Surprise, surprise

[MelissaBaby]

The drive-in story? Can't imagine why, it's wonderful.

Thank you, I appreciate that. It's doing alright, just not great. That's understandable, it's a change of pace for me. I had a lot of fun writing it and I am glad that many readers are enjoying it.

 

[MelissaBaby]

To those who find themselves surprised, I'd like to ask, do you do a lot of working through things in your head when you are not sitting down to write?

Many of my most important scenes have played out in my imagination over and over again before they actually get written down, so I am seldom surprised.

 

[SimonDoom]

I think Nabokov was mostly wrong, .

Nabokov was extraordinarily opinionated, and because he was so adroit with words he could make bad opinions sound persuasive. I think this particular statement was an overstatement, but for some authors, including me, it has a kernel of truth.

 

[KeithD]

I must be doing something wrong. When I write a story, first I envision the story arc (aka, the plot). Then I populate it with characters who will make that plot occur. Then I have the characters do what they have to do to achieve the necessary results. I'm never surprised. Do I need help?

If you feel it's working for you, no you don't. (I also envision the story arc first, although not in detail--that will work itself out as I write and maybe take a different tack than I envisioned). I at least start out with the same view of the characters as you note, but I remain loose enough to let the story and characters evolve into something other than planned if it wishes/they wish to. That's the enjoyment of writing for me--discoveries during the journey. If I had it all mapped out beforehand (as I generally do with nonfiction), the fun part would be over and the writing itself would tend to be just "get it over with" drudgery. If you're wired differently than that and can feel satisfied at the end of a totally preplanned write, that's fine. It's the satisfaction with the project that's important, not what works for you/doesn't work during the journey.

 

[KeithD]

To those who find themselves surprised, I'd like to ask, do you do a lot of working through things in your head when you are not sitting down to write?

Many of my most important scenes have played out in my imagination over and over again before they actually get written down, so I am seldom surprised.

Stories are much more complete in my head than they are in my consciousness before I sit down to write. One way I know this is true is that I will put elements in a story early that are just enhancing description or minor mentions that, by the end of the story, wind up to be vital to the context of the story. I don't throw them out while I'm writing as irrelevancies and almost always it was a good idea that I didn't. I throw almost nothing out of my stories. This tells me my mind has done more work on the story than it has dropped into my consciousness. Where many others are trimming in review, I'm adding depth and enhancement.

 

[eroticstoryspinner]

I’ve been on a bit of a roll of late. The weather in our corner has not be great. And my health has not been what I would ideally like it to be. No marathons. Not much dancing. So I have been writing. The funny thing is, despite having been a writer for many many many years, I find that I keep surprising myself.

I start a sentence and, by the time I reach the end, I have written something that had not even vaguely occurred to me when I lay down the initial capital letter. It’s the same with characters. When George tells Chloe what he was doing at the park, he gives an answer that is a complete surprise to me. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s a pleasant surprise, a useful surprise; but it’s a surprise nevertheless.

Anyone else running in this mode at the moment?

Absolutely. Penal Slavery was fairly well planned out. I didn't plan a romance to develop But you go where the characters lead.

 

[eroticstoryspinner]

I must be doing something wrong. When I write a story, first I envision the story arc (aka, the plot). Then I populate it with characters who will make that plot occur. Then I have the characters do what they have to do to achieve the necessary results. I'm never surprised. Do I need help?

No, when you write alt history, SF, or fantasy you almost have to do that. That said, I do listen to my characters and am open to jumping off the path. You never know when you will find a better route.

 

[eroticstoryspinner]

I think my process is similar to yours. I have described it as starting on a journey with a set destination, but no determined route to get there.

Interestingly, my Summer Loving entry was the first time I ever started writing without knowing just where it would go, and at least in the early voting, I’m getting the lowest ratings I’ve received for anything I’ve written.

I thought it was a nice change of pace for you. I suspect that your readers were thrown. I liked it.

 

[eroticstoryspinner]

To those who find themselves surprised, I'd like to ask, do you do a lot of working through things in your head when you are not sitting down to write?

Many of my most important scenes have played out in my imagination over and over again before they actually get written down, so I am seldom surprised.

I do that too. I just wish I could do brain to text more efficiently.

 

[Emirus]

To those who find themselves surprised, I'd like to ask, do you do a lot of working through things in your head when you are not sitting down to write?

Many of my most important scenes have played out in my imagination over and over again before they actually get written down, so I am seldom surprised.

When I began writing I started with the first scene and went from there. I knew where the ending was going to be but didn’t know how to get there. I just worked from one scene to the next. I stayed on the scene until I’d finished it and then wrote the next scene. Now it’s different.

I still begin at the beginning and have an idea of where the end is. I still write mainly chronological. But ideas pop into my head for future parts of the story so I write them because if I don’t by the time I get to that section I’ll have forgotten it. If I’ve written it at the time it’s always there when I want it.

I can get ideas for scenes at any time, not always with the opportunity to write something down, as everyone does many times in the middle of the night. But I find I get most ideas, my best ideas, when driving. I then have to keep repeating it over and over in my mind until, at the earliest opportunity, I’m able to record it.

 

[ElectricBlue]

To those who find themselves surprised, I'd like to ask, do you do a lot of working through things in your head when you are not sitting down to write?

Subconsciously yes, consciously, no. That's why the twists can turn in a sentence.

I occasionally find myself stalled, and usually have a gut feeling why. In most cases, time away from that story resolves whatever it was that wasn't working (and I get one or two short stories written as a bonus). With my latest piece I contacted someone else for another perspective, which should break that one loose.