Planning your story

[Cayal]

How do you plan your story?

I generally use a notebook or text file with a storyboard (as I call it) which is pretty much a dot point form of what is going to happen step-by-step (or close to that).

I insert ideas as they come and fit into the story whilst noting key points about future plot points, character etc at the bottom.

[Bowler1]

You might find my planning process of no use to you.

I let my imagination go during the quite parts of the day and get my ideas that way. When writing I do have a good idea of what I want but I keep the writing free flowing. That will mean rewriting sections as I go and its very in the moment but I can surprise myself sometimes. Once written I will fuss over the writing quite a bit.

So all my planning is in my head. I do have an overall plot and idea of what I want to acheive but I let little ideas as I go along have space as well.

[HareBrain]

I do a kind of free-form planning where I just write down what occurs to me in a Word document. If I think of a change to an earlier idea, I either replace the earlier note, add the new note onto the end without replacing the earlier one, or insert the new note at random into the body of the document. At some point I start a new document with the intention (never realised) of rationalising all the crap in the old one. And when I start writing the story, I'll make new notes about where the plot will go in the story document itself, or sometimes in one of the previous documents, depending on nothing at all (or it might be tides).

Although that all sounds chaotic, it keeps my mind in a state of mild anxiety and confusion which makes it easier to find diversions from writing such as watching Bargain Hunt and going down the shops.

[Bowler1]

Very good HB you made me giggle. I was worried my free flow was too loose and disorganised, I'm feeling much better now. Bargin Hunt, up there with cat nip!

[SPH Young]

I'm still searching for the approach that works best for me. My first attempt at a novel was loosely planned. I think it worked to an extent (I still like the concept, and much of what happened felt exciting), but on rewrites it became apparent that I was putting plot before characters. I would often force them to do something not in there nature just so that I didn't have to deviate from what i had already decided.

On my second attempt, I didn't plan at all. The first draft was my plotting. the above problem didn't occur, but instead I ended up with blocks of text that aimlessly wandered. I wouldn't know where the story was going, but felt I had to keep writing. I abandoned this one on the third draft. I may return to it one day.

This time I'm being meticulous. I want to know every detail of every character. I even want to know what side of the mouth they prefer to chew on! I'm plotting every event as it happens. When I start a knew scene, I'm stopping to think, "What would this character do in this situation?"

In many ways it is a mix of the two, but as this first run through the story isn't a draft, i feel as if I'm a lot more free to hit the delete button, back up, and take a different route. Will it work? I don't know. the only problem I can see is that I may get bored of the story before I get anywhere near the third draft (having run through it so meticulously already).

[Glen]

Several weeks or months of thinking about the story, usually with a few strong scenes and themes. When there is a critical mass of this I make the call to open a new, cheap notebook (made out of paper not electronics) and a pen, and scribble down ideas. I use lots of questions: Kiplings six honest serving men. And I keep going until I have a framework of the book, and then I'll drill down, and back up, and back and forth filling in gaps, mostly in my head, not worrying about a timeline or a "chronicle". and then there comes a time when there is a critical mass of more detailed stuff, and I know what the first scene is going to be, and I will start writing, and I'll label sticky-notes with scene headings and order them. Then my challenge is to keep the planning ahead of my writing. Writing makes the planning more than a game. I'll have a view of the end, but how we get to the end, and how what happens when we get there becomes clearer as we go.

[springs]

I start with a rough idea, do a first draft, very short, with lots of dialogue. Then I do a more detailed draft. In between when I get stuck I take a file block and sit somewhere quiet and write where I am and what needs to happen, and who or what can make it happen.
Once that draft is done, I start a new doc, which will be the proper first draft, and start to cut and paste scenes I want to keep, and write the other scenes that are needed.
Chaotic, I know, but apparently I have no idea what the characters will do at the start. Once I get to that final doc. I am much more disciplined with them, keeping them all in line, but I still get the occasional surprise.
I, too, have a problem with distractions such as Bargain hunt, some weird website I'm subscribed to... , and work. (usually I am supposed to be working when I'm writing, but shhh don't tell...)

[Boneman]

May the 4th be with you!!!

I daydream ideas and start a 'whatif?' file on word. As more ideas occur, they go onto it, so it does become a jumble. But... when I'm ready to start, I print all th pages, and then literally cut them up, and lay thim in a sort of chronological order. For some reason this helps better than if I 'cut and paste', especially since I often move pieces of paper around. Usually my cats help me with the creative process, and some of their ideas are quite good...

Then, when I start, I find whole sections that never get used - my whatif for the book I've sent to Angry Robot is completely different to my original plan... Oh well...

[thaddeus6th]

I used to be write very organically/make everything up as I went along.

More recently I've started doing some world-building beforehand, then work on a basic storyline, develop the characters and then define the main characters and detail the plot.

[Clive R]

It's interesting that every one takes a different tack. I think of the first line and work a page, and then if it works I just extend it, thinking of characters and rough plots as I go. I feel that if I don't know what's going to happen, then neither will anyone who reads it. So no plan, just start at the beginning and go through to the end and see where it takes me.

[Bowler1]

I have an end point in mind to give me direction but let the path to that end point drift a little. I don't know if I'd be able to just start at a beginning with nothing to aim for.

[Clive R]

After a bit the direction seems to take care of itself, the end sort of morphs into view out of the ramblings and thoughts of the characters, but to keep a fixed end in sight doesn't allow, (for me anyway) development. I like to have the opportunity to go of on a really sharp tangent.

[Bowler1]

This may seem like a silly question, but how do you start if you don't have even a general idea of the plot?

I do accept that plot/storyline can and should change as you write but I have to have a framework to start with even if its only as an idea in my head. This general idea has an influence on how I start my writing, I hope I'm making myself clear here. I'm very interested in knowing more Clive, its clear I'm more structured that I'd first thought.

[Clive R]

It's weird Bowler, but I think of a character and then a situation and then let them off the leash, there may well be a structure to it subconsciously, but I just let it run. but I have the advantage of being unpublished, so I don't have anyone screaming into my ear about what the books going to be about.

[Bowler1]

I'm a long way off published as well.

Clive thank you, once the method works and you're having fun who cares.