It's something that I still struggle with more often than many of you may think. More times than not, I think in terms of a 'story'...and not in terms of a 'plot'. I've talked about this before in earlier articles, but just to reiterate really quick...the plot is the beginning, middle, and end of the story that you're trying to tell. The story is what exists OUTSIDE of the plot. So that could be a million stories all building up to a culmination of the story you're writing, and then reaches out into the future to tell what happens afterwards. If that makes sense. Hehehe!

The best example that I can think of right now would be the original 'Star Wars' trilogy. Those three movies tell a rather complete story all by themselves, and it's a three story plot that explains exactly what you need to know to be involved and invested in the world that was built for you. However...the 'story' reaches sooooo far beyond that. You've got prequels and a whole history before that. You've got a whole trilogy that comes after it. Side stories and spinoffs and TV shows and books and comics...it could, quite literally, go forever on into eternity if they really wanted it to. And why not? Because all gripes and complaints aside...people will come back and be reinserted to that world all over again because they want to explore it even more than what you've given them so far.

The key is...to make a definitive decision about what kind of story you want to write, and how 'big' you want it be. Some stories come off as being too small to really dive into the rich details and potential expansion of the plot that you've decided to tackle. And some stories have a story that gets stretched out sooooo far and wide that the original idea that you wanted to highlight gets hidden and overshadowed by everything else that you're doing all at once. The idea is to find a balance in there somewhere, and figure out what you want the overall scope of your story is going to be before you even start.

As with everything else when it comes to anything you do creatively, that's not always easy...but a little bit of practice makes the process that much easier. So, today, we're talking about story scope, and how to format it in your head beforehand so you don't find yourself with too little or too much story to write when coming up with your plot. Because, unless you're planning to write "War & Peace" every time you sit down to your keyboard...it's going to take you forever! LOL! Trust me, I know from experience!

I think one of my biggest problems with scope is that I sometimes imagine these giant worlds full of a ton of characters and criss-crossing storylines for projects that could probably be a lot more self contained. (One of the reasons why I miss deadlines so often. Too many ideas and subjects that I want to touch on, and not enough time to get them all in there) My other problem with scope is when I try to write a much shorter, 'one-shot', story...and I leave my readers thinking, "Awwww, really? That's it? I need more!" Neither one of those scenarios is a very good foundation to stand on, but I do try to work on it when I can. I just happen to lose my balance every now and then and fall over to one side or another. But it CAN be done! Hehehe, I know, because I've done it before! I just didn't understand why or HOW I did it! That takes some self examination, and I hope this will help you guys take the same approach when creating stories of your own.

It took me a while to try to come up with some sort of visual representation to express what I sort of see in my mixed up brain when I'm trying to determine the scope of each story for myself. I couldn't quite figure out how to do that, but this is about as close as I can come to it. So bear with me, ok?

Now...when I'm thinking of new ideas and what I want to do with them, I pretty much have 'this' going on in my head. When you look at it...don't start at the top and work your way towards the middle of the picture. Instead...do the opposite. You start in the middle...and you can expand your own story from there. Begin with the simple idea...and then venture out into other rings as you allow the idea to grow bigger and bigger. Stop whenever you feel like you're able to say all that you have to say, and hold steady at that boundary so that you can creatively control how small or how big you want your story to be. Take a look...

I hope this doesn't look confusing! Hehehe! ::Fingers crossed:: Sorry! My brain is a mess!

In my head, things get a little bit more complex than this, but I wanted to narrow things to seven levels to make it a little bit easier to absorb all at once in one article. Feel free to write me if you ever feel like you want me to elaborate anymore. I'm always bouncing around here somewhere. Hehehe!

Ok...so let's start from the center!

Boy Meets Boy - This is the simplest of stories if you want to write gay fiction. That can mean porn without plot and chance encounters, or it can mean a gay teen romance happening for the first time. The whole point of the story is exactly as it's described. One guy meets another guy (Or ladies, or teens, whatever your particular genre is), they get along, find one another attractive, and work towards getting together. I've written a bunch of short stories like this...some with sex, and some without...and it was meant to just capture a single moment in time and describe it for your audience in a way that brings them into that moment so that they can experience along with your main characters. This formula is perfect if you're writing a short story, either for an online contest, or to promote yourself on another site, or to add a submission to a GayAuthors' Anthology or something like that. It's short and sweet, and self contained. Depending on how much or how often you get the chance to write...you can easily find a balance to bring these stories to life without really exhausting yourself or cutting it short at the last minute when you'd rather keep going. But that's for all of us to gauge for ourselves. The point is to always put out your best work. No matter what. Find your balance, stay in the pocket, and write a quick and concise story that can stand on its own without floating too far out of the box.

Friends And Enemies - Ok...so now we're going to expand a little bit. Not a LOT, but a little bit. Most of my earliest stories stay right in this realm. This isn't just one cute boy meeting another cute boy. Now you're adding a few other elements into your story that need fleshing out as well. If you're protagonist has a best friend...what is that relationship like? How do they tie into the story? Are they there as a method of support? (Lori and Michelle in "Jesse-101", Tyler in "New Kid In School") Or are they someone that your protagonist has to hide or keep secrets from? (Adam and Sam in "My Only Escape", Jermaine and the others in "On The Outside") When you add other characters, you've added a whole new dimension to your story, and you don't want those elements to simply 'vanish' as though they were throwaway characters with no meaning. They need to be addressed as a part of your story. Same thing goes for any rivals or enemies that you add to your story. How do they impact your protagonist? And abusive father? A high school bully? A jealous ex-boyfriend? These are all things that you're going to have to flesh out in your story if you want it to feel 'complete' at some point. So if you add them into the mix...you've probably just doubled the length of your story. The scope is much bigger than it was a minute ago. But don't worry...you can go further if you're feeling ambitious. Hehehe!

Family (Parents/Guardians/Siblings) - There are a lot of people that would lump friends and family into the same category when determining the scope of their stories. I, personally, do not! Hehehe! Do any of you remember the show, "Seinfeld"? With George screaming, "WORLD'S COLLIDING!!!!" LOL! Yeah, that's how I feel about this one. The way that I talk to my friends from high school is NOT the same way that I talk to people that I used to work with. The way I talk my co-workers is not the same way that I'd talk to my Mom or my family members. Etc. This, I believe expands your story even further when you get family involved. Do they know your protagonist is gay? Does it matter at all? Or does it matter in a MAJOR way? Are older/younger siblings going to understand, or get in the way? Are parents going to understand or be stressed out about it? To put it in perspective...how many of us would talk in real life, face to face, with people the way we type words out online? Have you SEEN 'Mean Tweets'? Those people would be starstruck if they had to meet those celebrities in real life. A family dynamic is another added layer to whatever story you want to tell...and you've just increased your writing effort by even more, whether you know it or not. So beware of that...because we are now leaving 'short story' territory.

Social/Environmental Conflicts - The next level takes us out of the initial love story and brings a much larger, and often more oppressive, element into your story. And if you're going to get into anything deep or heartfelt here without falling short and disappointing your audience...then you'd better be willing to really go for it. Don't cheat your audience. It's never a good idea. On this layer, you're not just dealing with the worries of love, the camaraderie of friends, the threat of enemies, or the judgement of parents and family members. This is a much larger conflict. Such as living in a small town where being gay is not only unacceptable, but dangerous. Or being at war with your own religious or political beliefs. The fear of being outed at school, or at work, or as a Hollywood actor who's in the closet. Forces that can, in no way, be controlled. (Ethan in "On The Outside", Derrick in "A Class By Himself") Or it includes an environment that, whether it's taking center stage or exists as a heavy menace in the background...also becomes a huge threat that needs to be dealt with in your story in some way. (Jake in "Shelter", Nick in "Agenda 21", Jake Gordon in "SKYLIGHT") If you introduce outside forces like financial stability, gay tolerance, or some disaster, into your story...it has to be a part of the story. It can't just be something that you mention once or twice and then write the rest of your story without addressing the fact that, "Oh...there was a massive alien invasion last week! Oh well, at least I'm in love!" Hehehe, no...that's not how that works. This is where a writer has to get into world building, problems, solutions to those problems, tension, despair...you're getting into the thickness of the weeds now. I don't think you're going to really be able to effectively tell that story in ten thousand words or less. And if you CAN...please teach me how! Because I'd love to know!

Subplots And Side Characters - We're spreading even further out at this point...introducing new characters, each one with a history, a plot line, and a motivation of their own. The moment you begin traveling down this rabbit hole, then I think an entire series is necessary. Not just a super long story, but a variety of chapters that have to be expertly woven into your main narrative and given significance to the point where there are many branches of different stories and characters and interpretations can be made to orbit waaaaay out from that original 'boy meets boy' idea! Don't get me wrong, you can, and in fact SHOULD, still have that be the main focus of your story...but you're dealing with a ton of other factors now. Other characters, other storylines, other conflicts and obstacles that they have to face. And all of these characters should be relevant to the larger story, so you will have to put some thought and effort into fleshing them out as well as all of the issues and characters that came before them. You maybe even TRIPLE the potential of your original idea by adding all of these elements to your story at once. That will be a LOT of writing! And you will need a LOT more time to get it done! You are entering Marvel/DC, Star Wars, Matrix, Lord Of The Rings, territory now. And the most important thing to remember at this level is...you're going to have to wrap every last one of these stories up at some point in time! So don't overwhelm yourself. Every loose end that's left to dangle is a sign of 'not-so-great' writing on your part. I've done it myself plenty of times. But I get better at it every time I jump back in to attack it again.

Missile Launch - You know how you see those computer screens in movies where they have the nuclear missile launch all over the world? Hehehe, that's sort of how I see this part of the next expansion in storytelling. Like I said in the last level...all of those stories that you built up and invested so much time and energy into...well, they need conclusion now. You may have one MAIN story, but now you've got an entire swarm of side stories orbiting around it, and woven into the very fabric of what it is. So now, the big challenge is finishing all of those stories off in an effective way that will still keep them connected to the point of the whole project. I call it the missile launch because of all of those lines on that screen...where the missile takes off, makes an arc, and then hits the target. Boom! If you've reached this point in the scope of your project, that's exactly what you want. Not just for your protagonist...but for all of the characters that you've created to support and interact with that protagonist. Maybe the father accepts the fact that his son is gay after being so homophobic in the beginning. Maybe the main character comes out to his best friend. Maybe the biggest coward on the team finds the courage to make the ultimate sacrifice. Maybe the angry vigilante decides not to kill his enemy for once and spares his life. All of your story arcs come to fruition in this phase of storytelling, one by one, and you give them the kind of importance and substance and gravity that they deserve. Treat your characters like big name actors when you're writing. "What? I came here just to be an extra, and I don't get my big moment?" Hehehe! Give them their big moment. Spread those moments out however you like, but take pride in having them be a part of your story and display their significance for all to see. Every last one of them. It means more writing, and a larger scope of story, but it'll read better. And your audience will applaud you for it.

Change - The idea of 'change' is sort of the denouement of the process of writing a full length series or a multi chapter novel. It's more than just a 'happily ever after' type of scenario...this is a broader view and a summary of what has changed from the beginning of your story and the end. Where did your characters start from? What have they been through since then? More importantly, how has the situation of the people and the places and the environment changed around them since the beginning of their journey? Even if only from their perspective alone. I think this is VERY important when it comes to seeing a larger story to completion, as it brings light and detail to whether or not the rest of the journey was worth it. This is your opportunity to display what has changed with your characters or their situation or their interaction with one another or with others. This is when you get to truly celebrate the many hurdles that your protagonist had to jump or how many hardships he had to overcome in order to reach this point. This is, in my opinion, how you effectively reach your 'happily ever after' moment. You can't just cut off your story with a triumph and not set up a hint of continuation for the 'story' once the 'plot' is over. Hehehe, that's just rude! I'm not talking about setting up a sequel or anything...just something to say, "And then they got hit by a bus the next day and they were never heard from again." Do you not know the purpose of the 'happily ever after' trope? Hehehe! Let your readers know that, even though this is the end of this plot, the story goes on. The rest is up to your imagination.

So...take another look at this weird 'Comsie Diagram'!

Do you see how it works? Small story. Simple approach. Just two characters. And as you add different elements into your narrative...the scope of your story increases. It gets bigger and bigger and more complex...needing more attention and time and energy to fully realize its potential. And you need to sort of find a way to gauge how big or how contained you can keep it, depending on your own style of writing and how you view the story itself. It matters. The more you add, the more you write. The more you write, the longer it takes to pull it off. Keep that in mind, and set conscious limits for yourself when thinking of what you want to put out there.

::Giggles:: Like I said, I am still struggling with this delicate balance myself, but if I find out any other tricks of the trade along the way, I'll be sure to come back and share them with you all! Sometimes, my ideas are way too big for a short story...and sometimes my shorter stories aren't enough to satisfy. But I'm learning. So feel free to learn with me. K?

I hope this helps! Take care! And I'll seezya soon with more! If it's one thing that I LOVE...it's talking about writing! So expect more soon! ((Hugz))