How do I get there? - Writers Forum

Taxiday · 05-08-2007, 12:36 PM

I know the "Ws" of the story. I've got the start and have developed the why. I have and continue to develop the characters. I know the where and think I can provide "asides" which will keep readers interested and possibly even amuse them - although the theme is very serious. I have a general idea of the climax, although I'm still working on making it suspenseful - the reader won't be sure exactly how it ends until the end.
Wht I'm not sure of is the inbetween.
I've tried doing the outline approach and it helps a little - but outlining bores me and I like to feel creative while I'm writing. I will often envision the scenes, then write them down. I guess my mind doesn't work linearly.
Anybody else got this problem? And, how do you deal with it?

Rob · 05-08-2007, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taxiday

I've tried doing the outline approach and it helps a little - but outlining bores me and I like to feel creative while I'm writing.

Anybody else got this problem? And, how do you deal with it?

Write poetry.

Cheers,
Rob

SilkFX · 05-08-2007, 05:18 PM

^^Cute.

I had to let go of the notion that stories should be written linearly. Get down whatever you've got in any way you can. You can always fill in the blanks later.

The only time I write something approximating an outline is when I'm really needing to see how everything's laying out. But then again it's been 25 years since I've written anything that's longer than 45 pages (short story devotee). If I were writing a novel I could see how outlining could be helpful. Again, use whatever tool(s) you need to get the story on the page.

Azmakna · 05-08-2007, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taxiday

I know the "Ws" of the story. I've got the start and have developed the why. I have and continue to develop the characters. I know the where and think I can provide "asides" which will keep readers interested and possibly even amuse them - although the theme is very serious. I have a general idea of the climax, although I'm still working on making it suspenseful - the reader won't be sure exactly how it ends until the end.
Wht I'm not sure of is the inbetween.
I've tried doing the outline approach and it helps a little - but outlining bores me and I like to feel creative while I'm writing. I will often envision the scenes, then write them down. I guess my mind doesn't work linearly.
Anybody else got this problem? And, how do you deal with it?

just start writing!

mammamaia · 05-08-2007, 10:32 PM

and keep on writing!

HarryG · 05-09-2007, 02:47 AM

I found that I spent too long planning to write and far too long on characters and plot. Once I actually sat down and started, it was relatively easy, it all just seemed to fall into place. Revision was painful, at first, because I didn’t want to re-arrange all those beautiful words, but then some kind people came along and explained.

SeattleCPA · 05-11-2007, 07:24 PM

OK, I have never read her work, but I recall hearing that romance novelist Barbara Cartland, who wrote something like 300 or 400 books, took about 2-3 weeks to dictate her novels... (while sipping champagne according to one story I heard...)

I think there's truth to the story...I don't think the writing part actually takes that long. If a book is, say, 80,000 words... and people talk at rates of say 80 words a minute (or whatever), simple math says you could, theoretically dictate a book in about 1000 minutes or roughly a couple of days.

My own experience with writing via dictating, isn't that far off from this.

I'm not saying, BTW, that you can write a book in a couple of days. (Although I think I remember that Stevenson wrote Jekyl and Hide by and in a week... or something like that.) But the writing part--getting words on paper or getting words into the Word processor document--doesn't have to take that long.

What does take a while, I think, is the upfront planning part... and then the backend re-writing and author editing stuff.

Also, I would observe that a huge reason for the long writing times you hear about comes from fact that most book writers never become very experienced at writing books. They write one or two ... or five titles over a life time. While these guys may produce wonderful work this way, they're unilkely to become fast, efficient researchers/rough drafters/self-editors/etc.

lakotadan · 05-15-2007, 11:10 PM

but outlining bores me and I like to feel creative while I'm writing.

If it was easy everybody would love to write.

Describe the story of the wizaed of Oz in one sentece. Then describe your story in one sentence. then work out from to larger and larger points.

If you are bored fight it. I've been writing my book for 7 years and I have had to fight through some boring parts and even spiced it some what.

Have fun.

Destroyer · 05-16-2007, 06:04 AM

You don't have to plan your books in a linear sense. I tend to come up with ideas ages before I get to the relevant point in my story. Ideas just come tp me, whatever I'm doing at the time. I could be walking home, or watching a film, or carving up wood in class. I just do my best to remember that idea until I can make a note. then I carry on with the book.
I find it's easier to make up the book as I go along most of the time. I will make plans, but only for certain details that are important. I never write an entire plot outline before I actually start writing. It all comes to me once I've started.