How to stretch a plot idea into a story

[Jorine]

I'm sorry if this is in the wrong forum. I just registered and I'm trying to figure some things out, still.

So.. here's my main problem. I tend to come up with a lot of ideas for plots and characters and conflicts, etc. However, when I write them down (they seem useless?) but I could never stretch that idea to an entire story. So I was wondering, how do you guys go from that one idea to an entire story, including and introduction, conflict, climax and ending?

[sytalls]

Hi Jorine and welcome.

Ideas are always more vivid in my imagination than they are when I put them down on paper. What seems like a full and complete (and interesting) story in my head is often unruly when I'm trying to craft it into something useful. So don't be discouraged by that. It's normal.

However, your "main problem" as you call it is the entire writing process. :D The idea part is just thinking. Thinking and writing are different, and there is a difference in writing things down and crafting a story.

Trying to tell you all that you want to know would take up this entire board. Plus, the ways you go about crafting a story vary, depending on what type of story you're telling and what method might work for you. You might consider taking a creative writing course or getting books on writing that will help you learn some techniques, then you can practice those with the ideas you have.

What I can share with you is a more general experience after years of writing. Like everything else, writing requires effort and practice. The more you write, the more skillful you become. Stories don't write themselves, even though they do sort of exist on their own and must be discovered more than created.

The people I've met who go from wanting to write to actually writing are those who have been willing to keep writing in spite of the painful days of wading through tripe, of days when getting half a sentence down takes monumental effort, and of days when the sentences that do get written down are evidence that you have no business even trying to write.

Experience teaches you those days come and (fortunately) go, and with effort, you can begin to see a story take shape. On the good days, your ideas come together and work like they should and you make progress. On the outstanding days, when you're in flow and hours pass without notice...you live for those.

And you pepare for those days by putting in consistent effort, each day if possible, scribbling notes and writing down bits and pieces, until you can step into the flow. For me, there is no experience that can match those tiimes. They're so good, they make up for all the difficult times put together.

[Virgil]

Sytalls offers good advice. The one thing I can add is that if one is stuck, I tend to think one doesn't understand the story. If you have characters without a plot, then you don't have a story; if you have plot without characters I don't think you have inspiration. If you have characters and some form of plot then I don't think you're understanding the implications of your story. That last option requires you to think about what the core of the story is about and reach an conclusion on bringing the story to a climax. I hope that helps. The key thing that Sytalls said was practice.

[NickAdams]

I think both sytalls and Virgil have valid points. Lajos Egri, in his book The Art of Dramatic Writing, said that if you have are stuck it is because your characters aren't realized. When you say introduction do you mean exposition? Exposition should not be creatively exhausted in the first act, it should be slowly revealed through out the story. Conflict should arise from character; one could say that the current conflict is the accumulation of a character's history and what is exposition if not history. When you say you have plot, characters and conflict, I wonder if you spent your time developing them as unique stand alone elements or if you have planted your seed (character) into the soil (conflict) and allowed your plant (plot) to grow naturally.

[sytalls]

There are days when posting is so much more fun than writing. ;) Today would be one of those days.

I like that Nick...the seed and the soil and the plant. It takes time at the keyboard to learn to internalize techniques and avoid trying to "make" a story instead of craft what you discover. Or, by your analogy, to let it grow naturally and manage its presentation.

And, Virgil, I'm so glad you mentioned that about not understanding enough to be able to write the story. So true! Every time I'm stuck--really stuck--that is always the problem. :D However, I forget it's always the problem and waste countless hours staring at the ceiling, agonizing over how to fix something that isn't working. It's incredibly easy to deceive myself...or maybe delude myself...and think I know everything I need to know, when I don't. Deadline pressure and truth eventually push me to remembering.

That's something else, Jorine. Two something else's, actually. One--a creative writing class will give you accountability and a deadline. You will have the pressure of fulfilling a commitment. Two--your relationship with the truth must be a good one. You can indulge in self-deception (in a form of your own choosing) for a while, but eventually you must admit that's what you're doing so you can move on to what needs to be done.

[Jorine]

Thank you for your advice, all of you! It's certainly a nice welcome :)

Do any of you, how silly it may sound, draw out your storylines? On actual paper, I mean, with sharpies connecting certain events and relations. I find it surprisingly helpful in some cases.

How did you learn writing an actual story? I know there's a creative writing class in uni, but that's not until 2011 (and I might be impatient, but that's a really long wait). So do you have recommendations for "How to... write a story" "101 on writing"-ish books?

[NickAdams]

And, Virgil, I'm so glad you mentioned that about not understanding enough to be able to write the story. So true! Every time I'm stuck--really stuck--that is always the problem. :D However, I forget it's always the problem and waste countless hours staring at the ceiling, agonizing over how to fix something that isn't working. It's incredibly easy to deceive myself...or maybe delude myself...and think I know everything I need to know, when I don't. Deadline pressure and truth eventually push me to remembering.

That's something else, Jorine. Two something else's, actually. One--a creative writing class will give you accountability and a deadline. You will have the pressure of fulfilling a commitment. Two--your relationship with the truth must be a good one. You can indulge in self-deception (in a form of your own choosing) for a while, but eventually you must admit that's what you're doing so you can move on to what needs to be done.

I don't know what I would do if I had to deal with deadlines. I've been working on various works for the eight years.:blush:
I believe in a slow artistic gestation.


Thank you for your advice, all of you! It's certainly a nice welcome :)

Do any of you, how silly it may sound, draw out your storylines? On actual paper, I mean, with sharpies connecting certain events and relations. I find it surprisingly helpful in some cases.

How did you learn writing an actual story? I know there's a creative writing class in uni, but that's not until 2011 (and I might be impatient, but that's a really long wait). So do you have recommendations for "How to... write a story" "101 on writing"-ish books?

I've drawn character, logistics and create a timeline for events. All of this is just for the intimate knowledge of the story.

The Art Of Dramatic Writing - Lajos Egri
On Becoming a Novelist - John Gardner
The Art of Fiction - John Gardner
writing in general and the short story in particular - Rust Hills

[jon1jt]

I don't know what I would do if I had to deal with deadlines. I've been working on various works for the eight years.:blush:
I believe in a slow artistic gestation.



I've drawn character, logistics and create a timeline for events. All of this is just for the intimate knowledge of the story.

The Art Of Dramatic Writing - Lajos Egri
On Becoming a Novelist - John Gardner
The Art of Fiction - John Gardner
writing in general and the short story in particular - Rust Hills

The Art of Fiction - John Gardner, great suggestion. I'm a big fan of his---if you want to learn how to write read his Grendel that plot gushes like the Rio Grande.

Gardner was killed in a motorcycle accident 3 days before his wedding. I highly recommend On Broken Glass by Susan Thorton who writes about her crazy romantic ride with the writer. The writing fabulous, the plot seamless--

[sytalls]

I make deadlines or starve, Nick. :D Hunger is a good incentive. But I work in a collaborative medium, so stories and characters aren't solely mine. Most of the time, deadlines are so tight, I don't have much time to fret, which I'm quite good at. For the novel I've been working on, it's definitely been gestating slowly. Very slowly.

Jorine, if something works for you, then it's not silly at all. I keep a sketch pad with my notebooks, and I use it for something similar to what you do, brainstorming on paper, as well as for making rough drawings of rooms or various spaces where the characters will be.

If standing on one foot and using a pink Sharpie on brown wrapping paper helped make a story work, I'd do it!

And I was in my senior year, getting a BS in physics, when I could no longer hold back the urge to write. Or, more accurately, the urge to write fiction. During time off from school and during the summers, once I went back to school, I'd do freelance writing--everything from feature articles to PR pieces to speeches and brochures.

I found someone at my university who was willing to teach me what I wanted to know. It was pure dumb luck that I picked the person I did, and he was wonderful about coaching me through the process. Whatever he told me to read, I read it. Whatever he told me to write, I wrote it.

When I finished school, I found others who were willing to help me. If you're hungry for it, people will offer you trenemdous help in learning the craft of writing. If you can recognize criticism for its value and not get defensive, then you'll get even more help...and expect every piece of writing you do to be a learning process. It is an on-going journey; there is always more to learn and try when it comes to storytelling.

And almost everyone's afraid and full of doubts, so don't think you're alone in that. Experience doesn't take away the insecurities, but it does teach you to work in spite of them.

[xtianfriborg13]

I, for example, first think of the main story, and the ending. The climax just comes out for me along the way, so are the conflicts. You can also try writing ideas down and pick whichever fits your taste for your story. :)