Author Topic: My writing dilemma  (Read 2173 times)

Dangerbutton

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My writing dilemma
« on: January 17, 2009, 08:55:52 PM »
I've found myself in a pickle.
For the past two months, I've been working on a story, which I've also been submitting to the Reading Excuses group. I have enjoyed what I've been writing, and I really like setting and characters. However, the problem arises with the plot. I don't see it going anywhere.
The problem originates with how I started writing. I had a cool idea for setting and magic, but no story to go with it. At the same time, in my creative writing class, for my final project I needed to write a short story that was no more than 10 pages. I saw this as a great opportunity to write about this setting, incorporating the magic, yet not have to worry much about the story. So, I wrote my piece, which turned out to be the prologue to my story (Birthright), which many of you have read. When Reading Excuses started up, I decided to submit it, and from there, decided to write more.
Now I've come to the problem: I don't know what to do with the plot. As I've been writing the few chapters I've done, I have put together a little bit of a plot, but I don't like what I've come up with. I simply don't see it going anywhere.
So, why am I rambling on about all of this?
I have an idea for a story, and it is possibly the first idea I've gotten for a story that hasn't been setting driven, but is, rather, plot driven.
What I'm torn between is whether I keep working on the story I've got, even though I don't see it going anywhere, or I start up this new story, with a plot that is solid, and I can clearly see where to take it, and I really like where it will end up.
My holdup is that I've started a whole lot of stories, but have only finished one, and I'm trying to break that habit.
Any advice?

Silk

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Re: My writing dilemma
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2009, 10:19:16 PM »
First off: I would slog through and try to finish it (especially if you've never finished something before). You learn a lot from finishing a story, I think, even if it never goes anywhere after that. And if you finish it and it turns out badly, the hardest part is still done - you can always go back and fix it later.

As for actually finishing the thing, well, that's a bit harder. I'm in a similar place with one of my novels right now, and it is kind of tough, particularly since plot is ... ahem... not one of my stronger points.

I've been doing a few things to try and get past it. The first is out-and-out brainstorming: For the characters that I feel I don't know well enough, and for other gaps I see in the story. I came up with a lot of stuff that I'm not using, but some of it actually did stick.

I also tried writing scenes out of order - just writing the easier stuff first. It's not always the best thing to do, but when you're really stuck it helps; at least then you're getting stuff done, and sometimes it's easier to fill in the blank at point B if you already have A and C. Aaand sometimes just letting your characters do what they want can lead you some interesting places.

You can always ask us (RE) if we have any suggestions or even expectations, too. If, of course, you feel that hearing our responses won't taint your book in some way.

There's always the "go work on something else for a while" solution, too. That said, I wouldn't really recommend that you work on two novels at once, but working on something else - a short story or even a writing prompt - might be a helpful break.

Frog

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Re: My writing dilemma
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2009, 10:23:40 PM »
Personally, I get so into characters and settings that if any good plot came to me, I would grab onto it immediately, no hesitation whatsoever. I just kind of go with whatever ideas I currently have and never completely scrap anything. So if you have a great new story idea, go ahead and start working on it, keeping all your other stuff to get back to later. Just because you don't finish it in the most timely manner doesn't mean you won't if you set it as a priority. And until you have an agent/publisher to set deadlines for you, I think you should be free to do that, so when you have those things, you have a big bank of story ideas/projects to pull from. You might even find a way to combine some false starts together as one develops further…

Anyway, that’s my take. I’d be interested in hearing others though, since this is something that I struggle with as well. (Making plots and finishing books).

Edit: Like now I am seeing Silk has some good ideas on this too... The old banging your head on the keyboard trick certainly has some merit ... Just don't lose your ideas for later because that would just be sad.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2009, 10:28:32 PM by Frog »
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Dangerbutton

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Re: My writing dilemma
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2009, 11:14:48 PM »
Thank you for your input.
I would like to point out that I have absolutely no intention of tossing out the story. I have done a fair amount of world building, and would like to, eventually, make it the setting of several stories. However, I feel that it would be the best for the story if I put it aside until I came up with a better idea for the plot.

First off: I would slog through and try to finish it (especially if you've never finished something before). You learn a lot from finishing a story, I think, even if it never goes anywhere after that. And if you finish it and it turns out badly, the hardest part is still done - you can always go back and fix it later.

I would like to be able to do that -- to just slog through it just to get it done -- but the problem there is in the speed I write. Especially with this new semester having started (I'm getting a lot more homework than the last semester) I don't get a lot of writing done at all. I felt like I'd be doing good if I got the story done in under a year. I personally feel like that would be a long time to be slogging through it.

However, I like the Silk's suggestion to ask the wonderful people of RE what expectations they have. Seeing as I have never been entirely sure where the story was going, I'd like to hear where other people thought the story was going. I may just do that. . .

Reaves

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Re: My writing dilemma
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2009, 12:44:16 AM »
First of all I would ask if there is any possible way to put your new plot that you really like into the current story. My guess is no, but hey thought I would check.

Second...I did about the same thing. In my first story I was about 15k words in and 7 chapters. I dumped it, and now I'm 18 chapters into my next story and 50k + words. I am very interested in where it is going and definitely plan to finish it. In the process I've thought of several different directions I can take the first story that I abandoned. Most of them involve drastically changing setting and characters, although the very general gist of the plot remains the same.

Also, whenever you get an idea like that write it down immediately. I used to have all these ideas and by now I've forgotten most of them. Now I constantly write down anything I think might be interesting, even just snatches of dialogue.
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Necroben

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Re: My writing dilemma
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2009, 04:08:14 AM »
As Reaves had discovered ;), with my story; I used a Carrot and Stick device to help me get through my NaNoWriMo.  If nothing else it gives you small plot goals.  That later on you can wrap around larger plots that you develop, consciously or unconsciously, during any re-writes you may choose to do.

Part of the problem I had was that I ran out of outline about 20k words into it.  And like yourself was paralyzed.  Fortunately, I had a deadline to make that got me going.  After a bit of writing, I began to get all kinds of plot ideas.  Sometimes too many, but that's another discussion.  It kinda like the old saying, "If you build it, they will come."  Writing in it self, for me, has opened up many more paths, so long as I am writing.

The real killer for me is that this will be the first book I'll have finished.  And I've still got a long way to go before I'm fully satisfied with it.  On the other hand, I now have no fewer than 3 book ideas in my head.  The temptation to put down my current work to start another story has been, well... difficult.  It's not going to be any good.  Why finish it?  Everybody knows you never publish your first novel anyway.  These are just a few of the temptations/voices in my head.  But, I know, know that I will be a better writer eventually, if I just wait and finish this work.  Even if it just turns out to be garbage.

So I say go for it!  What do you have to lose?  Time?  Your learning your craft.  You will know what to do if this happens 3/4 of the way through a manuscript later on.  You'll be a better writer for it.  Good luck with whatever you decide to do! :D
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Silk

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Re: My writing dilemma
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2009, 06:17:24 AM »
Ben said exactly what I was going to.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2009, 06:20:32 AM by Silk »

maxonennis

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Re: My writing dilemma
« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2009, 08:52:58 PM »
I’m going against the grain here and saying that if you are a discovery writer, try writing it backwards. Start with the ending and work back (while using one POV) to the beginning. IF you like it, then go back and add other POVs to it to add depth to the story, and maybe a few related side plots. I’m doing that in my latest work and so far I’ve been able to discovery write the entire first half without any problems.
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Reaves

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Re: My writing dilemma
« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2009, 10:13:41 PM »
I’m going against the grain here and saying that if you are a discovery writer, try writing it backwards. Start with the ending and work back (while using one POV) to the beginning. IF you like it, then go back and add other POVs to it to add depth to the story, and maybe a few related side plots. I’m doing that in my latest work and so far I’ve been able to discovery write the entire first half without any problems.

Don't you mean the last half? jk.
How does that work exactly? I think my brain would explode. You'd have to figure out what they did...and then right about what they were going to do...I'm confused already.
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RJF: "AHA! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Cairhien, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a warder when he is only the distraction! Get him Rand! Buzzzzzzz!

maxonennis

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Re: My writing dilemma
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2009, 11:09:05 PM »
I’m going against the grain here and saying that if you are a discovery writer, try writing it backwards. Start with the ending and work back (while using one POV) to the beginning. IF you like it, then go back and add other POVs to it to add depth to the story, and maybe a few related side plots. I’m doing that in my latest work and so far I’ve been able to discovery write the entire first half without any problems.

Don't you mean the last half? jk.
How does that work exactly? I think my brain would explode. You'd have to figure out what they did...and then right about what they were going to do...I'm confused already.

Does it ever! I haven't had to world build because working backwards, I can make it up as I go a long and forshadow eariler in the story! (I hate world building, so this is a huge advantage.) Also you can develope the characters backwards and see their progression better (or at least I can). But I'm only doing one POV backwards at a time and then when I'm finished I will pick out the scenes of importants and place them all going forward again into place. This is probably going to take longer than it would if I had world built, plot outted, and gone through pre-writes before writing, but I like it better.

On a side note, I have to have some kind of oddity in my works to keep me interested thus the reason I decided to write backwards on a whim (I had an ending in mind and started with it).
"Don't argue with ignorance. And when you argue with me, that's all you get!" Mike

Maxonennis’ soliloquy on Frog relations: “How can I bake the hall in the candle of her brain?”