Comments on: Losing the plot, and finding it again http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/ about the craft and business of fiction Wed, 23 May 2012 23:52:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Sean Wallace http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-121488 Sean Wallace Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:12:31 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-121488 I used to keep my plots in my head entirely, thinking this made me intelligent to keep whole worlds and people in my old brain-box. What it actually did was ruin my writing and ensure I forgot large quantities of ideas. This doesn't even include the loss of thread and plot which resulted... These are some good suggestions, and I shall be putting them into practice. I used to keep my plots in my head entirely, thinking this made me intelligent to keep whole worlds and people in my old brain-box.

What it actually did was ruin my writing and ensure I forgot large quantities of ideas. This doesn’t even include the loss of thread and plot which resulted…

These are some good suggestions, and I shall be putting them into practice.

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]]> By: ClaudiaV http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-101367 ClaudiaV Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:02:19 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-101367 My plot is in a simple word sheet. Have the chapter number and 2 lines of what should happen in it. Usually is serves more to remember me what I had wrote before than to know what I’m going to write in the future. I feel that sometimes a get a little lost. Not in the story but in details that had happen before. Because there are many secrets, sometimes I find difficult to remember what each character already know. When that happens I go back to read the past chapters and put topics in post-it. Not the best method but it’s a fast one (time is everything when I’m writing in my working place, in the middle of invoices and phone calls). I’m been wondering about the “voice” thing. Sometimes I’m in a chapter and I don’t know who character voice should appear. I’m writing in third person, but I change the voice. For example, at this time I have 3 characters in the same room. I have the hero (that usually is the voice), I have someone that will save the hero in that scene, and I have the bad women. I started writing in the hero voice but I think that I need to change in the middle of the chapter so the reader can view the other perspectives that I think are important for the story, like what is the bad one thinking? Does she recognize the hero? What plans are she making in her mind? When this happens, there’s only one thing that I can do so I can take a decision: follow my instinct. My plot is in a simple word sheet. Have the chapter number and 2 lines of what should happen in it. Usually is serves more to remember me what I had wrote before than to know what I’m going to write in the future.
I feel that sometimes a get a little lost. Not in the story but in details that had happen before. Because there are many secrets, sometimes I find difficult to remember what each character already know. When that happens I go back to read the past chapters and put topics in post-it. Not the best method but it’s a fast one (time is everything when I’m writing in my working place, in the middle of invoices and phone calls).
I’m been wondering about the “voice” thing. Sometimes I’m in a chapter and I don’t know who character voice should appear. I’m writing in third person, but I change the voice.
For example, at this time I have 3 characters in the same room. I have the hero (that usually is the voice), I have someone that will save the hero in that scene, and I have the bad women. I started writing in the hero voice but I think that I need to change in the middle of the chapter so the reader can view the other perspectives that I think are important for the story, like what is the bad one thinking? Does she recognize the hero? What plans are she making in her mind?
When this happens, there’s only one thing that I can do so I can take a decision: follow my instinct.

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]]> By: Juliet http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-101138 Juliet Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:37:28 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-101138 Jessica, thanks, I'm glad it was helpful. Marion, that made me laugh! Jessica, thanks, I’m glad it was helpful.

Marion, that made me laugh!

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]]> By: Marion Roach http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-101068 Marion Roach Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:16:46 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-101068 I used to be so polite. At dinner parties when someone would ask what I do, I'd reply, "I'm a writer." "I'm going to be a writer when I retire," he would invariably say, to which I used to lean into the conversation and listen to all his ideas, and how one of these days he'd get around to writing. No more. Now, it goes something like this. "I'm a writer." "Oh, I'm goign to be a writer when I retire." "Really? What do you do now?" "I'm a brain surgeon." "Oh, I'm going to be a brain surgeon when I retire." Sometimes the conversation actually gets interesting about writing after that. Not always. I used to be so polite.
At dinner parties when someone would ask what I do, I’d reply, “I’m a writer.”
“I’m going to be a writer when I retire,” he would invariably say, to which I used to lean into the conversation and listen to all his ideas, and how one of these days he’d get around to writing.
No more.
Now, it goes something like this.
“I’m a writer.”
“Oh, I’m goign to be a writer when I retire.”
“Really? What do you do now?”
“I’m a brain surgeon.”
“Oh, I’m going to be a brain surgeon when I retire.”

Sometimes the conversation actually gets interesting about writing after that. Not always.

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]]> By: Juliet http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-100999 Juliet Sun, 08 Feb 2009 06:53:17 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-100999 Tracy, thanks for the good wishes! I hope your mentee finds the information helpful. Tracy, thanks for the good wishes! I hope your mentee finds the information helpful.

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]]> By: Jessica http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-100987 Jessica Sun, 08 Feb 2009 04:46:36 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-100987 This is so helpful. I've tried both methods (outlining and "winging" it), but never tried the "control" aspect. This is a journey worth taking, and thank you for your inspirational notes! This is so helpful. I’ve tried both methods (outlining and “winging” it), but never tried the “control” aspect. This is a journey worth taking, and thank you for your inspirational notes!

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]]> By: Tracy http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-100942 Tracy Sat, 07 Feb 2009 23:45:40 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-100942 Juliet: I enjoy your books very much and will pass along this plotting tip and the URL to this site to a young aspiring writer whom I mentor. I've just finished Well of Shades and eagerly look forward to another installment in that series. Until that time I will reread the Sevenwaters novels in preparation to reading Heir of Sevenwaters and explore your other titles. Good luck with your busy year of writing. Blessed be. Juliet:
I enjoy your books very much and will pass along this plotting tip and the URL to this site to a young aspiring writer whom I mentor.

I’ve just finished Well of Shades and eagerly look forward to another installment in that series. Until that time I will reread the Sevenwaters novels in preparation to reading Heir of Sevenwaters and explore your other titles.

Good luck with your busy year of writing. Blessed be.

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]]> By: Juliet http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-100776 Juliet Sat, 07 Feb 2009 00:32:08 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-100776 I'm glad it helped, Maya! Good luck with your work. I’m glad it helped, Maya! Good luck with your work.

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]]> By: Maya http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-100707 Maya Fri, 06 Feb 2009 10:51:38 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-100707 This is incredibly helpful! Thanks a lot! I really want more advice about that prewriting stage of a novel. This is incredibly helpful! Thanks a lot! I really want more advice about that prewriting stage of a novel.

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]]> By: Lorna Suzuki http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-100671 Lorna Suzuki Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:14:21 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/02/05/losing-the-plot-and-finding-it-again/#comment-100671 Hi Juliet: Thanks for the tip! I may have to employ this method as I find it's become a race to finish each story now as my memory begins to slip. Hi Juliet:

Thanks for the tip! I may have to employ this method as I find it’s become a race to finish each story now as my memory begins to slip.

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