[stylist] Story development strategy?

Mon Sep 26 02:12:53 UTC 2011

Hi Justin and Bridgit,

Thanks for the well thought out and detailed response. As for the 
author I read, no I didn't really have any expectations, it was an 
audio book my wife had and we listened to it while a trip to visit 
family. I didn't know him from anyone when I started, and though the 
book was OK, I probably wouldn't read another. I've forgotten his 
name so that ought be hint one :). . I do well understand the value 
of an outline in a long project to keep things in line, , and yet I 
can see how  getting caught up in one could restrict creativity as 
well. I'm familiar with stream of conscious writing, its rather a fun 
and freeing exercise. I think this author's issue was more that you 
could tell where his starting and  stopping points were for a 
particular writing session, and like I say his editor probably did 
him  a disservice not holding his  feet to the fire  like your's had 
Justin, to smooth off the flow. The response you both gave I think is 
interesting and even though its apparent you are talking about 
different sized projects, its clear you go about the writing process 
much differently. In that I guess there is no inherently wrong or 
right, depending on personal abilities and likeness and also lets not 
forget untying the shoelaces of  creativity. I'm asked many times 
about the process of songwriting which is similar, some storyboard a 
song similar to an outline, and some flush it out in the moment. I 
generally flush them out in the moment unless it is a targeted 
subject like a jingle type tune. Some time ago I was starting the 
"50,000 word in a month" challenge and had an idea for a book. It 
made me realize how having some insight as to the end result is 
helpful to make the current writing session more appropriate. So I 
just wondered how some  others did it. Very interesting and Again 
thanks for the replies. I'll probably read both again a time or two.

Brad

On 9/25/2011  03:53 PM Justin Oldham said...
>Hello Brad:
>
>I'm the author of a few large books, myself.  I do use an outline 
>process to avoid tangets.  It's my opinion that big stories contain 
>big ideas, and/or lots of chracters, and/or a long passage of 
>time.  For this reason, an outline (no matter how crude) DOES serve a purpose.
>
>Developing the "big" story is hard because you can get bogged down 
>in the little things.  This results in sub plots that don't need to 
>be there.  I, personally, get better at this with each big book I 
>write.  I overcome this problem by employing a vicious brutal editor 
>who has no mercy.
>
>Being signed to a major publishing house doesn't confer greatness 
>upon any writer.  Nor does it guarantee editorial efficiency.  One 
>reader's blubbering whiner is another reader's deep sensitive 
>soul.  I will hazard a guess that you expected more from this writer 
>be-cause they had the big time book deal.
>
>I get the feeling that you are, in some small way, also taking issue 
>with the writer's method.  Making it up as you go along is called 
>Stream-Of-Consciousness.  Its a very popular way of writing.  It is 
>unstrucutred, to be sure.  Some people say its lazy or 
>undisciplined. Others call it a higher form of art that shows us the 
>soul of the author. Its also the only way some people can tell their story.
>
>It's been my experience that one in ten writers are what you'd call 
>technicians.  They jot down their outlines and use very specific 
>calibrations to mold their work.  I, personally, am a 
>technican.  Every word that goes on to one of my pages is plotted, 
>schemed, and re-thoguht before use.
>
>I don't force this on any of the writers I mentor.  It all comes 
>down to how you are wired.  Story-telling dates back to the 
>beginning of time.  Oral traditions have carried over in to 
>writing.  Stream of consciousness doesn't work for me, but it does 
>work for almost everybody else.
>
>The one best piece of advice I can give on the matter is this.  Make 
>a note of what somebody did that you don't like and remember 
>it.  Then, don't do it in your own work.
>
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Brad Dunse'" <lists at braddunsemusic.com>
>To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2011 11:32 AM
>Subject: [stylist] Story development strategy?
>
>
>>.  At the end of an audio  book I read  a while back they had an 
>>interview with the author. He was saying with his writing he 
>>develops the storyline as he writes, puts little to no forethought 
>>in the story and felt it to be more interesting to a reader that 
>>way. To be honest I don't recall his name but he had a series of 
>>books out and was signed with a book deal not self-publishing.
>>
>>While his story over all in the end was pretty good, I took double 
>>takes on some of the emotional areas of the book. Only slightly 
>>exaggerating here he spent an inordanant amount of time with the 
>>main character begging, gravveling, pleading and balling his eyes 
>>out over a person he was semik-close to in the story. It kept 
>>cropping up a number of times. It was getting to the point my wife 
>>and I were laughing "Oh no, not again going on and on and on and on 
>>with the girl", who wasn't even a large character in the book other 
>>than real estate used up on her. But when his dad died, who he had 
>>a good relationship with, it was something like "Oh yeah, and dad 
>>died. Then I applied for a job atso and so's place..."
>>
>>So my question is on large projects, do you have an outline or at 
>>least know the big picture of the twists and turns leaving 
>>flexibility for creative twists or improvs? Or do you just wing it 
>>as you go and ride the keyboard to the end?
>>
>>I do the latter in songwriting with my instrument but those are 
>>short lived and one point or themed writings even if they are a story song.
>>
>>It seemed to me an editor did a major booboo missing the emotional 
>>ratio and proportion factor with some of the characters and event 
>>emphasis in this authors project.
>>
>>Brad
>>
>>
>>
>>Brad Dunse
>>
>>Music is to the soul, what water is to the body
>>
>>http://www.braddunsemusic.com
>>
>>http://www.facebook.com/braddunse
>>
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>>
>>
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Brad Dunse

It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation

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