Write your "deleted scenes" - Writers Forum

Xeen · 07-01-2005, 04:59 PM

I don't know about all y'all, but I have a hard time trying to fit in some scenes, objects and such into some of my stories. Like when you find a character that would be really cool to put into your story, but it just doesn't quite work out.

Or maybe I have a scene that is sort of 'privet'... something that I don't want anybody else to read. Or a scene that's really really stupid, but it's still part of the story.

The list goes on and on and on.

I discovered something very handy the other night to help ease the pressure of including all these things. I'd like to know who else out there does this.

For example, the other night I had a character pop up, introducing herself as Mirage. It turns out she has some sort of relationship with a character from my novel from last year's NaNo, but there was no way I could include this into the novel, for various reasons.

So I wrote it down anyway, calling it File #1 of Xeen's Deleted Scenes.

I'll be keeping all these Deleted Scenes that I write... think of it as kind of like having a DVD where the producers deleted certain scenes because of time constraints or many other reasons, but they include those deleted scenes to watch seperately.

One could also sort of look at this as "Behind the Scenes"... what your characters are doing beyond the narrator's point of view or what they're doing that's not related to the plot.

It's kind of fun. I believe I will be doing this quite a bit. It's also a great way to help to get to know your characters and their surrondings.

geminye · 07-01-2005, 07:16 PM

xeen,

very helpful hint. i keep a journal that is kind of that way, but i think your idea will be more productive. i am going to try it.

suzakugaiden · 07-01-2005, 08:54 PM

Just curious, but are you Darkside or Clouds?

I've kept roughly everything fromy my story. Even the odd little abortative bits that aren't even canonical.

That being said, my entire story is probably going to be made up of such scenes as you described. Odd little asides that don't really relate to the actual plot. Such things interst me.

jta_8888 · 07-01-2005, 11:34 PM

Ooo, lovely idea.

I've been doing something like that for a while.

I've written at least...5 beginnings to a story I'm working on. Each one seems better than the last, and the last seems worse than the next! So, I've been saving them all as "beginning 1," or "beginning 2."

It's always helpful to save EVERYTHING, that way, if you end up wanting to include it some time later, you'll have it on hand.

Peachy idea!

Stefanie · 07-02-2005, 09:33 AM

Oh, it never crossed my mind to do this. I like the idea. I mean, it sounds like a good idea.

Xeen · 07-02-2005, 01:17 PM

It's so cool to see that other people are kind of doing it too.

jta - I know all about the beginnings thing. I've done that pleanty before. I even ended up with a beginning that ended up being scooted to a few chapters into the story and was a major turning point... or whatever they're called. It's such a good idea to keep -everything- you write, no matter how crappy it is.

It's like the motto of, I think, the boy scouts "Be prepared".

suzakugaiden - If you were asking me, I am not Darkside or Clouds. Do I somehow remind you of these people?

Dan101 · 07-02-2005, 01:42 PM

Wow, thats a really great idea! ^_^

I just recently had a character die in my novel, but decided it didnt quite fit in for him to die just yet, so I deleted that whole scene and replaced it. Ill have to keep a little file like that, thanks for the idea! ^_^

Xeen · 07-02-2005, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan101

just recently had a character die in my novel, but decided it didnt quite fit in for him to die just yet, so I deleted that whole scene and replaced it. Ill have to keep a little file like that, thanks for the idea! ^_^

See, you could put that under a file called "Bloopers" LOL

Dan101 · 07-02-2005, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xeen

See, you could put that under a file called "Bloopers" LOL

haha yea. That would be pretty funny to have a bloopers file too, consisting of such things as dialogue that maybe sounded good at the time...lol

PsychoticallySaneWriter · 07-05-2005, 01:39 PM

It's a good idea. I don't keep every deleted scene, only the ones that are good and/or significant. Sometimes down the road, I'll write an alternate ending or something. I've got six beginnings to a story I wrote a year or so ago on my computer. I find it interesting to go back and read the many ways I was going to begin the story. The beginning is the hardest for me to write. Once I'm going, there's no stopping me. So I've got many deleted beginnings.

Chris

shadowseer · 07-05-2005, 04:51 PM

i keep my deleted scenes and characters in the back of my head in case i ever use them.
Example.
I enjoy doodling little super heroes, but i never go anywhere with them. However, they're always in the back of my head. In a new story i'm about to write, it involves a lot of superheroes. So I'm pulling out the files and blowing the dust off of them for use. Such as one hero, Matter, who can fuse himself to any form of matter he is touching.
Or Zane, the half-elf half-human who is rejected by both species.

Any way, it's a good tecnique(sp)