So I'm outling shorts - blah, blah, blah - and of course I'm deviating from said outlines, which makes me question the use of them at all (for shorts - I always have one for my novels). Finished the first draft of the tentatively titled A World of Cardboard Houses at the weekend, which deviated from plan within the first 200 words and never went back. Apart from a ride down a Helter Skelter that dropped our unfortunate MC in a pit, nothing stayed the same. I will however persevere and see how we get on. I'm expecting it to end in an an amicable divorce.
However, I am sticking to my letting the story rest rule (I normally edit immediately and send it surfing across the Atlantic within hours). I've had a story pinned to my memo board for a week now and in the meantime it's told me the truths that lie beneath its surface. I should listen to Mr King more often.
14 comments:
I've been letting stories sit a bit more myself, and I think it's helpful. Hard to do, but helpful.
I have found that time can be a wonderful thing. I wish I had more of it.
Aaron, we should have done it forever ago.
Me too, Jamie.
Letting things fall apart is a magical, magical thing. The time and distance I give it after can make me feel even more secure about it, too. Sounds like fun to me.
Also, now I have Helter Skelter stuck in my head. I blame Liverpool in general.
I'm bad about not letting stories sit, and then I immediately regret it after I send them out. Good luck on yours! You know, I've never tried outlining a short. Maybe it would keep me from, you know, turning every short into a novel.
Katey, I should have shown more restraint years ago. I can see so many small things wrong with one of the stories and yet thought it was good to go a week ago.
Nah! You'll just end up outlining a novel, Kate. ;)
Most of my writing techniques are the same or similar to King's (as he wrote in his book).
I am incapable out outlining or writing character sketches, or even *knowing* an ending before it is written.
wow, you truly do have the best titles!!!
Anthony, outlines for the big stuff I can do, characters grow with me.
Only on Mondays, Barry.
I can wait to edit. It's waiting for Ying to edit that drives me crazy ; )
I've said it before, I need a Ying.
I never end up going where I intend to with a story. Forcing that only makes my brain dribble out my ears.
So, um, you're not alone?
I wear large earrings to catch my brain dribbles. :D
Some of my stories have been sitting in a pile for some time now, waiting for me to come back to them. Maybe this will be a good thing. Maybe.
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