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Creative writing

Difficulty with the plot?

13 replies

schroedingersdodo · 28/12/2010 10:25

I'm currently writing the first draft of my first novel. Never worked in something so long and I'm finding a bit difficult to plot it.

The story is set 50 years in the future, and I think the world building is going well - at least I like it and think it is reasonably consistent.

However, I'm having trouble with the characters and the plot. Before you tell me "well, without characters or plot you might as well give up and learn to play an instrument," I must say I do have a story in mind, and a couple of characters. But they don't seem real enough for me, or interesting enough.

What I'm doing is: every day I write at least 500 words (rarely much more than that) without thinking too much, making the characters do something and making the action go forward, even if it is crap. And I never look back. The next day I continue from where I stopped.

So far two new characters have appeared, with a bit more drama than the original couple (who were a lot like myself). A few things have happened, but everything still feels a bit wobble. Will it all "click" at some point?

Do any of you have a better technique? Any tips?

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CarmelitaMiggs · 28/12/2010 10:37

I knew I needed the plot to be very clear in my mind first. So quite quickly (not too much agonising), I rough-planned it. Just a piece of A4, not too much detail, but enough to have the shape of the story.

Then when I started to write I used the outline like banisters, so I had something to hold onto and work towards every day. Nice sense of security.

I think the idea of writing every day and not looking back is very sound, I did that too.

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schroedingersdodo · 28/12/2010 10:43

Carmelita,

I tried to do the outline as you say. Wrote several versions of it, they were all very poor. Spent about two years agonising over that, and never started the real writing until I gave up. I really wish I could put together a story like you did.

Why do I think I'm fit to be a storyteller if I find so difficult to, er, create a story?

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CarmelitaMiggs · 28/12/2010 11:03

How many words have you written so far?

I had a few false starts before I had the idea for my plot, and when it came along it felt quite different: I knew I wouldn't get bored of it. I knew I could spend enjoyable time with it.

Do you keep a notebook? Notebooks are great. I think they sharpen up your awareness of possibilities. Keep it with you always, just scribble random thoughts in it as they occur (or as you overhear or see things): everything is valid...

One of the scribbles or perhaps one in conjunction with another will take off Smile

What you're working on now is all good material, you know the area you want to explore -- but you have to find a way of doing so. And that's where your notebook comes in

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schroedingersdodo · 28/12/2010 15:14

I have about 12k words so far. It's interesting how crazy characters are creeping up while i write. My problem with notepads is that the ideas never connect, whereas with this (horrible) draft one idea works as a platform for another idea, more interesting (imo) than the previous one. Btw, are you working in this story now, carmelita? How is it going? What's the genre (nosey)?

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artifarti · 28/12/2010 15:18


I did exactly what you suggest - just wrote and wrote without looking back. Every time I tried to plot and outline, like you, I never got anywhere. When I wrote without stopping all kind of strange things happened! It got me past 50,000 words for the first time. Some days I really wasn't happy with what I wrote and knew it was crap but I forced myself not to go back and revise it but just to press on - sooner or later I found a flow again. Now I have to redraft the whole thing which feels as daunting as when I first started!

Also - try not to stop for more than a few days. I found that I lost the urgency to write and lost interest in my plot and characters.
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CarmelitaMiggs · 28/12/2010 19:19

I wrote it earlier this year and a publisher bought it in the autumn. I've got a bit of time to polish it up before submitting the final draft. Publishing in 2012.

it's a novel, a sort of psychological thriller. Sort of.

I agree very much with the momentum idea -- if you're writing every day it really starts to tick over at a subconscious level which feels incredibly productive/exciting. I loved dropping the DCs off at school and thinking, in a luxurious sort of way, 'I've got 10 mins to walk to Tesco, I must think about character X and twist Y.'

I found my notebook and the habit of keeping it very useful without it I wouldn't have got anywhere but that's not to say it'll work for you. And it's true that stuff only happens within the story if you write it. Crazy characters or little details only occur when you've got cracking.

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schroedingersdodo · 28/12/2010 20:31

Hi artifarti ,

Well done for finishing your first draft! I'll get there someday :) WHat sort of story is it?

Carmelita,

Is this your first book? Congratulations on the publication! How long did it take for you to get an agent?

I agree with both of you that the most important think is to keep writing every day. In previous attempts I have spent long periods without writing and after a while I just didn't feel involved with the story any more.

This time, everyday I finish my 500 words without any idea where to go next. By the next day I usually have the next step figured out, as I guess my brain has been working on the story in the meantime. It's been an interesting process.



(and I also walk to Sainsburys plotting what will happen with the characters. I feel like a real writer, hahaha :)

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BelleDeChocChipCookieMonster · 28/12/2010 20:36

I tend to use personalities of people that I know in my book (I write for children though so it's a little different). I also sketch out the plot with a pen and paper first so I know roughly where I'm heading.

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schroedingersdodo · 29/12/2010 18:56

hi belle, my problem is that i'm apparently unable to sketch a plot. Wish i could, really.

Today was a crap day, didn't write a word so far and i'm feeling a bit low. But i'll get something on paper regardless.

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strandednomore · 29/12/2010 19:04

Hi - before I started I read a couple of books. One suggestion was to write a "fairy tale" plot. Eg, Once Upon a Time; so and so met so and so, then such and such happened etc etc. It's a sort of take on the who, why, what, how, when.

Anyway I found I had to know roughly where I was going before I started otherwise I would have become too frustrated. I have always known the ending, even if getting there has taken a lot of unexpected twists.

It sounds like you are being very creative though, it's a good sign that characters are sort of inventing themselves.

Have you thought of doing a creative writing course? I would love to if I could find one I could fit round childcare.

Good luck with it. Oh and you are so right about plodding on and writing every day - I have stopped writing because we've recently moved back to the UK from overseas and what with that and Christmas I just haven't had the time. I know I have to get back into it though - I only have a few more chapters to go (of first draft!).

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BelleDeChocChipCookieMonster · 29/12/2010 20:31

There's a few plots, all basic ones are the same. If you look at books you can stick the plots into groups: Banned love, as in Romeo & Juliette for example.
Good Vs Evil, as in Harry Potter/Superman/Star wars.
All characters have to change and grow in some way and this needs to be part of the plot. There's loads of books that you can get about developing a plot.

An example: Gwyneth Paltrows character in sliding doors (guess what I've been watching). She starts off as a quiet, timid character. Her boyfriends an arse who's cheating on her and she loses her job. The main body of the movie is her but in two alternate universes; one where she managed to get home in time to catch her boyfriend in bed with another woman and one where she didn't. This is the main plot, the alternate lives. In both lives she also develops. She discovers her inner strengh, sets up a business and makes a step at a new relationship.
There's twists and turns along the way which keep the reader/watcher hooked to it.

There's no harm in looking at the plots in other books and using this to inspire you. There's only so many plots out there and most of them follow the main key ones, West Side Story is very much like Romeo and Juliet.
This is my blog but what does this story remind you of?
//juliebrough.blogspot.com/2010/12/mary-has-little-lamb.html It would help you to do some research in the library and look at the plots in some of the books. Look out for the similarities as there will be a lot. The way that they are written is different though as this is the writers 'voice', their style.

The Open University do a creative writing course if you are looking for one.

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Novelist · 30/12/2010 12:16

Maybe it would help if you got to know your characters and their motivations better before moving on and forcing yourself to plot extensively? One book that's great for this is Debra Dixon's Goal, Motivation, Conflict. I always find it helps me in the beginning stages of my novels. Then again, I'm completely anal and have a whole formula now (bit of three act structure, bit of Goal, Motivation, Conflict, a mix of screenwriting techniques). It's okay not to be a plotter. You may just be a pure pantser and need to simply write to get where you need to go.

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schroedingersdodo · 01/01/2011 12:08

Hi, sorry for taking so long to come back here.

First of all, I wish a great new year for all of us! And may we all start/finish/find an agent/publish (delete as appropriate) our books :)

Stranded,

I did a "writing non fiction narrative" course at City University once. It was good, but the best thing I took from it was the contact with other writers and the feeling that there are some people going through the same. Right now, with a baby at home, I don't have the money or the time to attend a proper course. Maybe a group would be more adequate (think I'll create a thread about it).

Belle,

Your advice on the character's growth is something I have to keep in mind when I'm plotting. I know there are no new stories to tell (some people may disagree), but the point is that I really want a story that is character-driven. And to achieve that I need stronger characters than the ones I have now. But I may be onto something, let's see where all I'm writing will lead me.

Novelist,

How do you do the conflicts and motivations of the characters? I started writing it down for each of them (a bit like the Stanislavski method for actors) but they all ended up very weak (mostly like a copy of myself or someone I know, but even less complex). I needed some stronger stories, but then when I tried creating characters with a lot of drama and strong background stories they just sounded like stereotypes.

Right now I'm reading V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore. The protagonist is a dramatic, strong character, very theatrical, but believable (in the context of the story, of course). How one makes something like that without stereotyping? (and no, I don't have any character as nearly as theatrical in my novel). Do you write about your characters before you start plotting? You write short stories about them so they can feel more real?

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