Well a few people have got me into discussions about writing lately, and someone also asked me about your basic tips in writing. This has gotten me thinking about writing in general and my writing method in particular. So in this blog post I will be going to discuss what goes on inside the Terror and Love when I write a story.
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“The Writing Method” by Terror and Love.
One can’t just sit down and write, well let me rephrase that, some of us can not sit down and write. There must be a type of order first when we are talking about my writing. Even if it is just funneled chaos at times. But first.
Disclaimer: yes a disclaimer first. What I will lay down in this is my method of writing. There are of course so many different ways to write. Everyone has their own way of wading into battle. Some of us are influenced by hugely divergent forces and acquire our methods by hugely disperse means. Look at the influence on style and technique alone.
Some are the self taught, some are the amateur just getting his hand wet. Some are the avid readers with a background of reading experience to draw upon, some of us even have formal training and schooling. Then there is the disparate way all our minds work and give birth to idea.
That all said, if your method differs from mine that is perfectly fine, and you should definitely do what works for you. This is an art, not an assembly line that one can just put people into as if they were interchangeable parts.
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Conception
There is no writing without a topic or story. So one must create first. “No duh TL, we all know that.” Procedurals my dear, procedurals, anyway there is no right way to come up with a story in my opinion. The story itself can take shape from something as fragmentary as a cool concept, or a short conversation between two characters. A particular scene of action. A name.
At this form of conception the idea is just a few little cells barely holding onto life in the womb. But the idea is powerful and romantic and can fill you with great joy, longing and pride.
(ASIDE: I find homage, and inspiration from other works to be a fine source of a story Idea. There is a large difference between plagiarism and being influenced by others works after all. But others paint with too broad a brush in their criticisms and generalizations. I see it all the time and it disturbs me greatly. For example “Inception is a copy of the Dreamscape!” or “Ah someone already did this story”, or “This is a poor mans Isaac Asimov “ or “Simpsons-Did-It” Don’t listen to that BS, as long as you can take a concept and make it into your own unique work I will support you. )
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Laying the Framework
One of the first steps in writing is to lay out a good story and define what you seek to accomplish. Aye it is good to come up with a concept sure. But a concept alone is not going help TL turn it into a full novel or even a short story. One of the first things though is to ask yourself a few questions. These are just an example
- “What do I want to accomplish with this story?”
- “What goals do I want to reach, what is the overlaying message of the story?”
- “Do I want to do a disperse perspective approach, with multiple characters?
- “Will this be from the perspective of one character only?”
- “Is this thing even worth developing into a real story?”
(NOTE: Not all stories need a specific message. Indeed some are just fun. But I still try to ask myself such things. Sometimes a story might have multiple ideals it is trying to reach even)
After that, you try to build the shape of the new story. Its skeletal structure so to speak. Using an outline is a good way to brain storm and gather ideas. Though it differs between writers. I know some that can sit and just write it all out from scratch.
My story ideas begin with the concept, but then I brain storm as I said, and gather together a group other ideas, ideals, goals, scenes, events I want to happen. Then I string these together to form a more cohesive plot, after I have asked myself what my goals are. This is my Overplot.
Along with plot I try to develop the architecture of the world. Its rules, and known’s and unknowns. And also sometimes a bit of research is in order.
(NOTE: Doing research. (Hey I’m not that anal as to be bothered by a loose difference in specifications of some gun built in 1904. Or why certain political parties didn’t know about gassing out a colony in side 4. I just find that research helps you flesh things out a bit more and can give you ideas. Though more research is important in certain aspects of fiction. If you are writing historical fiction, for example, it might help to for the characters to not sound like the are culturally from ‘99. True, knowing how a machine or science works on a fundamental level is always helpful, but it should never make the writer feel confined. It should only enhance your story. It’s your world darn it!)
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Ploting and Scheming
It’s a bit different with short stories, or micro one-off projects. But in a longer story I try to follow the 5 part dramatic structure. The Introduction or exposition, the period of increasing danger, the climax, period of decreasing danger (though decrease is not literal), and the conclusion or resolution.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_structure
So we have our Overplot. In addition we have assembled a general outline of how the story is going to develop and its stages. The story out line as you will. The milestones and goals also. NOTE: It is not unusual for a story outline to only be half fleshed out or half finished before you begin writing. It will grow of itself as you progress. I try not to be too rigid for just this reason. The lil baby ideals are always amorphous until they are well down the line of being written.
At this point I am holding the idea of the Overplot and story outline, in my head, now to the actual body of the work. Let’s get down to the actual writing!
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Writing: TL’s Layered Style of Writing
My actual writing style is a mixture freeform and structured. I call it the layered approach. A chapter will have a rough, like super rough outline itself. The frame upon which I will build the rest of the chapter itself, The Order. Afterwards I will add layer upon layer of the different components until it is a sea-worthy cohesive whole. This is art as much as construction. The Free Style.
Step 1) I will go “scene” by “scene” and build the story from there. With little notes here and there as to what is going to happen.
Step 2) Laying down of the dialog is usually my first of real concrete action that forms the bulk of the chapter.
Step 3) These too steps are actually rather interchangable. That is, the fleshing out of action or dialog. (And by fleshing out the actions sometimes I mean literal ACTION action, but also mundane transitions.)
Step 4) Next layer I go back through the main body of the work and add detail, such as describing the environments and further “painting the scene”
Step 5) Read it, Notate and Adjust. During this part of the process, I look at the chapter to see how it flows along. And if I want to or need to change something.
Step 6) The Inevitable Rewrite.
(NOTE: It is not unusual for a story to change as it is being written. That happens to me all the time. So the outline is not set in stone. Its just there to give milestones to reach and a structure. But that structure is not immune to being manipulated if you change your mind.)
Step 7) Reread it.
Step 8) Rewrite / Edit again, this time mostly for errors. I usually don’t worry about grammatical errors during the first run through of the writing of a chapter. THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO GET THE IDEAS DOWN ON PAPER. Some of us are grammar fans though so we cant help but be do this up, me I don’t like to get bogged down when I am freestyling.
(ASIDE: When you are in “The Flow” there is nothing like it on earth. Your brain fires, and your hands move, and the ideas seem to congeal out of the air of their own accord. I have found it is not unlike possession. Its just your full creative side is engaged I guess. I wouldn’t doubt if we sort of become in touch with UnCon and SubCon minds when we do this. Half here and half in the land of creation. But it is a beautiful thing to experience when you tap into it.)
Step 9) After that is all done time to Reread it again!
Step 10.) That’s right! After step 9, you Reread again! Edit errors once more. (I know, it seems redundant but each time I’ll catch errors lol)
(ASIDE: The Beta Writer: Even I miss a lot of stuff, minor errors I mean. So sometimes it is good to have a Beta Writer. One who with read your early baby work and see if you have any grammatical errors or even if what you wrote is confusing to the outside mind. That is, if you can handle someone commenting on your baby. I find constructive criticism quite a necessary thing though. A good Beta writer is thus a fantastic thing to have. Especially one that knows how to help compliment your style into something better with the right criticism and by asking the right questions.)
Afterwards your new chapter is done! Doesn't it feel so good! Cant you just feel the story fertile and growing.
Ah but now it is time to move on to the next one, and so on and so on, until your work is completed and you give birth to it! ( i.e. some form of publishing or sharing with the outside world.) Either that or you are like me and toil and toil until you get distracted by the next big idea and you start the whole process again. Which is why most of my projects never get completed sadly.
:/
Too many ideas, so many distractions, so little time.
But in any case, this is the basic process involved in my methodology for writing. Seems complicated and tedious maybe, but I assure you it is quite the opposite flows quite easily for me. When I can be bothered to write that is. Well I hope you have enjoyed this little look inside the Terror and Love's head. I hope it helps, or entertains, or even sets up a spark within as well. Good luck in your own Endeavors! READ and WRITE world! DO IT!
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Discussions? Opinions? Tips? All are welcome. terror.and.love@gmail.com.
