Mis, do you have a process when it comes to writing?
I find myself inundated with brilliant ideas for stories (which I have no intention of ever publishing, but I get a kick out of writing creatively), but I just jot down the basic plot and away I go.
It's refreshing, but I just cannot sit down and pre-plan a story, no matter how hard I try.
But by not doing so, the story is left open to gaping plot holes larger than originally creative ideas in James Cameron's head...every time I go back to read through my stories, I am having to edit bits and passages to make them connect more organically.
I've had writers tell me they put down in writing the basic skeleton of their work, and hen flesh it out with time. But I have also had writers tell me they just wing it, finish the story and edit it befor submitting it to the publisher.
I find planning to be key. You need to know the end of the story to know how to get to it in a way. I know other writers work the other way (the story organically grows then ends just as surprisingly for them as for the reader) but I can usually tell the difference between a novel that is planned and one that is not.
To me, the creative process holds structure within it, rather than structure generating the creative process. The way my mind works is I have an idea and a story 'arc', which I then plan to meet the end chapter. My thought process goes:
* Idea / novel characteristics
* Arc of story
* Ending chapter
I then create the structure to incorporate all of those things.
I've not finished a novel, as I usually get distracted or start a new one, but I think the process isn't the problem; my weak will power is :lol:
That's exactly how my "process" pans out, and despite the editing after the fact, it usually turns out to be pretty decent material.
It was impressed upon me that planning is crucial, but I'm just not a structured writer; rather, my creativity flows when I am motivated and inspired, and I find it makes more sense to get that down in writing and go back to edit it later.
For me, planning is crucial as it involves the pace and flow of the book. You can't have long periods in the book where they are involved in dialogue heavy parts, or long periods where you're slashing and hacking. Its a process of metering out the different aspects to allow progression, character development and story consistency for reader enjoyment.
Hasn't George RR Martin said he hasn't really planned anything beyond a vague idea?
I thought it was the opposite; he knew where he was going, he knew the arc, he knew the ending, it was the in between bit he simply struggled with (much like me).
