Comments | jimbutcher: Putting It All Together

jimbutcher

Putting It All Together

Apr 23, 2008 00:07

How to Get Your Story Started ( Read more... )

Comments 162

leaper182 April 23 2008, 05:21:44 UTC

You learn something new everyday. Thanks! :D

colubra April 23 2008, 05:23:59 UTC

Thanks for the heads-up on these. I'm about a hundred-grand words in- this is interesting to take in hand and approach a work in progress with.

There are definitely things I'd skipped.

So thank you.

_twilight_ April 23 2008, 05:24:12 UTC

"That's your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."

I initially misread "pot" as "plot". ;)

alessandriana April 23 2008, 06:03:25 UTC

lol, so did I.

lady_ravenlocke April 23 2008, 05:39:15 UTC

Nice. This is a very different approach to outlining, and one that I may have to try. Thanks for sharing!

Right and Left Brain loushy April 23 2008, 05:57:32 UTC

I like that your process involves physical activity, visuals and brainstorming. Whole brain happiness. Question though, after finishing the novel how close to your original plan are you? Is it the same or have you deviated a lot?

Re: Right and Left Brain loushy June 2 2009, 23:05:14 UTC

I'm a-gonna guess that if the characters are well-written, as Butcher's tend to be, then deviation is a given. It's been my experience that if I can drive the plot anywhere I want it to go with the characters I have developed, then I probably haven't developed very tight characters, since there should be things they simply won't allow me, as the writer, to do with them. So, arcs notwithstanding, writing is a lot like driving with a guy at the wheel...he may know where he wants to go, but how he gets there may defy all logic, and almost certainly will NOT include a stop to ask for directions...

Re: Right and Left Brain jimbutcher June 3 2009, 20:50:54 UTC

See, I have the exact opposite attitude: I am not my characters' bitch ( ... )

Re: Right and Left Brain robscottwrites September 17 2009, 11:21:31 UTC

"I have literally deleted forty percent of a manuscript, maybe two months of work, when I realized that an innocuous character decision in, oh, chapter 3 or so had skewed the entire story off track, and had to be realigned."

This has happened even with a detailed outline? Was it because you deviated from your original plan? Or was it a flaw in the outline you didn't discover until you got well into the writing?