Hi all, I'm quite bushed today, so I'm going to post this and take a break. On the positive note, the choir I'm in got standing ovations after both services. So it went quite well. ^_^ I will reply to comments tomorrow.
Anyway... It happens to me quite often that my story takes a completely different turn from anything that I might have had in mind. In fact, I usually surprised that it could even have come from my mind at all.
To me, those turns are treasures. Pure creation. And as long as they do not make it impossible for me to get to the end I want, I keep every single one of those ideas. Yes, I run the risk of letting them complicate my story, but I have found more than once that those ideas solve problems that I didn't even realize I had.
I know this, because it happened more than once that I got stuck later on in the story (back on the old track) only to find that those random and new ideas are exactly what I needed to solve the problem.
So I keep everything.
Even if it wasn't what I had in mind.
Stories take on a life of their own sometimes, and that is a good thing. Good post for N.
ReplyDeleteWell, life happens while we're making other plans, right? I think the same is true with writing. That's some of the challenge of using an outline, sometime what you didn't have in mind is exactly what you should have had in mind. =D
ReplyDeleteI'm a total pantser. This is just one of the reasons why I like being surprised when I write.
ReplyDeleteI love surprize ideas. They always let me know I'm on the right track, allowing the story to tell itself.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, keep everything. All of it won't make it into the story, but with writing it's better to have too much just in case! That's why writing is rewriting. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a plotter, I love planning my story before I write it. But I don't stick to it if a new idea comes up in the middle of writing. No matter how much I plan, the writing process itself is inspiration for me and creates new ideas and fresh possibilities.
Stories can't be planned. Edited of course, but never planned.
ReplyDeleteLucy
Hey Misha,
ReplyDeleteThe twists and turns in a storyline can be just the catalyst and inspiration to make it that little bit better.
Nice to see you are continuing in the 'great alphabet challenge' or whatever it is :)
Now then, 'O' I do wonder what possibly might be next in this fascinating challenge? :)
Take very good care. Kind wishes Gary, over at his shy and unassuming blog :)
Happens often to me, not what I had in mind originally, and it's fun, isn't it! :0)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new idea, and good luck with the new idea.
ReplyDeleteThis happened to me recently. I wish it occurred to me before I started the recently abandoned story line and not 21,000 words later, but at least I didn't end up with a completed crappy book destined for the garbage pile! Right now, there's still a chance to fix it.
ReplyDeleteerica
I know what you mean. It's hard to keep going sometimes. This challenge is bad enough, lol
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the standing ovation! That has to feel good. Sounds like you are on a discovery path that brings the twists and turns to new ideas. Its wonderful you are open to it and see it as a blessing, because the big picture never reveals itself until later, and that's when you get to say "Oh, yeah, that's why......".
ReplyDeleteDamyanti, I'm with you there. It's something I love about writing. :-)
ReplyDeleteHehehe Donna that is so true. The great ideas only occur to me when I don't expect them.
Same here, L.G. :-)
That's a great point, Taryn. It is a good indicator of whether the story is going well.
Laura I also used to be like that. But that's one reason why I ended up pantsing. I was struggling too much with the outline and ended up thinking that the plan would change anywhere. It just didn't seem worth while. :-)
hehehe Lucy, I would agree, but I'm friends with plenty of plotters who differ on that point. :-)
Hehehe Gary, yep I'm past half way and going strong. The only hiccup was on M-day. :-)
Great fun, Carole. I love it.
Thanks Myne.
Hehehe Erica, that is so frustrating! But as long as the idea saves the story, there's still hope. :-)
Lol David it can be a challenge. But right now my biggest challenge is that I want to finish my rewrite as before 30 April.
Rasz it felt awesome! I agree with you there. That revelation of the big picture is why I always keep my weird obscure scenes. Because I know they're connected somehow. :-)
Yes, I keep everything, too. And sometimes it ends up being exactly what I need. Even if it isn't, though, I never consider it a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteSarah, I agree. It's never a waste of time. Because I will always learn something from what I wrote. ^_^
ReplyDelete