The art of writing chaos

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 1:14 am

Actually, I'm like Devon on this one. I may have a general idea in mind, but I rarely have a definite plan in mind for where the story goes when I start it. At least not with the comic. The odd thing is, everything I write seems to fall together somehow in an almost eerie manner....
Heh.
Yeah. So in case you're wondering, no, I have no idea what's going to happen next.

Simplicity · Post by **Simplicity** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 1:24 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Ironpaw:
I have never written a piece of non-commisioned literature that I acutally PLANNED where it was going. I've often considered writing an outline before I write a story, but that limits me. My mind can concoct a better storyline if "my right hand doesn't know what my left hand is doing".I used to write a lot of satire. That was back when I was a sarcastic pessemist. Now I'm an idealistic optomist... go figure.Maybe the reason that I could get away without figuring out a plot before hand is that the whole POINT of my writings were that they didn't have one...I guess some people need a guidline before they write. Nothing to be ashamed of. Just... takes more time, and constrains creativity a bit.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Yeah, just like you if I write an outline or even plan it does stifle creativity. But just recently I've written this ongoing series of stories in a Zine and I've heard indirectly that they were hard to follow. That people didn't know where they were going.And that discouraged me. I mean, the fact that a community that enjoys science fiction and fantasy and probably scoffs at analyzing sentence structure to avoid destroying romance with cold science, would look at my story and say..."It's too chaotic."What's too chaotic in the story world? Isn't a story somehow related to life, which is a series of semi planned events with an end that might be or might not be permanent but has been defined as such from the perspective of modern science and physical fact?And where would the fun be for the author if they knew the end? And what fun it would be to talk to the author of life and find out that they don't know the end?Where do you end things when you don't plan them?

Ironpaw · Post by **Ironpaw** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 1:55 am

Maybe you have to slow down and condense your thoughts a bit. That's what I have to do while I'm writing. I tend to write a small bit (a thought or two) and then format and edit that bit before moving on.
Helps it all come together much better.

ZOMBIE USER 7262 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 7262** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 5:19 am

Okie, I'm a Creative Writing major. I think I'm qualified to comment on this. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif">I bring a certain amount of structure to my writing. I establish characters, figure out what's going to happen to them in general, and then begin working on the world and plot. If I'm writing fantasy, this takes a LONG time. (I spent several years building the world for Spirits of Blue, a novel I'm writing...and I'm still refining it.)The plot. I plan out in general where things are going to go. I have a beginning and an end, and major events to hit along the way.Then I begin writing. I generally fly by the seat of my pants when I begin writing. I know where my characters are going, what everything looks like, and what my characters are doing. Everything else gets decided as I write it.I do change the plot as I go, too. This week I did some major changes to the upcoming plot for Spirits, and I'm quite happy where it's going. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">That all being said, this is just how I do it. I guess I do have a lot of structure. But, however you write is good for you, and if anyone tells you different, lemme know so I can tar and feather them. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif">[This message has been edited by Elix (edited 02-12-2002).]

Simplicity · Post by **Simplicity** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 6:24 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Elix:
Okie, I'm a Creative Writing major. I think I'm qualified to comment on this. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif">I bring a certain amount of structure to my writing. I establish characters, figure out what's going to happen to them in general, and then begin working on the world and plot. If I'm writing fantasy, this takes a LONG time. (I spent several years building the world for Spirits of Blue, a novel I'm writing...and I'm still refining it.)The plot. I plan out in general where things are going to go. I have a beginning and an end, and major events to hit along the way.Then I begin writing. I generally fly by the seat of my pants when I begin writing. I know where my characters are going, what everything looks like, and what my characters are doing. Everything else gets decided as I write it.I do change the plot as I go, too. This week I did some major changes to the upcoming plot for Spirits, and I'm quite happy where it's going. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">That all being said, this is just how I do it. I guess I do have a lot of structure. But, however you write is good for you, and if anyone tells you different, lemme know so I can tar and feather them. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif">[This message has been edited by Elix (edited 02-12-2002).]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Woo hoo! Hold on let me gather a list! You sure you have enough tar and feathers?Thank ya for your post! I really admire someone who does take the time and effort to construct a story! Ah, the creative process! There are so many ways to go about it...So with this new novel...Spirits of Blue...what got you started? You say you built the world...what goes into that anyway? How far do you delve into the creation of a world and do you focus more on the spiritual aspects of creation or the physical?And do you have any chocolate covered espresso beans? ^o.o^

Simplicity · Post by **Simplicity** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 7:54 am

Good morning everyone!Have you ever written something without planning where its going to go first? Have you ever showed it to someone and have them tell you that it's too hard too follow? If so, what do you do then? There is a place for art that is not necessarily following a set path...do the same concepts apply to writing?Bring it!

ZOMBIE USER 7262 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 7262** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 11:07 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Simplicity:
Woo hoo! Hold on let me gather a list! You sure you have enough tar and feathers?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I'm a writer. I'll make more. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif"> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Thank ya for your post! I really admire someone who does take the time and effort to construct a story! Ah, the creative process! There are so many ways to go about it...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>There are as many ways to go through the creative process as there are creators. Interpret that as you will. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>So with this new novel...Spirits of Blue...what got you started? You say you built the world...what goes into that anyway? How far do you delve into the creation of a world and do you focus more on the spiritual aspects of creation or the physical?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>In the beginning, there was the idea.Actually, it began as a Grade 10 English assignment. I'm only slightly ashamed (now) to admit that the story first sprang into being as a half-assed piece of fiction that would now be declared a Chrono Trigger fanfic. (Incidentally, the spelling and grammar were simply horrible. I was shifting tenses like nobody's business, my spellchecker would feel abused, had I used one, and I can't believe I used to write like that. I got 100%.) (I think I should label my drafts "Crap

TwoDifferentSox · Post by **TwoDifferentSox** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 11:19 am

It's impressive to see someone being so dedicated to his writing, you really spent much time and energy on it. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">I'm surely not the only one interested in reading the story now, am I?

ZOMBIE USER 7262 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 7262** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 11:29 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by TwoDifferentSox:
It's impressive to see someone being so dedicated to his writing, you really spent much time and energy on it. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.g ... >*BLUSH* I've got an active imagination. (I've also got a weird theory or two, because a few things happened that are really hard to explain otherwise.) <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>I'm surely not the only one interested in reading the story now, am I?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><a href="http://winds.org/spirits/">Spirits of Blue</a>The first three chapters are online, but they're not the most recent draft I have. (I also need to add a scene in chapter 2.) *blush* It sounds silly, but I can't believe that it sounds that interesting to anyone else.

Rcawley8 · Post by **Rcawley8** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 11:58 am

Not bad. Reminds me a touch of the Darksword Triligy. Margret Weis and Tracy Hickman. World where nearly everybody uses magic. That was my initial thought. I have only read the first story, so I could be completly incorrect. I think that it was nice of you to allow us to read your fiction, thanks.

Ironpaw · Post by **Ironpaw** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 12:10 pm

I have never written a piece of non-commisioned literature that I acutally PLANNED where it was going. I've often considered writing an outline before I write a story, but that limits me. My mind can concoct a better storyline if "my right hand doesn't know what my left hand is doing".I used to write a lot of satire. That was back when I was a sarcastic pessemist. Now I'm an idealistic optomist... go figure.Maybe the reason that I could get away without figuring out a plot before hand is that the whole POINT of my writings were that they didn't have one...I guess some people need a guidline before they write. Nothing to be ashamed of. Just... takes more time, and constrains creativity a bit.

TwoDifferentSox · Post by **TwoDifferentSox** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 12:32 pm

I do have planned where it's going...in fact, all storyideas I have are at first just endings. The next thing I imagine is the beginning.
But sadly everything that happens between the beginning and the ending is the part I have huge difficulties with. Somehow it's problematic for me to lead the two story parts I got (and normally judge as "well done") together. That's not good, I end up often with stories that simply have no "flowing" storyline...well, that's the time then when I loose interest, so that I mostly never finish the stories I write.With poems it's a bit different, I write them without concept and just note down what I feel like that moment. They get short, most of the time don't rhyme, and have weird contents (I wrote a poem in the style of a grammer analysation once, for example).
Oh, and I never showed them to anybody.

Crash · Post by **Crash** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 1:06 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Elix:
Or, if you're brave, you can address me by "O captain, my captain" <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif"> [Free cookies to first person to spot the reference; not hard.] <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin ... TE>Elix, I think you're looking for Walt Whitman:O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather'd every rack,
the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.
Find the full text at <A HREF="http://www.poets.org/poems/poems.cfm?prmID=1733" TARGET=_blank>http://www.poets.org/poems/poems.cfm?prmID=1733</A> The Captain in this poem, of course, is Abraham Lincoln.Do I get to choose the flavor of cookies? <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin ... P>-Crash------------------
Love is just a curvature in the space-time continuum.
--Albert Einstein

ZOMBIE USER 7262 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 7262** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 8:28 am

I s'pose. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif">

Simplicity · Post by **Simplicity** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 9:16 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Elix:
 Not on hand. I do have raspberry gingerale, ramen, and lots of tea. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin ... CKQUOTE>
YES! Oh I love it! Oh Captain my Captain you are my inspiration! Like Robin William's character in Dead Poets Society you have triggored my faith once more in the enduring yet adaptive creative process involved in writing a novel! Oh how I have forgotten that there is alot of work involved! Oh how I have lamented when my stories have fallen short of their mark and spun out into caffeinated frenzies of "Where is this going and how do I get it to the action?"I need to think things over.Like Tolkien you have a world. A world in your head that you have worked on for years! This is what writing is about! The worlds in our heads that we daydream about during the day! The characters and the intrigue and the antics! And then...sharing that story with the world and finding out just who out there not only appreciates...but hungers for more of that world!I haven't read your chapters yet but I will after I am done responding! Thank you so much for sharing your "how it all started!" Do you like it when people talk to you about your characters and your plot? Do you like it when people form their own ideas about where your story is going?

TwoDifferentSox · Post by **TwoDifferentSox** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 12:09 pm

Interesting story Mr Elix, and there is a certain similarity to Harry Potter as you say in your quizlet.
But don't worry, it's still something totally different, so you don't have to look out for any lawyers stalking you. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif">

ZOMBIE USER 7262 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 7262** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 12:16 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by TwoDifferentSox:
Interesting story Mr Elix, and there is a certain similarity to Harry Potter as you say in your quizlet.
But don't worry, it's still something totally different, so you don't have to look out for any lawyers stalking you. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gi ... TE>Well? I didn't see you vote on my quizlet? (I know this because I just checked it and changed it.) <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.g ... cidentally, you can simply call me Elix. Or you can call me by my real name, Simon. Or, if you're brave, you can address me by "O captain, my captain" <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif"> [Free cookies to first person to spot the reference; not hard.] <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif">

TwoDifferentSox · Post by **TwoDifferentSox** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 12:23 pm

Okay Elix, therefore I just voted on the new quizlet. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/tongue.gif">
And to do some ego-stroking I voted with "Gimmegimmegimme!".Is chapter 4 finished yet btw?
I see there also appeared the new title now, but it's not a link to click yet.

ZOMBIE USER 7262 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 7262** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 12:34 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by TwoDifferentSox:
Okay Elix, therefore I just voted on the new quizlet. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/tongue.gif">
And to do some ego-stroking I voted with "Gimmegimmegimme!".<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Hehehe. Now, did you vote "GIMMEGIMMEGIMME!!" simply to stroke my ego, or did you mean it honestly? A tarring and feathering rests on your answer. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif"> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Is chapter 4 finished yet btw?
I see there also appeared the new title now, but it's not a link to click yet.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Eh heh.. I'm such a tease. The simple answer is, no, but it will be in less than a week. I've got it all planned out, and it's due as an assignment for my fourth-year novel class (I *AM* a Creative Writing major, remember) next Tuesday. Hopefully, it'll be finished over the weekend. (Chapter 5 will also be included, most likely. It depends on how long both chapters run for.)Chapter 5's title will probably be Failed Stealth. Or not. I'm not sure yet.

ZOMBIE USER 7262 · Post by **ZOMBIE USER 7262** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 12:43 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Simplicity:
YES! Oh I love it! Oh Captain my Captain you are my inspiration! Like Robin William's character in Dead Poets Society you have triggored my faith once more in the enduring yet adaptive creative process involved in writing a novel! Oh how I have forgotten that there is alot of work involved! Oh how I have lamented when my stories have fallen short of their mark and spun out into caffeinated frenzies of "Where is this going and how do I get it to the action?"I need to think things over.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Wow. This has really got you fired up. I'm amazed. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif">
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Like Tolkien you have a world. A world in your head that you have worked on for years! This is what writing is about! The worlds in our heads that we daydream about during the day! The characters and the intrigue and the antics! And then...sharing that story with the world and finding out just who out there not only appreciates...but hungers for more of that world!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>TOLKIEN?!*blush* I can't really compare myself to Tolkien. At the fundamental level, yeah, we're similar, in that we're both writers working in fantasy. But...geesh. Tolkien's one of the most famous fantasy writers of the century! I'm a little too humble to aspire to that. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">That, and Tolkien spent upwards of twenty years building his world. I've been going for five now. Check back in fifteen years. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/biggrin.gif"> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>I haven't read your chapters yet but I will after I am done responding! Thank you so much for sharing your "how it all started!"Do you like it when people talk to you about your characters and your plot? Do you like it when people form their own ideas about where your story is going?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>No problem. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/smile.gif">As for people talking about my story, sure. If nothing else, it strokes my ego to know that my story's worthy of people spending brain power on it. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif"> Speculation is good.I sometimes have to grit my teeth and remind myself that others don't necessarily think like me when they take totally opposite or impossible directions on where the story might be going, or where it can go, or even where it should go. However, I haven't had anyone writing any slash fics about it yet, so I think I'm doing okay. (I think, just to set the precedent, if someone writes a slash fic featuring Janus, who's 11, I'm going to have to do them serious harm; just as a warning to others. <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif">)