Is it me, my idea, or what I did last summer

Craft of Fiction
#1

Recently, I finished a 14-week critique group aimed at securing first drafts and 2nd, 3rd, or 4th revisions so we could experience our stories through the eyes of another. We were nineteen strong, with what looks like eight(including moi) submitting the requisite six(6) samples. The samples had an odd limit of 960 words. Most of us, meself included, clocked in around 850 per rendering. Typically, my scenes are 1600-2400 which made the word count a little more challenging, but limits are what make us stronger, are they not?

To help us out, one of the moderators suggested we look at what we write as either “Plot”, “Premise”, or “Prose”. For me, I’ve always found Plot to be the more daunting of the trifecta. This is why I outline, timeline, and outline some more. Next on the “I-don’t-wanna” scale is probably forming up a decent Premise from the wet clay at my feet. I literally comb old newspapers and books with crumbling pages for an idea that’s fresh and never-before-seen. This is why my first fifty pages tend to invert like a sea star’s belly at the all-inclusive buffet before I have something I’m willing to share.

Now, what I can do on a roughly 50/50 basis is to pen a lurid phrase and make you truly believe that small and clever serpent is not only housebroken but responds to a high F# bell and enjoys his milk and crickets after dispatching the curmudgeon last heirs in their sleep, [Doyle; S.Holmes - The Speckled Band, sort of ].

I’m not the greatest of grammarians, but I’ve learned literary writing differs from Junior High essay writing, and once we can fully embrace a well-intentioned fragment, or have fun with a rollicking run-on, then I think we tend to become more passionate writers.

So, my question to anyone who cares to reply; Where do you fall? Do we zip along on your plots, its twists, and turns, and later ourselves into a frantic sweat? Will we gasp and reach for a [small] brandy when fully understand the consequences of failure? I shall we need find a shady spot in the apple’s orchard, or hunker tight in the clammy confines of an old home steeped in betrayal?

What do you think?

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#2

“literally comb old newspapers and books with crumbling pages for an idea that’s fresh and never-before-seen.”

What a great idea! Inspiration can spring from most anywhere. I really like where you’ve gone looking for it.

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#3

I’m not completely sure I understand the question, but I’ll give it my best shot.

In the story planning department, I’ve gone from 100% pantsing to 100% planning and wound up back at pantsing, but around the 85% mark this time, and I seem to be able to produce more and better quality content that way.

For me, nothing really came together until I adjusted my process. I know a lot of people write an entire manuscript in one Word doc (or whatever equivalent word processor you prefer), but doing that stifles me. Instead, I write each chapter separately in its own document. When I’m ready, I content edit, spell-check, line-edit, etc. until I feel the individual chapter is done. Then, I stick it into a file that contains the entire finished portion of my manuscript.

This means I don’t see more than one or two scenes at a time. It focuses me on what’s going on now. I can reference the main manuscript for events that led up to this moment, but ultimately, I have to concentrate on getting that one moment right. If it isn’t going the way it should, there’s a feeling of unease that stays around until I fix whatever the problem was.

Keeping to this method has worked well for me. Beta readers are invested in the MC because his needs/wants/desires are imminent in each scene. He might connect current events to something that happened in the past or will happen in the future, but each of these musings serves to raise the stakes of the scene instead of detracting from the overall impact.

Of course, I’d like to think my WIP is enthralling, but I honestly don’t have a way of knowing that. When I come to a section with some heavy emotional content, I don’t feel it the way a reader would. Instead, I know it’s heavy because writing drained me so much I had to go sleep.

I’ve got plot points I know will surprise, and some that won’t, but as for how readers as a whole will react to the story? I have no idea.

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#4

I almost always pants the MC and the first 20~ pages, but once I’ve found the kernel of story, I pull out my legal pad and start brainstorming beats. Then I leave it while I “write” as much as possible of the bit in my head. I move all those beats to index cards (I’ve just recently discovered large Post-its) and get my scenes and Acts together. I write and I amend. Jiggle, and shore. Eventually, I have something to share or at least set aside as I consider it’s potential.

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#5

@daniel_0227

I tried an approach similar to that once. It was not pretty. I can’t seem to connect character motivation from one scene to another. It ends up being a bunch of scenes with no glue to hold them together.

What solutions have you found to maintain that “character-connectedness” throughout the story?

#6

@daniel_0227, during the course you took, did the instructor ever explain why determining whether each scene was plot, premise, or prose? What was the objective to the exercise? Or maybe I’m not understanding what you meant.

And dtill359, do you use Scrivener?

#7

@Jen, no. I’ve looked into Scrivener, but it’s not for me. I use Word and Plottr.