SHQ Spy Division - Writing Questions

#115 [2004-04-22 18:30:43]

Writing Questions

by secretarytocapt3

I have a really basic idea for one of the challenges~may take months
to write :P

I have some questions:

Do you guys outline the entire story first?
Do you develop one character at a time on paper?
-or- do you develop the situation and try to "insert" the character?
Have you ever written a "diary" for your character as an aid to writing?
I notice the need for chapters and scenes any criteria on deciding
whether a chapter is 'over' so to speak?

Anyone use "diary" journal software of any kind. I sometimes find
myself synthesizing historical+fictional characters and then comparing
them with my own pathetic life or pondering their ethics/morality with
today's ethics/morality blah blah blah. I guess I could use filemaker
pro or something. Or anyone know how to setup something where I can
type in an internal dialogue like Q&A with a character? As you can
see I am going down a ~dangerous~ path.

Anyone want to share how weird it is to try to think as someone of the
opposite gender? :)

secretarytocapt3
http://www.shinsengumimb.com

P.S. I have considered livejournal...I just don't think the world is
ready for my scary scary scary thoughts (much better to keep them to
myself!)

[Next #116]

#116 [2004-04-22 19:28:58]

Re: Writing Questions

by bsher213

Tiffany, Tiffany, Tiffany,

I fear the fish has clouded your mind with his convoluted verbal twists
and turns....

I'm probably wrong but from your post it seems to me that you're trying
to delve into fiction scientifically while writing (for me at least) is
a purely emotional thing. You can analyze and chart and plan and do
notes and fill journals of the intimate lives of your characters but
when all is said and done it all comes down to you thinking What if
_____ ??? and taking off from there, chronicling what you think your
characters would feel and do in any given situation or presented with
any certain set of circumstances or problems.

Admittedly some writers are "Plotters" who plan all the events and
scenes out in detail long before writing them *points to Miss B * While
others find that very notion enough to make them gag if not faint dead
away. They (like) me tend to be "Pantsers" or those who start with a
kernel, a character, a line of dialogue or some such little thing and
fly off into the great creative mist by the "seat of their pants" and
and find out what happens next along with the characters.

< whether a chapter is 'over' so to speak?>

Chapters are over when they're over. That's not too specific, I know,
but each chapter tends to have a scene or two or more perhaps in which
a roadblock is thrown into your characters' paths or one part of a
puzzle is solved while a new problem might arise or yet another
complication is thrown at them.

Basically something has to happen to further their adventure or hinder
it and the best way to close out a chapter is to leave a type of
cliffhanger so your reader can't wait to come back to see what happens next.

I don't know if any of this has helped. I hope it has.

----
Barbara Sheridan

http://www.barbarasheridan.net

[Previous #115] [Next #117]

#117 [2004-04-22 22:08:40]
Re: [SHQ_Spy_Division] Writing Questions
by crouching_tiger_realm

Hi Tiffany!
Personally I'm some kind of freak, so take all my comments with one (or several) grains of salt.

Yes. But this is very personal, and it doesn't happens like this to everyone. When I am hit with a story, it just reveals itself as a whole, from the beginning. When I really have an story to tell, and I sit ready to start it. I know exactly what will happen from beginning to end. But it's not often the case with most writers I know.
Once I have the whole plotline in my head, second step: RESEARCH. Time period, cultural tips, maps, everything.

whether a chapter is 'over' so to speak?>

As Barb pointed the chapter is over when it's over. But it's a good help to do a list of the main events you want to happen in the history, checking them as you add them to each chapter. In my case, I generally have an idea of what things will be included in each chapter, and how many scenes, but sometimes the chapter jumps to your throat or blackmails you, and you cannot help but surrender to its will, and let it write itself as it wishes.

-or- do you develop the situation and try to "insert" the character?>

it depends. If it's manga based (it also is valid to the historical ones), well, I try to be as faithful to the original as possible, even fanatical to detail. Now, if the character is mine, then I do a complete and thorough profile, including his/her bio. Then, I NEVER step out of it, I act as if I am working with a canon character of a manga. I don't twist a plot to fit the character(s), rather is the character which has to interact with the plot. In my writing is the way I have to control and avoid the OOCness or internal contradictions in my own character. To me, it makes them more real, because the core of real persons doesn't really changes, it is constant. And most importantly: look at real people. How they would react in a given situation. If you have any kind of traumatic situations (abuse, post traumatic syndrome, etc) do research too. The actual reactions are far from the common stereotypes. Sorry to be a bug here, but truly, I found lots of books and novels whose main
flaw is this.

to write the 'life' of the character as a guide? No. I've heard some people does, with the bio I mentioned at first it's enough to me.

myself synthesizing historical+fictional characters and then comparing
them with my own pathetic life or pondering their ethics/morality with
today's ethics/morality blah blah blah.>

Personally... Never. I mean, you'd probably would never guess how far of my own beliefs this 'universe' is. I simply cannot apply my morals, or think of them applied to a period (meiji/Edo, etc) universe. So, my solution has been to try to do a complete abstraction of my values/morals and try to put myself in the mindset of someone living in that society, with the given background. I don't know if it makes any sense, but kind of work for me...
type in an internal dialogue like Q&A with a character?>
Apart from Liver Journal? Xanga is another option. There are other live-journal type of sites. I don't use them like this. Rather I prefer to use them for posting bits of my job-in-progress and get some feedback.

< Anyone want to share how weird it is to try to think as someone of the
opposite gender? :)>

ohhhhh this one is good... it is VERY difficult, but good observation skills help. Personally men are mysteries on legs sometimes... *pets hubby*

Anyway, as I said in the beginning, take this with a grain of salt. It just works for me, but it's not a guide for all... everyone of us finds his/her path or 'voice', and each one is valid as long as it works for the writer. I hope you can find your own 'voice', and the our comments helps.
Take care
Firuze

----- Original Message -----
From: Tiffany
To: SHQ_Spy_Division@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 10:30 PM
Subject: [SHQ_Spy_Division] Writing Questions

I have a really basic idea for one of the challenges~may take months
to write :P

I have some questions:

Do you guys outline the entire story first?
Do you develop one character at a time on paper?
-or- do you develop the situation and try to "insert" the character?
Have you ever written a "diary" for your character as an aid to writing?
I notice the need for chapters and scenes any criteria on deciding
whether a chapter is 'over' so to speak?

Anyone use "diary" journal software of any kind. I sometimes find
myself synthesizing historical+fictional characters and then comparing
them with my own pathetic life or pondering their ethics/morality with
today's ethics/morality blah blah blah. I guess I could use filemaker
pro or something. Or anyone know how to setup something where I can
type in an internal dialogue like Q&A with a character? As you can
see I am going down a ~dangerous~ path.

Anyone want to share how weird it is to try to think as someone of the
opposite gender? :)

secretarytocapt3
http://www.shinsengumimb.com

P.S. I have considered livejournal...I just don't think the world is
ready for my scary scary scary thoughts (much better to keep them to
myself!)

SHQ - Shinsengumi Headquarters
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SHQ/

Coming soon: SHQ - The Website
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SHQ Spy Office -- SHQ LiveJournal
http://wwww.livejournal.com/~shq_spy_office

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#118 [2004-04-23 05:26:52]
Re: Writing Questions
by maryannsfanfic

Hi Tiffany!

You did ask very interesting questions. Every person has his own
writing habits, sot it's funny to compare them like this. No one is
right, no one is wrong. Here's what I personally do.

Yes. I find it essential to know where I'm heading and how I'm going
there. Sometimes, I can develop the plot in only a few hours,
sometimes it can take months. I just take all the time I need,
because I don't want to force anything. Once I have a clear idea of
the plot, I write it down and try to divide the action into chapters.
Then, slowly, I'll write one chapter at a time.

The plot doesn't necessarily contain everything and sometimes, I can
change a few details along the way, but nothing too crucial to the
story line. I have to keep the same goal in mind.

Writing can takes me a lot of time, because before I start, I try to
visualise the scenes. They have to sound real to my ears and it's the
vision I got that will be put down on paper. Once again, I try to not
force anything. The scene will be ready, when it will.

whether a chapter is 'over' so to speak?>

You decide what the length of your chapters is. Personally, when I
divide the story into chapter, I try to plan enough material in each
of them to have about ten pages per chapter. Of course, I might be
wrong in my planning, and if after seven pages, I'm done, well there
will be a shorter chapter, that's all. The important thing about
chapters is that each one of them has to bring its contribution to
the story. If a chapter has no point, brings no new development, then
maybe it's time to consider combining two chapters.

the situation and try to "insert" the character?>

Most of my characters come directly from the manga, and then I just
try to keep them IC. I try to introduce only one or two OC characters
in the story, but generally, when developing the plot, I have a good
idea of who they are. I will write a few words on them, but not much.

< Anyone want to share how weird it is to try to think as someone of
the opposite gender? :)>

Strangely enough, have no problems with that. It's probably just me.

One last thing you didn't asked any questions about, but which I
personally find important about writing, is to not immediately post
what I wrote. I always try to be a few chapters ahead of what I post
because there are always little details I have to change to fit the
latest character development or the latest plot development. Also,
storing the chapters on my computer allows me to put them aside for a
while and then come back and see them under a brand new light. It
really helps.

Mary-Ann

[Previous #117] [Next #127]

#127 [2004-04-25 15:41:20]
Re: Writing Questions
by mg_batt

Hi Tiffany,

Well all those "procedural ways" of doing things, seems like a good
idea. My friend who took writing for her college degree does the
same thing. It worked out for her...

For me though (and I hope I'm not alone in this), since I don't
write for a living, only for entertainment purposes and satisfy my
need for Saitou-sama fics, I write "on the fly" so to speak. I start
out with a basic idea, a one liner, then dream up my characters. The
events happen in and around the idea I had in mind first. If there's
something I really want to write about, I just put it in there,
hoping that what I wrote was clever enough to be incorporated into
the story. Then it takes a life of it's own... There are somethings
that I wrote previously into the story that limits me from
doing/adding other "crazy" stuff.

I rely heavily on previous knowledge since I don't "research".
Whatever I have at the moment is what's going in. I make note of it
to my readers. Maybe I should research, but when you're on a
business trip or out in the middle of nowhere it's crazy to do that.
So I visit groups likes this and hope the information sticks until
the time I need to use it.

Sorry if this isn't much help. I hope you show us your work soon.
Personally, I think you should since it is YOUR writing, you should
be proud to show it off. When I first posted on ff.net, no one read
my fic but I kept going since it was MY story and I LOVE IT. It
still happens to me a lot, you know, no one reads it but so what?
Eventually someone will and when I read reviews it makes me feel
good, someone is enjoying what I wrote.

--- In SHQ_Spy_Division@yahoogroups.com, "Tiffany"
wrote:

> I have a really basic idea for one of the challenges~may take

months

> to write :P
>
> I have some questions:
>
> Do you guys outline the entire story first?
> Do you develop one character at a time on paper?
> -or- do you develop the situation and try to "insert" the

character?

> Have you ever written a "diary" for your character as an aid to

writing?

> I notice the need for chapters and scenes any criteria on deciding
> whether a chapter is 'over' so to speak?
>
> Anyone use "diary" journal software of any kind. I sometimes find
> myself synthesizing historical+fictional characters and then

comparing

> them with my own pathetic life or pondering their ethics/morality

with

> today's ethics/morality blah blah blah. I guess I could use

filemaker

> pro or something. Or anyone know how to setup something where I

can

> type in an internal dialogue like Q&A with a character? As you can
> see I am going down a ~dangerous~ path.
>
> Anyone want to share how weird it is to try to think as someone of

the

> opposite gender? :)
>
> secretarytocapt3
> http://www.shinsengumimb.com
>
> P.S. I have considered livejournal...I just don't think the world

is

> ready for my scary scary scary thoughts (much better to keep them

to

> myself!)

[Previous #118] [Next #147]

#147 [2004-04-28 12:28:19]
Re: Writing Questions
by sherlinelee

Hopefully it's okay to send responses to the entire list.

> Do you guys outline the entire story first?

Usually I write the end and beginning first to make sure that I have
a direction in where I'm going. It doesn't mean I keep that ending,
but it is for accountability to my characters and story.

If no complete outline, I have at least a purpose statement. Most of
it has to do with - who lives, who dies, who gets together and what
is the one thing that has to happen in this piece of writing?

> Do you develop one character at a time on paper?
> -or- do you develop the situation and try to "insert" the character?

I have a concept of the character, but I let the character write
itself and react with others. But most of my characters are trying to
figure themselves out anywyas.

> Have you ever written a "diary" for your character as an aid to

writing?
No.

> I notice the need for chapters and scenes any criteria on deciding
> whether a chapter is 'over' so to speak?

I usually like to end the chapter on some kind of tension point .
However, sometimes it occurs only because as I generally write from
3rd person, I need to shift both characters and time period. If
something is occurring simultaneously, there isn't always a need.
However I sometimes also break to give the reader some distance
between one part and another.

> Anyone want to share how weird it is to try to think as someone of

the

> opposite gender? :)

I enjoy it... but that's because I like puttin gmy theories on how
men think to paper. Honestly too much of one gender gives me a
headache ^_^

> P.S. I have considered livejournal...I just don't think the world is
> ready for my scary scary scary thoughts (much better to keep them to
> myself!)

I have a few blogs and think it's an excellent way to practice your
writing - even if you're not writing a fic -- AND a good way of
getting yourself used to expressing yourself more. I enjoy reading
weblogs too == especially when people are very honest. It gives you
insight into human nature...

S

[Previous #127]