Last night, I got together with my two partners in crime (Kel & Manda) at the Panera, ostensibly for dinner, although we all knew the real reasons: major plotting and free samples of German chocolate.
Having written for most of my life, I feel like I have experienced many of the methodologies for creating a work of fiction.
1) Obviously, I’ve written stories (both short and novel-length) completely on my own. Typically, (before I ever attended a workshop/class or read a book on craft,) these stories started out with a bang and petered out between page 100-150. Those that made it to the end read exactly like a story that began without a clear picture of where it was going. Since taking writing seriously, I have read many books on the subject, attended conferences, workshops, and meetings, and talked with many authors, both published and unpublished. My writing has improved dramatically, and I highly recommend NOT relying solely on your own intrinsic expertise.
2) I’ve co-written. Actually, from the time I was maybe 7 or 8 until I was a freshman in high school, my good friend Elizabeth and I were determined to be famous authors. We filled spiral notebook after spiral notebook with our novel-length stories. We would each have a turn with the notebook (maybe one day, maybe a week) and we would write like crazy before giving it back to the other person. Occasionally, high-drama arguments would ensue, especially if one of us killed off the other’s plot (or character, mua ha haa). Although fun, this method did not lead us to riches and fame.
3) Nowadays, I try to take the best of both worlds. It’s *my* story and *I* write it, but I try to get together with plotting buddies for an exhaustive (and exhausting) brainstorming session before I so much as write the first word. This helps me to fix plot holes before they develop, to enhance characterization, to better depict plausible motivation, and to improve the synergy (I know, it’s a buzz word and I hate it too, but I do mean it in this case: the interconnectedness of the characters to tighten the story with interwoven plot threads. “Synergy” is shorter to type. So anyway, as I was saying… to improve the synergy) of the story.
These brainstorming sessions are priceless. They have saved me, my characters, and my plot before we ever had a chance to get lost. They keep all of us on track and focused. I also find them extremely motivating, and can’t wait to start writing. My dreams are filled with my characters. I love it!
I get the same rush from helping them, too. We talk about all our stories (okay, if you were there it may have looked more like a cross between WWE pay-per-view–loud arguing, threats of physical violence by ball-point pen–and college library–colored handouts, food crumbs all over the place) and we’re able to iron everything out to make each story stronger. It’s amazing how much better our stories are after a brainstorming session. Plot partners rule! =)
Ah…plotting with partners. What a love/hate relationship!!
Comment by lacey kaye — August 31, 2006 @ 5:56 pm
LOL. Yeah, we drive each other pretty crazy sometimes. Or at least, Kel and I do. Manda just sits there wide-eyed and hopes we don’t start on *her*. K & I both get pretty loud. We’re writers, so naturally we get a lot of wild ideas, and we’re women, so naturally we think ours our *best*, hahaha. But I think it’s good to challenge each other’s choices… we’ve got to defend our ideas well enough to make them seem *plausible*, or we’re wasting the readers’ time. (Or, since we’re unpubs, we’re wasting *our* time, and editors’ time, if the storyline makes no sense.)
All in all, though, I do think it’s a good thing, at least for me at this stage. My first completed 85,000+ word novel had several plot holes that could’ve been fixed over a single margarita before I even wrote the first word, if I’d had a plot partner or two in those days.
Not just that, but even stories without major plot holes can often be tightened and strengthened by listening to some fresh blood. (Ew, what a mixed metaphor!)
I think the thing is to only crit/plot with people whom we trust, and whose opinions and ideas we hold in high regard. That way it stays relevant and useful, and nobody goes home with hurt feelings.
Comment by ERiCA — September 1, 2006 @ 7:15 am