Trying to write book or a short story......

[G J Lau]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

That is one style for sure,and I will not knock it. I know greats who I have read give that kind of advice, such as Orson Scott Card. But the flip side of the coin is authors like Stephen King who say, the exact opposite. Stephen King absolutely has no idea where his stories are going when he starts, nor any idea who is them. Read his book, A Memoir of the Craft where he encourages new authors to abandon the concept of planing.

Different people work in different ways, the key I think is to try different things till you find what works for you.

I agree totally, and I suspect Stephen King is being slightly disingenuous.

I can say from personal experience that 30-40 percent of my novel was not in my head when I started, but at every point in the process I had a beginning, a middle, and an end firmly in mind. Sure, it changed as I went along--that's the fun of it--but from Day One to Day Done I always had an end in sight at any given moment, that's all I'm trying to say. Interesting thread.

[James_Wilde]

Personally I'm a big fan of a synopsis, but I can see it could be overkill for a short story.

However, very important for me is to know the characters of my story - again maybe overkill for a short. I usually write a prehistory of at least the main characters, so that I know as much about them as possible, including lots that I'm not going to use. Most important is how they got where they are when they jump into the story.

I'm beginning to find it useful also to do a similar thing for locations. As much detail as possible, including drawing a map of, say, a house, of the area around the house, etc. Where do people go to do their shopping. I even go to the extent of taking photographs of likely-looking buildings and locations - the inside I can design more or less as I like, of course. Wallpaper, carpets, furniture, the works.

This is very important for us men, I believe. A woman can go into a room turn on her heel and leave, and give you a detailed description of the room including the dust under the tv and the crumbs on the table. Men often don't know what is the primary colour of the walls in their own house.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by James_Wilde

Men often don't know what is the primary colour of the walls in their own house.

White.

[maggievnc]

Originally Posted by fleaaaaaa

I have recently joined a writing group and in that group I have been fairly sucessful at writing things off the cuff. However when I sit down to write an extended piece I really struggle. I started one before I started the writing group, I became uninterested and didn't know where exactly I was taking it. I started a new story, I thought I would try a short story, but it soon fell apart as I saw plot holes a mile off in my own work and the whole world disintigrated under it's own weight. I never know exactly where to take the stories and I guess some people would say "well write a plan" but I just have an idea for something and never know exactly where it's headed. Do you write plans?

Help! I am willing to post the stories if you like, what I have of them anyway but I don't think either will be kept.

Hey there
as a teacher for biographical work (in addition to writing), I strongly believe that writing a story (both - a short or a long one) are like "writing" or "weaving" your very own biograhpy - from the end to the beginning. (by the words writing and weaving i actually mean: living your life

This is the "ABC" of every coaching programm - to spot a target and move towards it...than u usally find out that the target has changed (partially or totally...).

In other words... if you are struglling with the outline - try to focus on the end of the story this will have the magnet effect and attract your pen.

The outline or the plan serve as crutches. They are vital as a booster to get u going.

bottom line: don't give up -keep writing.

would like to recommed a website wikihow - that gives you some efficient tips for writing an outline and more
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Good-Story
also for how to write a short story:
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Short-Story
good luck

Sara

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/saradagan

[Andrew Ashling]

Originally Posted by fleaaaaaa

I have recently joined a writing group and in that group I have been fairly sucessful at writing things off the cuff. However when I sit down to write an extended piece I really struggle. I started one before I started the writing group, I became uninterested and didn't know where exactly I was taking it. I started a new story, I thought I would try a short story, but it soon fell apart as I saw plot holes a mile off in my own work and the whole world disintigrated under it's own weight. I never know exactly where to take the stories and I guess some people would say "well write a plan" but I just have an idea for something and never know exactly where it's headed. Do you write plans?

Help! I am willing to post the stories if you like, what I have of them anyway but I don't think either will be kept.

Without wanting to go too deep into this:

I like to know the outcome before I start writing. This gives me sort of a target. I also have a fair idea of the main stepping stones.

I find it useful to have a clear idea of the following:

• who is the MC/hero?
• what does s/he want?
• what is standing between him/her and what s/he wants

Very elementary stuff, but it keeps you from getting lost, in my experience at least.

[Native]

I think character is more predictable than events, so writing scenes first and then contriving the circumstances around them seems to work for me. If I get boxed in and have to write a contrived scene to bring a "plot" together, it never seems to work as well. For a long story to hold my interest, it needs to have self-contained segments, so I'd guess you're off to a good start.

[Harper Kingsley]

Sometimes when I get stuck, I just grab a notebook and a pen and just start writing whatever comes into my head. I pick up where I left off on the computer, and just try to let things flow. Then later I can type it all up.

Sometimes I make a list of characteristics for my characters--brown hair, blue eyes, green skin, etc, etc--then I put them in some location and go from there. I like to picture their interaction with other characters I throw against them--Main character is a jerk, 2nd character is pissy about something, 3rd character is PMSing. The building is on fire and there's people trapped inside and they want to save them, but the building is sealed off. Go...

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by Harper Kingsley

Sometimes I make a list of characteristics for my characters--brown hair, blue eyes, green skin, etc, etc--then I put them in some location and go from there. I like to picture their interaction with other characters I throw against them--Main character is a jerk, 2nd character is pissy about something, 3rd character is PMSing. The building is on fire and there's people trapped inside and they want to save them, but the building is sealed off. Go...

They all charge in to the building, which collapses on them, and everyone dies a slow horrible death.

[Harper Kingsley]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

They all charge in to the building, which collapses on them, and everyone dies a slow horrible death.

Heh. But what if they're a group of superheroes? What if they've already died and they're just reliving the same scene over and over again? What if someone in the building busts out a window and they set up a trampoline (or a system of tubes!) on the ground for people to jump down on?

It suddenly goes from a normal deal, to some kind of paranormal extra-human situation.

[Ransom]

Originally Posted by Andrew Ashling

Without wanting to go too deep into this:

I like to know the outcome before I start writing. This gives me sort of a target. I also have a fair idea of the main stepping stones.

I find it useful to have a clear idea of the following:

• who is the MC/hero?
• what does s/he want?
• what is standing between him/her and what s/he wants

Very elementary stuff, but it keeps you from getting lost, in my experience at least.

You took the words right out of my mouth Andrew. This is how most great books are written. It's all about motive and desire. Good stories are usually about a central goal that someone wants, or needs, to achieve whether it be to win the Kentucky Derby, rescue the princess from the tower, or to find what really lies at the bottom of a rainbow.

Character development is secondary to the main character's goal, but is still important. I like stories that travel a bit. CS Lewis was great at that. His characters were always going places, having adventures, and learning things about the world and themselves along the way whether it was a bus-ride through Purgatory; a trip to Mars; or to set sail for the end of the known world in search of Aslan's native land beyond the seas. It really helps keep your creative-flow going too when characters travel a lot because it's easy to imagine all the new things they'll experience and see along the way.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by Harper Kingsley

What if they've already died and they're just reliving the same scene over and over again?

The the story becomes a very long series of copy and pastes

[rathecs]

Writing a story is just that: writing. Don't stop writing! It does take a long time, but you have to love the sentences you're writing on the way to the end. I have written only 1 novel, and it took me 8 years to get there. I would get frustrated, join writer's groups, pick up the pen again, and then stop at a road block again. The key is to keep writing. If you want to finish you gotta keep going. Don't worry if its good, don't worry about how much longer it'll take to get there. Your story will be good once you've finished, it'll be great once you've edit multiple times.

[Harper Kingsley]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

The the story becomes a very long series of copy and pastes

That or you become the dude that wrote "The Others" and you get to meet Nicole Kidman in person. Or you get to meet Bill Murray on the set of "Groundhog Day." Then you can totally give yourself a movie cameo.