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25 minutes ago, headtransplant said:

If I already worked out the whole story then where’s the fun in writing it? But I really want to improve my plotting

i have this issue too ... i found using OneNote on Word to be useful for me.  I can write a basic outline and then add pages for each chapter and add notes, reminders etc. as i go along.

Most useful advice is to just write/practice everyday and read, read, read.

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This is going to speak to your first point ... plotting.

When I began writing Guarded, I did so with only my "character spreadsheet." It listed ages, description, quirks, relationships to other characters, and some comments about each that didn't fit anywhere else. But as I got into the story, I realized there was no way I could capably track every single plot point. And with Guarded I had to! Writing a suspense/mystery was something I'd never done, and I found it challenging in new ways. So I started "commenting" in Google Docs. IE: "Don't forget, Paul hasn't seen his new driveway, make him react when he does." Even that got to a point where it was too unwieldy to reference, because sometimes my notes were in different chapters (documents). So I started doing small, bulleted outlines of all the scenes I planned for the chapter. I'd put this mini outline at the first of each chapter, and as I wrote the described scenes, I'd delete the bullet point. And these bullets really were short. I didn't have a desire to write the scenes twice; I needed just enough to track what I wanted to happen. Now, I outline most stories before I write. I know this won't work for everyone, but I've found it does for me.

Find that happy medium. I now can't write at all without a character tracker of some sort, even for short stories. But I don't always outline everything. It just depends on how much plotting I need to do to get to the desired end.

If you're standing at the crossroads of wanting to write a more complex plot (particularly with foreshadowing) and spontaneity, then tinker with things. Broad outlines can work for this. They can keep you pointed in the general direction you want, while allowing freedom within each outline entry.

Good luck in your journey. It can be frustrating, but it has potential to be fun too. 🙂

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15 hours ago, headtransplant said:

Usually when I start writing something, I dive into the deep end head-first and blindfolded.

I do the exact same thing, but I work with it. Like you, I have a hard time working with a plot-line or planned storyline. I tend to daydream a lot, and my stories are constantly on my mind. When I think of a possible plot point that may turn heads or connect well with what's going on, I rush to my Google Drive and pull out my "Plans for Chapters" file on my phone. Even if I don't intend on using it, it helps to have something to fall back on if I don't come up with a better solution. I also find myself reading my own story over and over again just to refresh the plotting in my head.

15 hours ago, headtransplant said:

Asking for help. Not my strong suit, but editors and beta readers seem invaluable when it comes to making a story better than it could have been just working in my own bubble.

Are we twins? I've learned from my editors, no doubt about that. I'm unashamed to say that working with editors on GA, as well as the various forum threads on this site have provided more insight than both my high school and college education. Creating a working relationship with an editor/beta reader is more natural than I originally thought, and I highly suggest it. Don't be afraid to post story details to the Editors tab in this club. 

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5 hours ago, astone2292 said:

working with editors on GA, as well as the various forum threads on this site have provided more insight than both my high school and college education.

That is pretty awesome when you think about it. GA just seems to get better the deeper you dig.

Thanks everyone for all the tips and sage advice!

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For me, an area I desire to see improvement:

Organization is my biggest Achilles heel. My longer stories flow with a lot of details. Some writers focus on a character narrative, some on plots or events, and others on setting. I create stories with massive scopes that need to be organized. It drains me to write like this, but when I write I need to be immersed in the story to want to write. Sometimes, I focus my mind on the heroes struggle, sometimes I want to balance the villain's motives, and other times I want focus on settings in the universe that are related to the main story, but not related to the characters' conflict I am writing about initially.

I know this is an acquired taste among readers preferring world-building, George R. Martin does the same thing in his Game of Thrones series, switching character perspectives and settings. However, there's a reason why it takes him a decade to write a book; this style of writing requires intense dedication and artistic creativity that you can lose over a time period, causing fatigue and if you stop writing, you never know when you will pick up the story again or if ever.

That's what happened to my 0's and 1's story series in 2016, I crafted so many links to the universe; including related side stories like noir-inspired Last Run to Mosul, along with crafting unique characters with their perspective, but a hiatus in writing caused me to lose the zeal to continue writing it. A cyber-psychological thriller plot against gay teens, interlocked with a revolutionary social/political movement hiding in plain sight with social media distortion as weapon of choice, geopolitical machinations to create a modern Nationalist Christian crusader state in the middle east, and escalations in civil tensions and strife are great plots for their own exclusive stories, I just took them all as one universe linked together through web of interwoven issues.

I feel bad about it too. I still get emails asking me to continue this story even today, but I am forced to tell readers, I can't do it. I can tell them what the plot would have been, where I'd take my characters, but I can't continue the story.

Edited by W_L
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This is hard because there are sooooo many things I'd like to work on. Pretty much everything, really. I to go into a story blind. So I have no advice on how to plot better. I have no advice on anything.

I would like to improve on word use. Envy is something I feel when I read stories where authors use two dollar, five dollar, or ten dollar words naturally. I think it's one of my biggest insecurities as a writer. I want desperately to enhance my vocabulary. For it to come naturally. I always read @Myr word of the day, now, if only I could find a use for them without it looking out-of-place like a Louis Vuitton purse in Walmart. 

 

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49 minutes ago, Mrsgnomie said:

if only I could find a use for them without it looking out-of-place like a Louis Vuitton purse in Walmart.

You are cracking me up 🤣 But as the old adage goes, it’s not the size of the words that matters, but how you use them.

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The issue is not the size of the words, but their appropriateness.  Hemingway made a career of using short, pithy words, and Jane Austen used longer, often more-learned words, but the common element to their writing is that they used the right words to tell their stories.  The key to learning how to find the right words is to read, and to read a lot.

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On 6/13/2021 at 4:45 PM, astone2292 said:

I also find myself reading my own story over and over again just to refresh the plotting in my head.

I do this a lot. I’m currently working on three very different stories and tend to work on one for a couple of days, then swap to another. Reading through my plot points and the last chapter helps me to get back into the character and world before starting to write. 
I use Evernote to keep track of chapter notes, character profiles, timelines etc. I also have a good old fashioned pocket sized notebook and pen so that if an idea hits, I can write it down.

I've tried various ways of plotting, but find if I go into a really detailed outline it makes my creative mind bored and leads to procrastination rather than writing. The chapter outlines work well as I know they aren't set in stone, so if a character decides to do something interesting my conscious mind hadn't considered I can go off with them and enjoy the detour.

 

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I'm seeing a common thread here that I likewise share.  I've been reading a lot on writing for my personal journey of improvement.  (As is usually the case with me, I have more than one reason for doing something. I want to improve my own writing, but I am also researching content for future blogs and features)

I just finished up reading this book:

Super Structure: The Key to Unleashing the Power of Story by James Scott Bell

(That is an affiliate link, but I don't think Amazon has paid us a cent in years)

Oddly enough, I still prefer books in paper form.  As this book has a ton of post-it tabs sticking out of it for items I wish to practice.  The book is available on Kindle as well.

Anyway, this is a fast read, but I think gives some good advice for people that are obsessive outliners and what he calls 'pantsers' as people that write by the seat of their pants.  This book gives you some sign posts. If you like outlining, he gives you a big structure to fill in. If you don't outline, he gives you signposts and suggestions that move you forward.  @Mawgrim, this might help give you a handful of key points to hit somewhere in the story and you can run free in between.

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Pantser. New word! As a non-native speaker I'm constantly on the look out for words (thank you @Myr) , which means reading, reading, watching movies, shows etc. Translating leads to unusual words some times too, like viridescent.

Anyway, I'm an avowed pantser. I might take a look at that book.

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Very useful book. I like the hints for plotters and pantsers. Interesting that the author references Christopher Vogler, who wrote 'The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers.' It's always been a favourite of mine and I once wrote a fantasy story based on the steps. This book keeps to the same structure, but in an easy to remember fashion. 

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45 minutes ago, Mawgrim said:

Very useful book. I like the hints for plotters and pantsers. Interesting that the author references Christopher Vogler, who wrote 'The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers.' It's always been a favourite of mine and I once wrote a fantasy story based on the steps. This book keeps to the same structure, but in an easy to remember fashion. 

I have been really enjoying his books. They are fast reads and give you stuff to think on and try out. One of his fiction stories was even on Bookbub the other day for free, so I snatched that up.  now, if only I had time to read fiction...

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