Quick Note On Writing ...

Posted by GregF on
Bink posted in my last entry asking whether the time I spend on a book includes outline and plotting as well as the actual writing.

Answer is basically no, because I do not outline my books. I don't want to know what is going to happen ahead of time, it gets boring then. I like to be as surprised as my readers when the pieces fall together. That is how I have always written, dating back to when I first started -- I avoid outlines like the plague, I think it robs writing of its spontaneity.

Greg
~X-Clone~
Original#1
Well, that's definitely a logical way to go around things. Better quality writing in the end, y'know? I remember your post about letting the characters write the novel for you - I think that's quite a reasonable way to write a book. It definitely sets up the plot better.

~:x:~
Binkmeister
Original#2
Cool, that's very interesting to know. I wouldn't have guessed there wasn't an outline for the books - but of course I'm gauging them by what I would do. I tend to outline my writing since I have a mind like a steel sieve and I don't want anything to leak away before I've committed it to paper (or, more accurately, pixels). But that's more my faulty memory than anything.

Although I don't want to turn your blog into "The Mechanics Of Writing" or anything, I'd love to chat with you more about this when you have more time (which it doesn't sound like you'll have for a while). Assuming you're willing to share your Trade Secrets. :)

Good luck on Exo-Force 3!
Blue Eyes Commander
Original#3
I thought I was the only one who did'nt bother with a Outline (You know, with my Fan-Fics), I did'nt even know you wrote Exo-Force!?!?!
Pekel
Original#4
Heh, that's always how I used to play with my toys. Other kids would always ask "who should win?" while I was busy finding out. Made it more like watching a movie... plus having things fall into place themselves is much neater than shoving them together.

You must have fun writing. I envy you. :P
Schizo Kaita
Original#5
I work somewhat along the same lines, although I usually start out with a general plot: story set-up, characters I'd like to include, a bit of background information. But I've experienced that however I've planned a chapter, the story always slips away from me and takes on a new turn of its own. The creative writing process has a mind of its own - it doesn't care about what you were planning.
Stephen King put it somewhat in the same words: "The greatest stories write themselves."
Ta-metru_defender
Original#6
Schizo Kaita
Stephen King put it somewhat in the same words: "The greatest stories write themselves."
I agree there, one of the best ways to write stories.

But do you have a basic ouytline like:

Piraka arvive on Voya Nui
Toa get to Voya Nui
Toa loose fight against Piraka

TMD
Utopia
Original#7
Ta-metru_defender
Schizo Kaita
Stephen King put it somewhat in the same words: "The greatest stories write themselves."
I agree there, one of the best ways to write stories.

But do you have a basic ouytline like:

Piraka arvive on Voya Nui
Toa get to Voya Nui
Toa loose fight against Piraka

TMD

Exactly how I write Greg. Just let it flow I'd say.

But TMD, I guess that you would need some basic outline, but the detail would have to write itself. Sure maybe you have to get the Toa to Voya Nui, but that's up to the moment for one to decide when and how they get there.

~U


##### Bassai
Original#8
I sometimes try to outline, but my two things that are major that I have written have been completely without outlines. =D So yes, I write in a similar way. I kind of like outlines though.
I also really like writing. Do you ever have even a basic idea of what's going to happen?
Biomech
Original#9
At school, when we are doing written pieces, like you, I never plot out what I'm gonna write about... I just start writing and see how it goes. And almost always, I get good marks. Woot. ^_^
Toa Lhikan Hordika
Original#10
Good point Greg. I like that. I'll have to remember that next time I have something to do for my writing curriculum.

- :t::l::h:
Clarín
Original#11
I've tried doing something like your way, Greg, and it seems to work for me. For me, if I've planned something ahead of time, by the time I get to it the memory is a bit smudged, and it doesn't go as planned. It's always bugged me when I get inspired to write something, but it's too far away to do it. I'm currently stuck in an outline write now, and so far I haven't managed to break it up enough for a completely fresh feel. Great to hear from an actual writer about this.
Lazyguy
Original#12
At the risk of sounding like everyone else, I'll say I'm the same way. Though I'm no professional writer, I must say I go witht he flow of the story. Though I don't stop myself from coming up with cool plot twists ahead of time, I generally think of ideas as I write.

But often, it puts me in a bad spot. I get myself caught in a corner and can't get out, which is the current situation with an old epic I'm trying to revive called "Diverse City"
SPIRIT
Original#13
Biomech
At school, when we are doing written pieces, like you, I never plot out what I'm gonna write about... I just start writing and see how it goes. And almost always, I get good marks. Woot. ^_^
Me too. It drives me nuts that teachers want me to actually make and then hand in an outline. Well, it's good to know I'm not alone in spontaneous writing.
LORDs_angellos
Original#14
Toa Lhikan Hordika
Good point Greg. I like that. I'll have to remember that next time I have something to do for my writing curriculum.

- :t::l::h:

Spontanious writing is only good in some instances, not all, TLH. Please don't write spontaniously on something like a research essay. :blink:

(I know you're smart enough to realize that, but still... ;) )

~ :a: ~
Binkmeister
Original#15
I was watching Serenity again last night (just never gets old), and remembered Joss Whedon's description of how he came up with The Assassin's character. He was writing some dialog for the beginning, trying to get a handle on how the character worked, what drove him, and so on. Whedon got to a line where the Assassin said, "In times past, a man who has failed so completely would fall on his sword." Then Whedon thought about having the Assassin get out a real sword, and using it. At that point, he said, the character became much more defined and unique. "So this is how he'd take care of it." That's probably not something you could come up with as easily if you were outlining, I'm guessing.
Biomech
Original#16
SPIRIT
Biomech
At school, when we are doing written pieces, like you, I never plot out what I'm gonna write about... I just start writing and see how it goes. And almost always, I get good marks. Woot. ^_^
Me too. It drives me nuts that teachers want me to actually make and then hand in an outline.
I'm lucky my teachers stopped asking for outlines after Grade 7/8 or so... helps me finish faster, not having to do a "Brain Storming" sheet. :pirate:
Sharkictus
Original#17
Mines keep asking me for Brainstorming sheets so I wont get to write like you Greg till I am at 9th grade.
Transparent Blue
Original#18
That's exactly how I do it, Greg! I almost never plan ahead with stories, unless I think of a super-cool event that could happen. Or if I'm at school, where these things are required. Stupid brainstorms! If I wrote a story using a brainstorm, kept the copy, traveled back in time and wrote the story without using a brainstorm, there'd be a major difference. The one written with a brainstorm would be extremely bad. Reminds me of my writing exam. They gave you 5 minutes to plan, 20 to write and 5 to edit. In the planning time, I just stared at the blank area of 'planning space', then during the writing time, I just wrote away.

Spontanious writing is only good in some instances, not all, TLH. Please don't write spontaniously on something like a research essay.

Actually, I find that writing spontaniously makes everything I write a lot better. Even research essays. Trust me, everything I write that's been thoroughly planned turns out to be a pile of junk.
bonesiii
Original#19
My approach, usually, is sorta a mix between outlining and not -- I only "outline" because sometimes I'll have an idea and not have time to write the actual scene, just jot a note... so I don't usually even call that an outline, but I do arrange it in chron. order.

But I always approach the outline as just one of many possible ways I could go when I actually write, and NOTHING is ever final. (I put it in all caps to yell at myself to never forget that. :P) Often my "outline" says the character wins something in a scene and I end up having him/her lose 'cuz that is cooler. XD Or vice versa. So even with the outline I'm still pretty much clueless as to how the story will end. ^_^

I find, personally, that works better than pure spontaneity. BTW, took a class on writing, and what TMD said is basically what my instructor (a published writer and editor) said is best -- he had us write outlines for our stories that could not go over 20 words. And then everything else is supposed to be spontaneous.
Wonko
Original#20
Wow, I thought that I was weird writing spontainiously. (I probably still am weird, but not for that reason.) Of course, when this is what you get with it, you can't be sure...