General Writing Thread

[Chirugal]

Hi all,

Thought this thread might be a good place to discuss techniques and writing theories and whatever.

I will start off with something I've found really helpful. I have a book called The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker, and this is his theory. There are a few variations depending on which of the seven plots you're using, but generally this is a template I've been using for planning:

Stage one: Anticipation/The Call: the hero(ine) is living their life in whatever way and something changes in their life to change it forever.

Stage two: Dream Stage: Things are going pretty well, the plot is progressing but nothing desperate has happened yet.

Stage three: Frustration Stage: Something, or a series of somethings, goes wrong, and it seems that the hero(ine)'s chance of success is pretty slim.

Stage four: Nightmare Stage: The final ordeal, the goodies vs the baddies.

Stage five: Resolution Stage: The initial problem is resolved, either the good guys or the bad guys have won (usually the good guys!) and the story is wrapped up in a satisfactory way.

***

Hope at least someone finds this helpful or interesting.

[Mad Max]

Reading this thread begs the question of how does the gang usually go about their writings?

I know for example that I should plan out plots, overviews, and so outlines, which I do.

But it seems my writing is never quite so ordered. I spend a lot of time compiling ideas, thoughts and threads. I just let them mull around on the computer and in my head and then I start to reason from the antagonists perspective. Once I've developed what the antagonist proposes to do, I then start thinking on the protaganist, puting as much effort as I feel needed to be successful in avoiding cliche's. I can't stand cliches.

Then I just shotgun it all at the page. Thats the easy part. The next several weeks are spent tightening and elaberating until what began as an 8k story balloons out to 21k. My problem isn't writing or plot or vision or even dialogue. My problem if any lies in cohesion. Trying to keep it tight without (pardon the pun) losing the plot.

(Shameless plug here) The gang is welcome to check it out.

www.fictionpress.com/read.php?storyid=1829171

[Mouse]

Baseline for me: I get an interesting character bouncing around in my head (usually a female protagonist), write her down somewhere and start to think about what she wants and the world she lives in. Once I have a few pages full up of background and plotpoints (other charries have usually grown by then) I just start writing and let it go where it wants to. I often find that if I try to overplan a story I lose some of the great things that just pop up and work perfectly. I've never thought much about 'stages' in my writing, other than beginning, middle, end; problem, conflict, solution.

I also have a bad habit of turning short stories into novels, because the world and charries just keep growing and expanding on me!

[Cj]

I must be the most disorganised! I basically plan mostly the lot in my head and write randomly here and there in various voices and styles until it fits, one thing sounds different to the other yet they’re the same world.
I never stick rigidly to a plan (even though I spend ages planning) and often while writing the plan goes out the window, I rarely discuss my work but whenever I do I get more ideas and plots sorted out but it never rests. Its fun but disorganised.
Man I’d hate to have to take a look in my brain…but yet I live there…huh go figure…<br>
One things for sure I like my work like I like my world extravagant expressive and very colourful. If I could spend an hour with any writer exchanging notes it would have to be Shakespeare, some might say he’s over top but really its just that simple.

Amy i agree with those seven basic plots cos i have this writing organiser program (havent used it in ages) but it has the same kind of gudielines

[Chirugal]

This is all useful stuff; thanks, guys!

Never really been a Shakespeare fan. :s I think it must be having to study him for years on end at school.

[Kayne]

Hey. just on the technical front of writing, what are your opinions on using the second person i.e. first person: "i picked my nose" second person: "you picked your nose" third person: "joe picked his nose'.

It's tricking to do, but i've seen it used to good effect, particularly in the novel "Buffalo Soldiers" (I forget the author)

So yeh, opinions on you picking your nose

[Jac]

Second person is a very odd viewpoint, it is much harder to suspend disbelief as the story is about YOU and if anything happens that doesn't fit with the person you are it can jar you from the story being told.

That being said I've seen it done masterfully in the past. Iain Banks uses interludes of second person present in Complicity and although you notice the oddness if fits the story perfectly.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is harder to do than the more traditional viewpoints but a highly skilled writer can pull it off.

J

[Chirugal]

I'd find it quite hard to do, and to stick with reading, I think. Though I did used to love those 'choose your own adventure' books as a kid, and they were second-person.