Creating a story

[ekster]

I realize I have a bit of trouble with fleshing out the story and curious how others go about it.

I'm not sure if I'm just not meant to plan it out before writing, or I'm doing something wrong, but I have trouble with the middle part of the creative process.

I can easily come up with a general idea. I can easily write each chapter with all the details in it... but I get stuck with I need to create a plan in between. I know what I want my story to be, I know how it starts, how it ends, and how it gets to the end in general. But when I sit down to get a general idea of each chapter, I just seem to get stuck and spend too much time on it.

I managed to get by most of the time by just writing and letting the story take it's own course of action, but that needs extra effort to go back and rewrite some parts then. I want to just have a better plan worked out before getting in the details sometimes, but something just refuses to work for me.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Sounds to me like you are meant to plan it out before writing, if you don't have a middle and you're backtracking and doing rewrites.

Consider writing an outline or summary of the story, a scene by scene synopsis of the action. That will help you plot out your middle, and make any changes to the overall story, before you start writing it.

[teh603]

A rough outline of major plot points could help. You don't need everything plotted out, just the most important ones. Feel free to adjust your outline as necessary, because things can and will change.

[dadioflex]

The "snowflake method" - I swear by it for longer work.

http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php

Essentially you start with a one line synopsis of your story and work up, gradually filling in characters and plot-points.

[crich70]

One way you might try is a 4 step method for outlining.

1. I want to write a story about...
2. Write an opening paragraph
3. Write a closing paragraph
4. Write a point by point outline that leads the story from the Opening to the closing.

1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3

etc.

[teh603]

Originally Posted by dadioflex

The "snowflake method" - I swear by it for longer work.

http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php

Essentially you start with a one line synopsis of your story and work up, gradually filling in characters and plot-points.

I dunno, I'd be careful in recommending the "snowflake method"- or as I tend to refer to it, the "spaghetti tree method." I've seen it pushed onto young high school students with little experience in writing even a simple book report, only to have them become even more reluctant at writing than they are at reading- and most are very reluctant readers to begin with.

Edit: Most of them don't even learn what an outline is until late in 9th or early in 10th grade, too.

I'd suggest going with a basic timeline of events, using a simple word processor so you can move things around as needed. Spend a few days thinking about it, and maybe take breaks. Watch some TV relevant to the subject or read a few books. Maybe you'll find something interesting. If you're writing fantasy, watch some anime and play some Magic the Gathering or D&D.

[dadioflex]

I shall re-double my efforts to recommend the "snowflake method". The strong will swarm to its banner, the weak will fall before it and provide a soft carpet of crushed dreams for our march to triumph.

[frostschutz]

So... did you buy the piece of trivial software for $100 or not?

[crich70]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

So... did you buy the piece of trivial software for $100 or not?

Actually I have a copy of Snowflake Pro. I got it for only $20.00 as I purchased it when the program had just come out. Sometimes you can still find it for only $50.00 too if you have purchased a copy of the book about fiction writing the author has written.

[Penforhire]

Breaking things down to manageable chucks is standard large project management. There is no way the "snowflake" method is inherently bad. OTOH, a pantser just isn't going to want to pin down that much of their plot.

[teh603]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Breaking things down to manageable chucks is standard large project management. There is no way the "snowflake" method is inherently bad. OTOH, a pantser just isn't going to want to pin down that much of their plot.

The snowflake method is good if you have a decent understanding of story structure and how the writing process works- smoking included if you're one of those folks who smokes while writing. The problem is when you try to force it onto kids who have no idea of structure or the writing process, and get lots of wonderful spaghetti tree drawings but not one coherent paper.

After all, its too much to ask the elementary and middle school teachers to cover even basic writing. Might stifle the kids' imaginations or something like that. [/sarcasm]

[Native]

Sometimes I work from the end forwards. Effect and cause, instead of cause and effect. Sometimes it helps.

[EdBB]

Hi:

This may be the wrong forum, but here goes. I've written and published 3 historical books - non-fiction. Good as far as they go, I guess, which isn't far.
It occurred to me that there was another story line in a sort of amalgam of the 3 books, and I've given a few talks on this new story.
However, it seems to me that there must be a better way to approach this new story and make it more interesting to readers and listeners. I've looked at the "3 Act" approach, but I'm not sure that it is really suitable for history.
In my story there are two protagonists, who eventually cooperate against a common antagonist-this is factually correct. The difficulty is in finding the "disasters" that are to be committed by the protagonists.
I don't know if any of this is making sense, but the problem as I see it is that historical accuracy keeps getting in the way of the dramatic bits that might capture the reader's attention.
Any ideas where I might find something as a guide?
Thanks

[ekster]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I have seen that snowflake website before. I took some notes on the method, but for the most part the website made me feel like it's one of those 'Earn $1000 a week by working from home! Only $100-- ($20 if you order now!!) to find out how!' websites so I was kind of iffy on looking at it too closely.

I know I need to plan further... but the trouble is exactly that, I can't seem to be able to plan it out most of the time.

For example... say I think of a story. I know exactly what I want for the beginning and the end. I also have a rough idea for the middle. Let's say it's a detective story. I have several investigations planned, which will lead to something specific, and from there the ending unfolds. I have a general idea of what I want the investigations to be. But when I sit down to try to plan it out in more detail (break it down by chapters, etc.) I seem to be stuck. It just doesn't click in any way.

I know it's not the lack of imagination, because if I just grab a pen or keyboard and start writing the story, I'm able to get through it (though like I said, it might require some extra rewriting as I change things on the fly.)

And it's not that I don't have a general idea of what I want to happen, as it's there.

But something just refuses to click when I try to plan it out at the chapter by chapter level.

I suppose I will take a closer look at the snowflake method since others have recommended it. Any other tools or methods that could help would be great too.

Thanks again!

[Marj]

"'something just refuses to click when I try to plan it out at the chapter by chapter level." The answer is simple. Don't. It seems to me that over-planning is not good for the creative process. The characters will come to life and make their own middle-chapters, and usually (but maybe not always) find their way to the end that you planned.
But maybe I have the wrong end of the stick here. I am talking about fiction - a story that you make up. I'm sure you would need to put more detailed planning into a non-fiction or self-help type book.