well, oneshots are frequently unplanned-vomit-on-the-page sorta deals for me, but on longer stories, i do plan. it's messy messy planning whose primary purpose is to get my head around the thing. in my book, outlining is less about organizing and more about repeatedly revisiting my thoughts until i know what the story is going to be like.
usually goes something like this:
1. sketch/brainstorm/rough idea 2. research various (scientific, social, psychological) aspects 3. repeat 1 and 2, making adjustments where research deems necessary 4. more detailed outlines of various story arcs and where they intersect 5. more detailed research 6. write
of course, 6 can take place anywhere in there. inspiration hits for a scene, whether it's currently planned or not, i write it. then i go back to #1 and figure out where it fits, if anywhere. and if it doesn't fit, but i like where it takes the story, it can all change.
the folder on my computer for Feels Like Home has 87 documents and 48 photos of street fairs and factories (for help visualizing certain scenes). the text files are individual chapters, short outlines of various arcs, backstory on new characters, and research (about explosives, factories, chemical makeup of various kinds of glass, medical conditions, poisons, guns and firing ranges, and the legal system). and then there's the actual detailed "outline"... part basic outline, part drafts of scenes... by the end it was about 15,000 words. so like i said, lots of planning, not so much traditional organization.
the metaphor that comes to mind when i'm writing is that of a campfire. when i'm trying to build it, i stoke the fire wherever the flames are kicking up and have it spread from there, rather than trying to make multiple fires and try to convince them to gather together. it works for me.
certain things i have in mind from the beginning for a casefic, of course, like who the criminal is, what their motive was, red herrings, etc. but one nice thing about keeping things somewhat fluid is that sometimes the readers pick up on things that i didn't originally intend and i can adjust in coming chapters to accentuate or mask certain aspects. (or if the bitchy new character is getting people riled up, i can give her more scenes!)
oh, and i also advocate writing with a bottle of wine, or six pack of beer, or pitcher of margaritas. :) but i have a rule about not posting under the influence. i always read back the next morning to see what kind of insanity i've spewed.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-10-31 07:42 am (UTC)usually goes something like this:
1. sketch/brainstorm/rough idea
2. research various (scientific, social, psychological) aspects
3. repeat 1 and 2, making adjustments where research deems necessary
4. more detailed outlines of various story arcs and where they intersect
5. more detailed research
6. write
of course, 6 can take place anywhere in there. inspiration hits for a scene, whether it's currently planned or not, i write it. then i go back to #1 and figure out where it fits, if anywhere. and if it doesn't fit, but i like where it takes the story, it can all change.
the folder on my computer for Feels Like Home has 87 documents and 48 photos of street fairs and factories (for help visualizing certain scenes). the text files are individual chapters, short outlines of various arcs, backstory on new characters, and research (about explosives, factories, chemical makeup of various kinds of glass, medical conditions, poisons, guns and firing ranges, and the legal system). and then there's the actual detailed "outline"... part basic outline, part drafts of scenes... by the end it was about 15,000 words. so like i said, lots of planning, not so much traditional organization.
the metaphor that comes to mind when i'm writing is that of a campfire. when i'm trying to build it, i stoke the fire wherever the flames are kicking up and have it spread from there, rather than trying to make multiple fires and try to convince them to gather together. it works for me.
certain things i have in mind from the beginning for a casefic, of course, like who the criminal is, what their motive was, red herrings, etc. but one nice thing about keeping things somewhat fluid is that sometimes the readers pick up on things that i didn't originally intend and i can adjust in coming chapters to accentuate or mask certain aspects. (or if the bitchy new character is getting people riled up, i can give her more scenes!)
oh, and i also advocate writing with a bottle of wine, or six pack of beer, or pitcher of margaritas. :) but i have a rule about not posting under the influence. i always read back the next morning to see what kind of insanity i've spewed.