When ideas come in bits & pieces
Today's writing question comes from Jo in London:
My question is about the idea I've got. I know bits and pieces about the two main characters, and know what the premise is, but when it comes to actually writing down things that happen, all I have are various moments. They don't actually flow after each other, it's like some dialogue at the beginning, and some various dialogue/action scenes from later on in the story.
So what should I do? Do I write these individual moments as I see them, or do I try to work out what happens next before hand? I don't think I should try writing what I think should happen, because when I've written short stories before, when I've got to the point where I can't "see" what happens next, what I do actually write seems forced.
My response: Jo, that's exactly how my writing ideas/scenes/dialogue comes to me. I don't know if this is reassuring to you or not. ; ) Being an uber-organized person, I'd like nothing better than a book to come to me from beginning to end, so side trips, no false turns -- but it doesn't happen that way, at least not for me.
What I do is write down eveyything that comes to me and put it in a "Notes" file for that book. As ideas come to me, I simply add it to the file. The important thing to know is that: Everything you think of fits in somewhere. It may not be in that particular book. I have scenes that I wrote years ago that I won't be using until around Book 6, but I've kept it in the Master Notes file. I can't think that far ahead, but apparently my subconscious writing brain does it all the time. So your instinct not to try to write what happens after these flashes of "moments" that come to you is a good one, because those ideas may not be for the project you're working on right now, but for something your writing brain is toying with for the future.
The important thing is to write it all down, don't throw anything away. When I start on a new book, I read through the Master Notes file and copy & paste (never CUT & paste) the scenes/dialogue/ideas that I think I'll use in that book. I say never CUT & paste because you want the Master Notes file to remain intact. I paste these notes into a Notes file for that particular book, and then I'm ready to start. And you will also find that as you write, more ideas/dialogue/scenes will come to you. Just put them in the Notes file for that book and move on with the chapter you're working on. And when you finish that project and there's things in the Notes file that you didn't use, simply transfer them to your Master Notes file -- maybe your muse meant them to be used for your next project.
Hope this helps!
Upcoming blog topics based on your questions:
Making the magic work, or at least make sense.
How long should you prepare before starting a book?
How much time should you spend developing a character?
Am I moving my story forward?
How do I figure out what happens next?
Keeping your hopes up while looking for an agent.
Writing in the moment.
"Framing" your book.
My question is about the idea I've got. I know bits and pieces about the two main characters, and know what the premise is, but when it comes to actually writing down things that happen, all I have are various moments. They don't actually flow after each other, it's like some dialogue at the beginning, and some various dialogue/action scenes from later on in the story.
So what should I do? Do I write these individual moments as I see them, or do I try to work out what happens next before hand? I don't think I should try writing what I think should happen, because when I've written short stories before, when I've got to the point where I can't "see" what happens next, what I do actually write seems forced.
My response: Jo, that's exactly how my writing ideas/scenes/dialogue comes to me. I don't know if this is reassuring to you or not. ; ) Being an uber-organized person, I'd like nothing better than a book to come to me from beginning to end, so side trips, no false turns -- but it doesn't happen that way, at least not for me.
What I do is write down eveyything that comes to me and put it in a "Notes" file for that book. As ideas come to me, I simply add it to the file. The important thing to know is that: Everything you think of fits in somewhere. It may not be in that particular book. I have scenes that I wrote years ago that I won't be using until around Book 6, but I've kept it in the Master Notes file. I can't think that far ahead, but apparently my subconscious writing brain does it all the time. So your instinct not to try to write what happens after these flashes of "moments" that come to you is a good one, because those ideas may not be for the project you're working on right now, but for something your writing brain is toying with for the future.
The important thing is to write it all down, don't throw anything away. When I start on a new book, I read through the Master Notes file and copy & paste (never CUT & paste) the scenes/dialogue/ideas that I think I'll use in that book. I say never CUT & paste because you want the Master Notes file to remain intact. I paste these notes into a Notes file for that particular book, and then I'm ready to start. And you will also find that as you write, more ideas/dialogue/scenes will come to you. Just put them in the Notes file for that book and move on with the chapter you're working on. And when you finish that project and there's things in the Notes file that you didn't use, simply transfer them to your Master Notes file -- maybe your muse meant them to be used for your next project.
Hope this helps!
Upcoming blog topics based on your questions:
Making the magic work, or at least make sense.
How long should you prepare before starting a book?
How much time should you spend developing a character?
Am I moving my story forward?
How do I figure out what happens next?
Keeping your hopes up while looking for an agent.
Writing in the moment.
"Framing" your book.
posted by Lisa Shearin at
6:40 AM
9 Comments:
That's great advice. Especially the bit about copy\paste instead of cut and paste. (I have a tendency to seriously mangle my `doodle files'.)
Excellent advice. I was wondering about this yesterday. Thanks!
Good advice, but also there's some good marketing in there. If your recurring character series isn't picked up by a major publisher, or isn't given a big push, some of that material might come in handy in short stories involving the series. Write & sell the stories, and you market the books.
Thank you, everyone!
You're absolutely right, Robert. Never throw any material away -- you never know when (or where) you'll end up using it.
Thank you Lisa for answering my question! That's awesome advice, and actually makes a lot of sense. I'll start trying that and see where things take me. Thank you!
By the way, I was at an author signing yesterday, and the company who were hosting it had a fair few early copies of books on sale that won't be available here until next month or so. The Trouble with Demons was there! I almost squee-ed out loud, and picked it up right away! I seriously considered buying it, but then remembered Amazon has dispatched the copy I bought off them, so put it back down. I did plug your series for you though, so hopefully some others picked it up! :)
Thanks Lisa! I'm just starting on a few ideas, but that seems to be how things come to me too! So thanks a bunch :)
And a question -
When you get an idea, do you let it roll around in you head for awhile, or do you write it down? I know a different author said they didn't write it down, because it wouldn't develop as much, but I was wondering how it worked for you.
Thanks again!
oh, and congratulations on the finished chapter, and oh my goodness, I can hardly wait for Bewitched and Betrayed!
: )
Copy and paste is brilliant idea. I don't work this way at all: everything stays in my head (may I never get amnesia. Strangely all memory lost is for real life, never my stories).
I admire you, and everyone else who writes like this, with a big folder. It is simply awesome.
I do keep old drafts of wips, because information I don't use in the finished version can (and in a few cases has) become material for other stories.
Jo, impressive show of restraint. ; )
I hope you get your copy soon.
Anon, when I get ideas, thoughts, snippets, dialog, scenes running through my head -- I write them down immediately. If I don't, they're gone -- especially the dialogue. My characters won't say it the same way ever again, so I have to get it down the first time.
{thoughtful look} I'm trying to figure out how this works with different series going at once. I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually. {Smile}
Oh, and I peeked ahead... CONGRATULATIONS on finishing the rough draft! {REALLY BIG GRIN, HUMONGOUS GRIN}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
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