Starting April 1 (how appropriate!) I will be writing a story I was supposed to be developing all this month, but I've only managed to come up with an ending to. I'll be pantsing it.
That means this particular story will be an outline and rough draft in one, full of dead ends and scary surprises. Well, the scary surprises should be there, considering that it will be horror. Yet I think I'm mostly the one in for the unexpected frights. This might be one of my 'hot mess-don't let it see the light again' stories.
And I really liked the idea for this, too. Maybe I can adapt it as a screenplay later. Yeah, that's right. Convince yourself that this isn't a waste of time...
Showing posts with label outline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label outline. Show all posts
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Organizing My Papers
When I'm stuck, I inevitably turn to writing by hand. I just need the stimulation of the movement and feel of real paper and a real pen in my hands to get ideas flowing.
Unfortunately, this leads me with piles of loose papers scattered about. Today I decided to organize this mess. The task is breathtakingly difficult. I'm unable to throw away anything, and my writings are so diverse that it's hard to group them. If I did a breakdown of a comedy sitcom pilot, built a magic system, researched psychopathy, etc., etc. How do I group these? Are they all research? They don't seem to go together. I think I'd be confused if I found them in the same box or bin together.
Then how do I keep the details straight of a story that I've developed. I don't just want to lump the whole deal together. I want to quickly reference the characters of a particular story. I can't do that if they're in one big pile. Yet if I separate them, there's a big chance that I'll forget that they even went together in the first place.
Oh, the boxes. I have so many boxes. Where will I put them all? Should I be estimating this to take a week?
Unfortunately, this leads me with piles of loose papers scattered about. Today I decided to organize this mess. The task is breathtakingly difficult. I'm unable to throw away anything, and my writings are so diverse that it's hard to group them. If I did a breakdown of a comedy sitcom pilot, built a magic system, researched psychopathy, etc., etc. How do I group these? Are they all research? They don't seem to go together. I think I'd be confused if I found them in the same box or bin together.
Then how do I keep the details straight of a story that I've developed. I don't just want to lump the whole deal together. I want to quickly reference the characters of a particular story. I can't do that if they're in one big pile. Yet if I separate them, there's a big chance that I'll forget that they even went together in the first place.
Oh, the boxes. I have so many boxes. Where will I put them all? Should I be estimating this to take a week?
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Using Presentation Software as Digital Index Cards
Writing, blah, blah, blah. Screenplay, blah, blah, blah.
I've done a step-outline (scene list), and that showed me major gaps in my story. However, I couldn't see where they were. Therefore, I decided to use powerpoint (generic: presentation software) to help me see what needed to be filled in.
I like small scenes, so for my particular story, each slide equals one-2 minute scene. I will need 50-55 scenes to make a 105 page script...that will probably be more like 45-50 in the end, however.
If I can't fit the scene on the card, then I know that the scene needs to be reworked. Then I play the presentation, looking for the flow and pacing. I notice which characters are being left out for too long and which storylines are forgotten. I also get a feel for when I begin a plot point too late or too early.
Something needs to go in a different place? Just drag it there. Need to delete a scene. A couple of clicks (I only do this on the copy) and it's done.
Very helpful. Best of all, I don't have a hundred cards to mix up or lose.
I've done a step-outline (scene list), and that showed me major gaps in my story. However, I couldn't see where they were. Therefore, I decided to use powerpoint (generic: presentation software) to help me see what needed to be filled in.
I like small scenes, so for my particular story, each slide equals one-2 minute scene. I will need 50-55 scenes to make a 105 page script...that will probably be more like 45-50 in the end, however.
If I can't fit the scene on the card, then I know that the scene needs to be reworked. Then I play the presentation, looking for the flow and pacing. I notice which characters are being left out for too long and which storylines are forgotten. I also get a feel for when I begin a plot point too late or too early.
Something needs to go in a different place? Just drag it there. Need to delete a scene. A couple of clicks (I only do this on the copy) and it's done.
Very helpful. Best of all, I don't have a hundred cards to mix up or lose.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Filling out the Middle
In the second story I'm working on (I'm working on three right now--yeah, I know smart, right?), I finally worked out how to make the story build to the climax instead of kind of--I don't know--plateau to it.
I had to think about the 'promise of the premise' and what someone reading my story would expect from it by the title, blurb, cover, synopsis, etc. My job is not to deliver exactly what they want, but to give them an experience that satisfies some part of what they are looking for.
I mean, my story will be labeled by genre, for one. I have to meet those expectations. If my books says 'Western' but I set it at the North Pole, then people are going to be furrowing eyebrows and getting confused. And there's no need for that. People seek out certain stories hoping for certain experiences, and I don't want to fool them--deliberately or not.
Therefore, I thought carefully about the experience and message and story I'll be promising to the audience. Will everything that I promised ultimately be delivered? Am I promising things I have no intentions of giving them? Am I continually building toward that promise to keep their expectations going up? Is what I'm giving them better than what they expected?
That last question is the one I'm always striving for. I'm not always going to give a reader what he or she wants because sometimes the reader wants the safe, boring choice. I just have to be sure to show how, in all its glory, the choice I've presented is the best one for the story.
Boy, do I fail at doing that.
I had to think about the 'promise of the premise' and what someone reading my story would expect from it by the title, blurb, cover, synopsis, etc. My job is not to deliver exactly what they want, but to give them an experience that satisfies some part of what they are looking for.
I mean, my story will be labeled by genre, for one. I have to meet those expectations. If my books says 'Western' but I set it at the North Pole, then people are going to be furrowing eyebrows and getting confused. And there's no need for that. People seek out certain stories hoping for certain experiences, and I don't want to fool them--deliberately or not.
Therefore, I thought carefully about the experience and message and story I'll be promising to the audience. Will everything that I promised ultimately be delivered? Am I promising things I have no intentions of giving them? Am I continually building toward that promise to keep their expectations going up? Is what I'm giving them better than what they expected?
That last question is the one I'm always striving for. I'm not always going to give a reader what he or she wants because sometimes the reader wants the safe, boring choice. I just have to be sure to show how, in all its glory, the choice I've presented is the best one for the story.
Boy, do I fail at doing that.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Figuring out the End to Know Where to Begin
I'm forcing myself to develop this story. Not because I'm not interested in it, but because it's so dauntingly blank. I know so little about it.
But today I had a breakthrough. I began working on the ending. In particular, I chose the lessons that the main character will learn about what's going on inside herself and where she's been going wrong in dealing with others. Then I have her clearly see the correct path in righting her wrongs against others. Will she take it?
I immediately became excited when I limited where the story could go. Weird, huh? A lot of writers would say they'd lose interest if they knew the end. Yet, I don't really know the end, the end. I don't know the climax of the story. I just know the resolution. That's different. I know how she solves her problem, but I don't know how she will confront it; I don't know how the battle will turn out. I don't know if she will win or lose.
I still have many choices to make. Knowing that makes narrowing down the ending freeing. And now I know more about where to begin, at what point in the story is the starting point. I know more clearly what my first words will be.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
When You Don't Know the Story
I'm developing a story that I'll be writing in April. I have no idea what it will ultimately be about. That's truly scary. Usually, I will have thought months about it in my head and worked out some scenes and characters. I don't have any characters in mind or what will happen or how this will play out.
It will all be completely made up as I go along. The development stage has been going along slowly; I've been working more on my script than this novella. Where do I start with this? Do I plot it out? Try to get a character in my head? Piece out a scene? Come up with a compelling conflict? I generally know the end, but that hasn't propelled the story into my mind as it usually does.
I wonder if that means the idea is D.O.A.
It will all be completely made up as I go along. The development stage has been going along slowly; I've been working more on my script than this novella. Where do I start with this? Do I plot it out? Try to get a character in my head? Piece out a scene? Come up with a compelling conflict? I generally know the end, but that hasn't propelled the story into my mind as it usually does.
I wonder if that means the idea is D.O.A.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Why I Outline
So, apparently this is important to writers; therefore, I will pretend this important to me because I'm discovering if I have what it takes to be a writer.
I didn't know writing methods mattered one way or another: I'm a simple girl--if I find that something works, I do it. I've been taught to use outlines to guide my work and I use them occasionally. Sometimes I don't. It's all about what works for me when I approach any particular idea.
Some ideas are complex and I have definite things I want to reveal and explore. These ideas need outlines to structure them so that they are coherent and so that I don't wander from my main purpose and get lost. For these particular ideas and stories, I have an endgame in mind. This is the destination (let's say NYC) and this is how I want to get there (by car!). Sometimes I plan out exactly how I want the story to end (Central Park on Mon, Statue of Liberty on Tues, off-Broadway show on Wed) and sometimes it's more general (shopping, eating, touring). The more specifically I plan what I'm doing at the destination, the more focused my story becomes (well, if I'm going to NYC, then I can take one of four routes). I then figure out what kind of story I'm telling, one that matches the ending (if I'm seeing an off-Broadway show, then I have to save up money and get tickets way in advance; if I'm shopping, I had better make sure that I have enough room in my suitcases and car for new stuff).
Now, I may write a slightly different plot than I had planned and add unexpected subplots to the story (detours!), but usually I'm still heading in the same direction (NYC). There may be times when I realize that the plot I'm working on doesn't fit the ending I've planned. Then I have to decide whether I will get back on track or follow the new plot (Hey,Chicago is now on my route!). I also have to decide whether what I've already written is a part of the old story if I've decided to go back to the original plot (or was I just lost?).
To tell the truth, I almost never end up where I thought I was going. But the outlines guide me and free me to concentrate on the journey. If I have an ending in mind, even if it will change, I can make my journey specific and memorable. I find that if I plan for surprises and discoveries, I find them more often.
In any case, my outlines allow for changes, and I always keep in mind that this outline is a guide not a rule. I'm not even specific with them. I'll put down "She learns a big secret" vs "She learns that her mother is really her aunt." I give myself as much leeway as I can so that I'm not burdened with trying to make a story go in a way that may not be working any more (did I mention I do what works?). I can let the characters and story build in organic ways without being confined to writing it happen in one particular way.
On the other hand, I may have a more straightforward story in mind. With these I can start with a premise and just write. However, at some point in the story I have to go back and outline to help me analyse the patterns and structures I have made. Then I decide whether I'm headed somewhere worthwhile and adjust as necessary. Making the story up as I go can feel spontaneous and thrilling, but there's a bigger chance that I will become frustrated when I suspect that I may be going nowhere at all. I like spending my time writing stories not searching for them.
Actually, I look at pantsing as just creating a different type of outline. One that is more detailed, to be sure, but just an outline that gets down specific dialogue and narration and character actions. I have to be willing to change and explore through pantsing just as much as I would through a less detailed outline.
So I guess it comes down to whether or not vivid scenes (and whether the scenes make up the bulk of the story or only a small part) come to mind when I'm working on a story. If they do, sometimes it's best to throw it all down in the heat of the moment and then go back over it and give it structure and connect the dots through a general outline.
Some writers feel that outlines suck the fun and creativity out of writing. I find they help me find it. With outlines, I can concentrate on revealing memorable characters and creating an interesting plot. It's all a matter of perspective.
I didn't know writing methods mattered one way or another: I'm a simple girl--if I find that something works, I do it. I've been taught to use outlines to guide my work and I use them occasionally. Sometimes I don't. It's all about what works for me when I approach any particular idea.
Some ideas are complex and I have definite things I want to reveal and explore. These ideas need outlines to structure them so that they are coherent and so that I don't wander from my main purpose and get lost. For these particular ideas and stories, I have an endgame in mind. This is the destination (let's say NYC) and this is how I want to get there (by car!). Sometimes I plan out exactly how I want the story to end (Central Park on Mon, Statue of Liberty on Tues, off-Broadway show on Wed) and sometimes it's more general (shopping, eating, touring). The more specifically I plan what I'm doing at the destination, the more focused my story becomes (well, if I'm going to NYC, then I can take one of four routes). I then figure out what kind of story I'm telling, one that matches the ending (if I'm seeing an off-Broadway show, then I have to save up money and get tickets way in advance; if I'm shopping, I had better make sure that I have enough room in my suitcases and car for new stuff).
Now, I may write a slightly different plot than I had planned and add unexpected subplots to the story (detours!), but usually I'm still heading in the same direction (NYC). There may be times when I realize that the plot I'm working on doesn't fit the ending I've planned. Then I have to decide whether I will get back on track or follow the new plot (Hey,Chicago is now on my route!). I also have to decide whether what I've already written is a part of the old story if I've decided to go back to the original plot (or was I just lost?).
To tell the truth, I almost never end up where I thought I was going. But the outlines guide me and free me to concentrate on the journey. If I have an ending in mind, even if it will change, I can make my journey specific and memorable. I find that if I plan for surprises and discoveries, I find them more often.
In any case, my outlines allow for changes, and I always keep in mind that this outline is a guide not a rule. I'm not even specific with them. I'll put down "She learns a big secret" vs "She learns that her mother is really her aunt." I give myself as much leeway as I can so that I'm not burdened with trying to make a story go in a way that may not be working any more (did I mention I do what works?). I can let the characters and story build in organic ways without being confined to writing it happen in one particular way.
On the other hand, I may have a more straightforward story in mind. With these I can start with a premise and just write. However, at some point in the story I have to go back and outline to help me analyse the patterns and structures I have made. Then I decide whether I'm headed somewhere worthwhile and adjust as necessary. Making the story up as I go can feel spontaneous and thrilling, but there's a bigger chance that I will become frustrated when I suspect that I may be going nowhere at all. I like spending my time writing stories not searching for them.
Actually, I look at pantsing as just creating a different type of outline. One that is more detailed, to be sure, but just an outline that gets down specific dialogue and narration and character actions. I have to be willing to change and explore through pantsing just as much as I would through a less detailed outline.
So I guess it comes down to whether or not vivid scenes (and whether the scenes make up the bulk of the story or only a small part) come to mind when I'm working on a story. If they do, sometimes it's best to throw it all down in the heat of the moment and then go back over it and give it structure and connect the dots through a general outline.
Some writers feel that outlines suck the fun and creativity out of writing. I find they help me find it. With outlines, I can concentrate on revealing memorable characters and creating an interesting plot. It's all a matter of perspective.
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