipper on BC whilst I'm on stop with Sissy Farm on Fictionmania because I made a big continuity error and I'm having to rethink oodles of stuff. Carrying two stories at once in my simple tranny (single tasking) brain can cause wierd results. It means I am constantly flipping between stories trying to ensure continuity and cohesion. It also makes for stupid mistakes and to date I have managed to avoid it mainly. (Writing 2 stories at once that is.) But if you look at my story list on Fictionmania, you'll see that sometimes one story line dries up while another sneaks into my head. Alternatively, I respond to comments and critiques and get inspiration from those then you'll note from posting dates that I've had the Meuse retunrn.
It's really wierd and sometimes I have absolutely no idea where the idea for a story comes from.
Beverly