Some stuff...

[dukeblack]

So, I'm writing stories again. Well, a story. I'm having another go at a horror story that I first wrote as a screenplay back in 2000 (and unsuccessfully tried to get someone to make into a movie up in Newcastle). I've reworked the ideas without satisfaction about four times now. Let's hope this one is better

Comments

[livingarmchair]

I've found that reworking often doesn't work - William Goldman has some good advice in his books and examples of how what sounds like a good idea may be difficult to make into a good story. It's happened to me a few times - when it does, I move onto another idea - occasionally, the "problem" idea resolves itself in a Eureka moment

[dukeblack]

Well, I'm trying to write it, this time, in a slightly over-blown, H. P. Lovecraft / Sheridan Le Fanu style of narrative, from the first person. I rarely write first person stories any way so that's an experience in itself. Trying not to repeat 'I' all the time.... I'm still enjoying what I'm writing and it feels 'right' so I'll keep going with it for now.

I generally do have a story all laid out, and main characters tend to have some, but minimal, back-story - but I also like to leave some things to spontaneity and then redraft earlier portions of the story to preserve continuity or to make sense. It has worked for other stories I've written but there is the danger of the short story becoming a bloater - one of them from two years ago somehow ended up at 28000 words. I just can't be bothered to go back and redraft that now. Too long!

[livingarmchair]

I don't lay out the story, just the important "goals" I want the characters to reach along the way. How they get there is pretty much invented on the way... Occasionally I surprise myself with revelations!

I try to avoid redrafting earlier sections (Read: Too Lazy to go back and redraft when it gets too big) so I try to work out where I'm going and what possible routes I have... Then select the one I want!

First person is fun. I used to do that a lot, but stopped... Did one last month for the first time, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I made a HUGE mistake 10 years ago and wrote a whole novel in first person... When I finished it, I realised what a mistake I'd made... D'oh!

I'm aiming to make the 1st draft the final draft, so have started doing a lot of tidying up as I go along - making sure dialogue has good beat, removing tags, deleting pointless scenes that don't add anything to the story... I just hate going back and redrafting!