I saw a quote recently, can't remember where, but it said that people expect the process of writing stories to get easier, but it doesn't. It gets harder.
I don't know if that's a rule or a law, but it has seemed that way for a while now.
And please, I'm not talking about my muse or about feeling like writing, and I'm absolutely not talking about writer's block. I've got a ton of material, and I write every weekday for at least a couple of hours. All that writing doesn't mean that I end up with something worth posting. There is nothing wrong with writing for an hour or two, looking at the result and saying, "Nope, that's not it."
For me, the problem is always where to start. You can't just say "start at the beginning." When and where did the story begin, exactly? I often think I know, and I set off scribbling, but... When I find myself having to explain everything, or explain a lot, it means that I've chosen the wrong starting point.
Another popular starting place is in media res: in the middle of things. Maybe that can work, as long as you don't have to go shifting back and forth in time. It can get confusing. I don't think I have a big enough brain to deal with a concept so vast. I'd love to write on a big scale, but don't think I have the chops. Maybe if I had a wall at home that I could fill with post-it notes and 3x5 cards... maybe.
Even without arriving at a story that's worth posting, I think by writing every weekday I've learned a lot. I've found a great way to organize my notes. It takes some work, but it works for me.
But then... I suddenly found that I need a new way of organizing something else: all the versions of chapter one that I write.
Even so, I've had a breakthrough -- I can tell more quickly when I have to back up in time, and start the story earlier: it's like I said, it's when I'm writing more explanation than story. Another sign that I started in the wrong place is that I get overwhelmed when I look through my notes. It's like where am I going to put this? and I guess I can't use that scene.
When I find the right starting point, it's just story. The right starting point immediately qualifies as the organizing principle, as the bellwether that all my notes and ideas can follow. I look through my notes and say, right, this comes in after the other thing or this fits into what I'm writing now.
Anyway, all I'm trying to say is that I think I've finally hit the vein, and I can tell a story that's been sitting in the maturation tank for a good long while. It's not exactly a sequel to The Night I Escaped From The Zoo, but it's strongly associated to it.
I'm happy. I'm not promising soon, but I'm promising something.
- iolanthe
Comments
As Mr. Spock would say . . . .
"Fascinating." I really enjoy reading about how other people do this whole writing thing.
I've often found that clunkiness is a sign that something is wrong organizationally. And unfortunately it doesn't manifest until there's a lot of blood on the page.
It may not be soon, but it will be great to see a new story from you!
— Emma
Points...
Some great points made in this post and by Ms. Tate.
I personally have only been ever to drop a reader in the midst of a situation and run with the story that follows. Part of that is because starting when whatever character was born to them losing that first tooth, to whatever else made up pieces of their lives is minutia I find hard to compose, make believable, and tough to make not yawn worth or oft written in nauseum. The organizational responsibilities on top of all of that are immense! Any 'history' I feel needs to get added is done as organically / gracefully as possible and is only added when it might be relevant to the plot or something needed to better explain a character. It's a balancing act for sure...
I should be more organized, but I write with a vision of a situation, with a rough idea of where I want to end up, and hope to heck it turns into a decent ride. This is NOT typical writer technique and I don't recommend it and have 'clunky' sections of pretty much every story I've written that I should go back to and fix. If I had more discipline I'm sure my dribble would be a whole lot better - but alas, I don't have an unlimited opportunity to type out a story.
Now writers block - I get that more lately than I have in the past. Maybe because I'm reading more amazing stories - like Ms. Tate's stuff - and I get stuck thinking the bar I'm trying to saddle up too won't accept my two-bits for a draft beer because my story isn't worthy. Seriously, I have five stories in various stages of first couple chapters and have written myself into ugly blockages and end up putting them aside to perk-a-late...
Organization, reading (and NOT trying to match those authors brilliance), and maybe relaxing a bit / accepting that what you write will likely resonate with someone - is probably the best way to roll. Maybe... :-) Write on!
XOXOXO
Rachel M. Moore...
Organization
You're way more organized than me. :)
I tend to use the bachelor spaghetti method when writing, throw it against the wall to see what sticks. :)
My outlines are more often just in my head, because if I write the outline down, the energy often goes out of the project. I don't write stories so much as discover them.
I have, at times, discarded as much as 100 pages of something that wasn't working, but that doesn't happen too often.
When I was a kid, I often did impromptu puppet shows for the other kids, making it up as I went along in front of a live audience. All of my writing attempts to recreate the thrill of that kind of storytelling.
Nice to have an insight into how you do it. :)
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
What’s the saying?
Something like “Writing is easy, you simply stare at a piece of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead?”
And once you get it down, hope the reader will do something sane. I once was soundly criticized for not motivating enough of what happened. By someone who bragged of starting at Chapter 3.
Always tricky
Getting that right kick-off chapter is indeed a challenge, especially with regards to what point in time/scene to use for the launch. The last few books I've done (including the next one that I was hoping to get its first part posted this weekend but sadly may be stuck working instead, argh!) went through many a round of 'chuck that chapter into storage, start again!' until I felt happy enough with it and was able to keep going. That first anchor is so important to set up the 'question/challenge' properly for the book and story to then answer. Running multiple parallel story-lines can require having more than one starting point too - even more fun!
So yep, I've definitely spent weeks wrestling with figuring that out too. :)
- Erisian
Write what you've got
I've got one story where I wrote the end first, then wrote scenes and kinda strung then together. Once I had enough scenes I wrote bridging material and Voila!, I had a story! Another work in progress started with the end, then jumped back to the end. Then I decided to double the size of the beginning and attached part of the end to it as a sort of intro teaser. Now I'm waiting on the middles to burst forth.
Write down what you have, so you don't forget it. Each story gets its own folder and all the various bit of a story go into that folder. Then later on I can pick and choose for the final complete version. You can add background bits at that time, rather than worry about explaining everything right then.
For me, writing a story is like building with Legos. I start out with the idea of what I want to build, then pick and choose pieces to get what I want.
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
Not losing anything
That is for sure! I've really enjoyed jotting down scenes, bits of dialog, plot ideas, etc., on my phone when I'm out and about. It helps immensely!
- iolanthe
There is no right or wrong way to write
despite what many sooth-Sayers might say.
There are two basic approaches to writing.
1) The 'suck it and see how it goes' school of penmanship.
2) The 'plan it to death before writing' method.
I am in the first category as I suspect most people here are.
How you go about creating a story is a very personal thing. We are all different.
One point that people forget about a story.
- It is a journey and by the end, the main character will have changed unless... your character is 'Jack Reacher' or Marg Simpson. If you don't allow for that then your story won't work very well.
How you organise your work again is very individual. Many of us start a lot of stories that end up going nowhere. Some of us will delete them. Others will just file it away because there might be a character in them that could be used in another story. I know one very successful author who saves nothing...
Do what feels right for you and to hell what others might tell you.
Samantha
Really enjoying hearing how you others do it
Thanks for sharing!
hugs,
- iolanthe
Trying to write never works
The only stories I remember "trying to write" were in English class. Total failures. The stories start at the beginning and end when finished. If I said I knew or understood what I was writing, I'd be lying. There are possibly over three dozen unfinished stories on my HD and jump drives I tried to push. Never worked.
Each author has their own unique way of bringing a story to life. Add in each story is uniquely told by said author and telling someone how to write is not happening. I've skimmed published novels and knew someone was sleeping with someone to get that puppy in print because they had no redeeming quality either in the necessary parts to make a story nor a story line worth reading.
If one can't understand the difference in writing skills think of movies. No doubt most everyone has seen exceptional movies just as they have seen movies they wish they hadn't wasted their time. It is the same with stories. If one has a tale wishing to escape then go for it. Again like movies which are re shot on location or the studio and then re edited in the final cut. Don't give up because one's story doesn't flow. Tweak it until it does. Movie directors, authors, the difference is which medium they use to tell their story.
Hugs Iolanthe
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl