Writing methods: plotting ?

[sealie]

A question: detailed outlines versus making it up as you go along?

I’m totally the latter.

If I had a detailed outline, I wouldn't need to write the fic, cos there would be nothing to explore. The story's in my head, but if I dwell on it in its entirety, I wouldn't write it. I've never written down outlines/skeletons. I have brief notes/collections of lines/'remember this, doofus!'. There are some really distinct 3D scenes that I look forward to writing e.g. Evolution Wins

I liken it to I know the destination, but the route is... kinda... that way, probably. And that's the way that we're going, and the DESTINATION is there.

Oh, and we need a spaceship?!?

I've had lots of fic in my head that blossomed in their entirety. There was supernatural/highlander crossover that was about people in one the supernatural little townships who were incredibly long lived because they had captured an immortal and had basically tapped and drank his blood. The immortals that they harvested didn't last forever because they believed eating brains was also important -- brain feast for the win, so they always had an eye out for another immortal. Methos came to the town to investigate Duncan's disappearance. Same time as Dean and Sam popped by. The villagers were, of course, going insane à la the Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Sam and Dead think that Methos is a hunter, and he's like oh fuck, hunters, but hey I'm going to have some fun with this -- and they can do all the legwork.

good fic -- haven't written a word of it. Don't need to.

Comments

[saphirablue]

good fic -- haven't written a word of it. Don't need to.

But, but. I want to read it! ;.;

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

it's too concrete. it's there. it would be a waste of (my) time to write it.

I adore Methos *g*

[saphirablue]

:( What a pity. :( But, understandable. :)

Me too.

(also, it's pretty funny that you posted this, because I'm about to start a Highlander rewatch. XD)

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

So annoying that I've not seen vast trunks of Highlander. And the few episode that I have on tape are no longer watchable,plus my two DVD box sets are the US region so I can't watch them.

[saphirablue]

Apparently, they are on Youtube according to this post? :)

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

Highlander FTW!

I need an outline. I need a beginning and an end, or else the story never makes it to my keyboard. But often, the middle is somewhat fuzzy, the outline is filled with chunks of notes that say something like: something cool happens here

That's one reason why it takes me forever to get something written and done....

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

something cool happens here

SO I guess, I'm in your middle, so to speak.

I remember write Somnus and that really didn't follow the vague destination where I thought I was going. I had numerous scenes in my head where I figured Carson and Rodney were going to end up. They never went there. that was so weird....No tornado. No running through the long grass.

[sholio]

For me, it's all over the map.

I never used to outline at all. On the other hand, I've always written out of order -- so if, say, I had a great idea for a scene at the end of the fic, I'd just write it. I suppose this constitutes an outline of sorts -- it's just in the form of finished scenes (and occasionally a brief note for what goes between them). I never had the problem some people do that if you write the best scenes first, you'll lost interest in the rest. On the contrary, I found that for me it worked really well to write the "money shot" scenes first -- the emotional high points, the scenes that everyone was reading for -- and focus really heavily on those, then ... well, I'm not going to say "half ass" the rest of it, but I tended to spend my most energetic writing time on my favorite scenes, then fill in the other parts.

On the other hand, my "just start writing, and write as inspiration hits" approach is why I now have a trail of 30K, 50K, 70K unfinished WIPs in multiple fandoms.

So I started teaching myself to outline by way of making myself a more disciplined writer and not losing my path on long stories. In the beginning I was worried about having exactly the problem you're talking about, losing interest if I know where it's going, but in practice that hasn't happened to me so far. I DO know what you mean about stories planned in such detail that you don't really have the incentive to write them, but for me, the ones that are like that are the stories that I "write" in my head when I'm falling asleep, word by word in great detail. (And these are invariably the most hurt-comforty, self-indulgent ones. So, yeah, fandom - my most self-indulgent hurt/comfort stories never get written, because I tell them to myself over and over, but never write them down.)

I still don't tend to be a detailed plotter, and I still don't usually outline fanfic, but I've been finding that for me, having that rough framework to build my fiction house around is actually quite helpful -- I can write faster and better, and need less rewriting, when I know where I'm going, and I'm more likely to actually finish stuff. Mileage varies, though ...

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

I DO know what you mean about stories planned in such detail that you don't really have the incentive to write them, but for me, the ones that are like that are the stories that I "write" in my head when I'm falling asleep

I totally do this! It's the best way to shut down. I love that you do it too.

I also have MBs of unfinished fic, fics which have been fermenting for years. DAWK. Lords of Mer. I am in no way saying that my way works, it's just the way that I work. The quickest way for me to derail a fic is to dwell on it too much.

[miss-slothy.livejournal.com]

Oh, Highlander. My husband has the whole set on video but we also doubt they work anymore :( I think one of the obscure UK TV channels is showing it at the moment. We watched it in the old days before I understood there is such a thing as fanfiction, which makes me think perhaps I should go read some, but then realise I already spend too much time reading... It's still a brilliant story - great characters, lots of action, a bit of angst :)

Your comment about plotting is interesting. I know I wrote my most original stuff when I didn't plan, but as several people have commented, it can mean never finishing anything. Then I started planning to chapters, main plot points etc and my writing got much better and I loved what i was writing. But it made me think more about the details, the flesh of the characters, which takes longer which can be a problem. I haven't written for 6 years because I've been studying instead but your post has reminded me that I must get myself a notepad ASAP so I can start plotting again :)

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

Highlander is on telly? What channel? I haven't seen it.

[miss-slothy.livejournal.com]

Do you get the Horror Channel? http://www.horrorchannel.co.uk/shows.php?title=Highlander

They've gone back to series 1 again but still worth watching :)

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

I kinda flailed a bit when I read that you haven't read any Highlander fanfic, because there is SO much good stuff out there. I don't know if you would be a gen fan, or a duncan/richie fan or a Methos fan... but go forth and read! I sometimes think that I would be really nice to be able to temporarily wipe your memory of stories so that you could read them afresh all over again.

There's a element of where do you start? I'm going to point you here:

Silvia Volk: http://members.shaw.ca/sylviavolk/
Lanning Cook: http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lanning/works?fandom_id=5358
Tessa Rae:http://archiveofourown.org/users/Tes/pseuds/Tes/works?fandom_id=5358

or dive in here:

http://crack-van.livejournal.com/tag/highlander

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

I do a rough sketch of sorts. Bullet points of plot. Maybe more for a mystery or casefic. I liken them to guide posts and I'll expand and change them as I go. I research a ton before I wrangle together a plot. And even the research for those little details per scene will open the door to new ideas.