Re: When you change your method of writing does the writing change?

On 6 Oct, 11:10, Nicky B <Nick...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I think that's why my plans and my actual stories relate to one another
but are never identical. I  have to be interested in what is going on so
my plan tends to get complicated by my urge to entertain myself.
When I tried to entertain myself by the writing alone ie in my demon
story, nothing much happened at all : (

Lack of plot and not enough things happening isn't one of my problems,
if anything it's the opposite, ie I have a tendency to let everything
get too complicated and so full of stuff happening that it becomes
muddled. I seem to have a breeding pair of plot bunnies in the
recesses of my brain and their offspring get everywhere! :)

I'm interested in the fact that when you're writing in an unplanned
way and entertaining yourself with an interesting voice or whatever,
the plot doesn't arise. Perhaps it's because you don't dwell on the
story unless you're actually writing it? I don't think plot
developments arise when I'm actually involved in the nitty gritty of
writing a scene. My Plot Wrestling traditionally happens during walks
and then in the next writing session, I write the scenes that have
arisen. Rinse and repeat.

Would a hybrid approach work, namely you write a scene, exploring
character, developing voice, doing description and then at the end of
the scene (or at a separate short session) switch into planning mode
and sketch out the next development? (But *just* the next development,
not the whole caboodle!) To me plotting involves asking and answering
questions -- why did he respond in that way? What will she do next?
What is Cedric up to in the meantime? -- and I can't be doing this
while I'm busy groping for the right word to capture the subtle play
of light over mist-shrouded mountains.

I have to find a way to write an interesting plot and write in an
amusing ( to me) voice at the same time and I haven't yet worked out how
to do that.
I have a finished draft which I need to shape and I wondered how to
approach it.
Any one any experience of that? ( I have done it before but with a
different kind of book)

Re the finished draft that needs shaping, there are a few techniques
that people use. John Braine writes a synopsis, polishes the synopsis
until it flows well and works as as story and then rewrites the novel
to match it. Some people (Patricia may be one? Not sure, it's
certainly a method she's talked about) recommend story cards or Post-
its. Go through the novel and put a brief (one or two sentence)
description of each scene onto a 5" x 3" card. Then you arrange the
cards on a large flat surface and shuffle into the right order, or add
cards with a sketch of a scene that's missing or remove the cards for
scenes that are now surplus to requirements. Then rewrite the novel so
that it matches the sequence of cards.

I'm actually trying the card method with The One About The War. That's
still a sprawling mess and desperately needs a better shape.

Finally I believe there's a writer called N M Browne who uses this
really neat circular diagram which I've found very useful during the
writing first draft phase, but could also see it being used as a
revision tool. :)

Helen
--
http://www.baradel.demon.co.uk/

.

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