A Change In Perspective?
I wonder if perhaps I have been going about things the wrong way.
See, I've always wanted to write a book. A real book. You know, a novel. A wonderful epic full of the fantasies that have always been in my head, full of myths and legends familiar, but somehow different than they usually are...
Well, I've never been able to get so much as an outline, let alone an idea for where to start or end up. And I can't think of anything that would allow me to do so, either. Oh sure, I know some of the characters. I've got plenty of little bits of story here and there with them all in it in one form or other. A good portion that could even be seen as contained stories in and of themselves. But, as for a place to start? A direction to go in? A way to connect them all into an actual whole story??
Nothing. Nada.
Then I met Linda.
(Linda Cowden, author of a book called "Grimmie" that is about the Grim Reaper. Awesome book, you should totally check it out.)
Well, okay, technically I met her last year a little bit at Ancient City Con.... But still. Since she hooked up with our friend, she's came to visit not long ago, which was cool, but it was this past weekend down at MegaCon that made me start to think.
Something she said to me, that was then.. reinforced by something she said in her book, really seemed to strike a chord with me.
I told her that one of these days I'd like to sit down and actually talk shop, like about how she went about writing her book and such... and while I know it's the truth, and while she was laughing and joking when she said it, something just... clicked.
She said, "Actually, it started when I was trying to learn how to write short stories... 500 pages later, you see how well that worked!"
Then, in the front of the book, she's talking a little bit about it and how each chapter is actually kind of a short story in and of itself. And while they are consecutive and have overreaching arcs, they can be read separately. (Granted they tend to flow a little bit more like actual chapters later in the book, but still. The idea is there.)
Then I was looking through Kimberly Raiser's book "Stranded" which is a collection of short stories, and in particular short, short stories. (another good read, btw)
And it made me think.
Maybe that's where I went wrong. I've been trying to write a novel one dis-jointed scrap at a time, with no clue how they were ever going to fit together. Maybe, what I need to do, is just focus on the little stories. Sure, some of them are consecutive, and in truth could be combined into one if I really felt the urge, but ultimately, what I write are short stories.
Maybe I should concentrate more on that. Not worry about how it could eventually fit into the "whole" someday, but accept it for the bit that it is. Each one unique and important in its own right for the story it has to tell. If they happen to be consecutive, and technically part of the same story, then great. If not, so be it.
Maybe that's what I should do for my detective story as well. Little episodic "case files" instead of some kind of connected novel. Then just collect all the ones pertaining to my original idea into one collection.
Certainly it will make my writings seem less... overwhelming with regards to their lack of context within the "bigger picture" of some novel.
...
I like that. And I think it just might work.
I feel better already.
Thanks Linda and Kimberly!
See, I've always wanted to write a book. A real book. You know, a novel. A wonderful epic full of the fantasies that have always been in my head, full of myths and legends familiar, but somehow different than they usually are...
Well, I've never been able to get so much as an outline, let alone an idea for where to start or end up. And I can't think of anything that would allow me to do so, either. Oh sure, I know some of the characters. I've got plenty of little bits of story here and there with them all in it in one form or other. A good portion that could even be seen as contained stories in and of themselves. But, as for a place to start? A direction to go in? A way to connect them all into an actual whole story??
Nothing. Nada.
Then I met Linda.
(Linda Cowden, author of a book called "Grimmie" that is about the Grim Reaper. Awesome book, you should totally check it out.)
Well, okay, technically I met her last year a little bit at Ancient City Con.... But still. Since she hooked up with our friend, she's came to visit not long ago, which was cool, but it was this past weekend down at MegaCon that made me start to think.
Something she said to me, that was then.. reinforced by something she said in her book, really seemed to strike a chord with me.
I told her that one of these days I'd like to sit down and actually talk shop, like about how she went about writing her book and such... and while I know it's the truth, and while she was laughing and joking when she said it, something just... clicked.
She said, "Actually, it started when I was trying to learn how to write short stories... 500 pages later, you see how well that worked!"
Then, in the front of the book, she's talking a little bit about it and how each chapter is actually kind of a short story in and of itself. And while they are consecutive and have overreaching arcs, they can be read separately. (Granted they tend to flow a little bit more like actual chapters later in the book, but still. The idea is there.)
Then I was looking through Kimberly Raiser's book "Stranded" which is a collection of short stories, and in particular short, short stories. (another good read, btw)
And it made me think.
Maybe that's where I went wrong. I've been trying to write a novel one dis-jointed scrap at a time, with no clue how they were ever going to fit together. Maybe, what I need to do, is just focus on the little stories. Sure, some of them are consecutive, and in truth could be combined into one if I really felt the urge, but ultimately, what I write are short stories.
Maybe I should concentrate more on that. Not worry about how it could eventually fit into the "whole" someday, but accept it for the bit that it is. Each one unique and important in its own right for the story it has to tell. If they happen to be consecutive, and technically part of the same story, then great. If not, so be it.
Maybe that's what I should do for my detective story as well. Little episodic "case files" instead of some kind of connected novel. Then just collect all the ones pertaining to my original idea into one collection.
Certainly it will make my writings seem less... overwhelming with regards to their lack of context within the "bigger picture" of some novel.
...
I like that. And I think it just might work.
I feel better already.
Thanks Linda and Kimberly!