For the writers...

[dmacabre]

"The more you can lard on the consequence and connection, the tighter your fiction will feel. It’s a much better way to create structure than by nailing some shopworn hugger-mugger plot onto the side. A story can be arbitrary when you first make it up, as long as it pleases you; but when you turn it into fiction, the arbitrariness has to go away,

Comments

[slobber_neck]

I'm pretty sure I've never gotten that memo. :( Heh.

It is super important to remember that you will have readers, etc, but I find I tend to get caught up in that thought and then I second guess everything. I don't really know if there's a good way to get around that, but I keep trying dammit!

[dmacabre]

*nods* Yeah, I do the same thing. I think it's just a confidence issue that dogs nearly every writer I've ever met. And sometimes it gets worse the longer you work on a particular project! More time to worry, I guess.

[ex_misplace]

I like those quotes, especially the second one. There have been a lot of times when I've written a few pages and realized that the story hasn't really started yet. What I've written is backstory for me to know--not to bore the readers with.

I still fail sometimes. That's what I have my writer's group for, and my beta readers for fanfic, though. ;)

Great stuff, thank you!

[dmacabre]

I've heard a lot of people say the same thing, and I know I've done that, too. It's a common mistake that editors and agents report as well-- they're frequently getting manuscripts that begin too early, or have too much exposition all dumped at the beginning.

I've tried to be a bit more aware of that, but sometimes it's hard to tell when to start. Outside feedback is invaluable. :)

[themsmine]

I pretty regularly fail at all of those things. Lol. Plot - who needs it, really? ;)

[dmacabre]

Ahahaha, I certainly forget I need it sometimes. ;D

[dmacabre]

Oh, yes, absolutely. I can't count how many times I've written a big ol' braindump of words only to realize... wait, that all needs to go. :(

I guess it's sort of useful as a brainstorming exercise for me, but it's not something other people will necessarily want to slog through.

[dmacabre]

*nods* You have to go with what works for you. The First Draft in 30 Days approach sounds interesting, albeit somewhat scary.