Where do my ideas come from? I don't actually get asked this very often. Maybe no one really cares. But the answer fascinates me so I'm going to talk about it anyway.
I have lots of story ideas. A good dozen novels outlined and waiting to be written. Many more vague story ideas that never quite proved worthy to be put down on paper (or, actually, in a .docx file). I am confident that I'll have ideas to write about for the rest of my life. I just hope I have the opportunity to write them. Or at least the good ones. And while I'm making wishes, I hope I have to insight to pick out which are the good ones. But where do they start?
I have to admit, many of my ideas are reactionary. I read something, or watch something, that I think is not as good as it could be. I think: I could do better. It happens a lot with mainstream media. A lot of very successful and popular media is crap. I could list many examples, but don't want to offend anyone. (but here's a few that I don't have to worry about offending the authors: Moby Dick - crap; Les Miserables - crap; Catcher in the Rye - not that good). So I look at the basic idea behind it and think of how I would do it, what I would change to make it better. (yes, I realize I just said I can write a better book than Moby Dick. Time will tell :-)
My first novel was a love story. It was in response to several incredibly popular books that made true love out to be all-conquering, the only thing that mattered. That's not what I saw in my life or with my friends. It was always much more complicated than that. So I started a story with two people falling in love and then followed them for ten years as they went in and out of each others lives. Of course, I understand the appeal of the idealized true love. People want to read a fantasy - something that they haven't experienced. But it was far more interesting to me to make it complicated while keeping the core of true love the heart of the story. It was more realistic, something I could learn from something that applied to my life. Maybe I want something different out of my writing than most people want out of their reading.
Another story idea I got was in the middle of watching the Return of the King. During Aragon's battle speech near the end, the 'not this day' speech. It's not bad, but I thought I could do better. Or at least different. Sitting in the dark in the theater I came up with my own battle speech. Ultimately I created a whole novel idea around it. But when I actually started writing it, it didn't pan out. And my speech never worked. I liked the idea behind it but couldn't perfect it. (and I then went back and watched the Henry V 'St. Crispin's Day' speech and realized we are all just writing poor imitations). So sometimes trying to create a better mousetrap doesn't work and it's time to get out of the mousetrap business.
But I also get ideas from the great things, things I like. Books that are far better than anything I hope to write (see, I do have some humility), movies and legends that have lasted through the ages. Another of my stories came about from the idea of Elric of Melnibone (a GREAT character) and tracing it back to Faust. I didn't try to improve them, but look at it from a different angle. Follow the idea further in time. What happens to your anti-hero when he stops trying, stops caring about who he was in the past or about right and wrong. How do you make that interesting? That's the challenge that excited me and launched a series of stories that ultimately make my second book.
Those are reactionary ideas, but I do also come up with original ideas of my own (or so I like to tell myself). And those come to me in different ways.Sometimes it's as simple as an image. A man and woman standing by a lake in the woods as the sun sets - that led to one of my first short stories that I really liked. Sometimes it's a concept and where it would lead. The idea of a prophecy that says those who attempt it will have to die in order to succeed - who would accept such an endeavor? The idea of the first discovery of a wormhole - how would that realistically take place? Sometimes it's a character and the fun of spending time in their head. A forklift operator who becomes the god of war. A retired FBI agent who runs a fly fishing shop in Montana. These ideas come from anywhere and everywhere. All it takes is something that is interesting. Something that I can explore and play with, something that makes me want to see where it goes.
That's how it starts. Normally I just let it percolate in my head for a while. If it stays and grows, then I'll ultimately write it down to save it. If not, it will fall by the wayside. Though sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night and just have to write it down. Those can look bad in the morning but sometimes they are worth holding on to. So I end up with a large collection of ideas. And then I have to choose what to complete. What do I actually want to write. That's a whole other topic, but it normally comes down to my life. I write what connects the most with me in the moment, because that connection gives me the insight and knowledge necessary to bring the idea to life. That's why I like to have a sandbox full of story ideas to play with: one of them is likely to fit my need. If not, I'll just create more.
So I'd be curious to hear what inspires other people. Where do you get your ideas? Do they just pop into existence or does it take conscious work and effort? Do they start with something you like or something you don't? And once they're there, what do you do with them?
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Where'd that come from?
My last post talked about the planning process. And I do believe I write best with a plan. But I also know I shouldn't force myself to stick to it. Some of the best things come as a surprise. And it always surprises me that I'm surprised by myself.
The first manuscript I completed was meticulously planned (at least by my standards). I had a full chapter by chapter outline and was sure that it had everything covered. As I started writing I added a chapter within the first five. I didn't plan it. I just finished one chapter and before I started the next one on the outline I wrote a different chapter, one in between the two I had planned. And after writing it, it was obvious that the new chapter was necessary. Not for the logistical details - there wasn't any necessary action. But it revealed more information about the characters. Information that was necessary to make the connection to the following chapter. Otherwise it would have been going from A to C. The surprise chapter was the necessary B. Obvious after the fact.
Wen I finished the book, I realized that it was missing some more chapters. Again, it wasn't the action. Everything that needed to happen was already in there. But only upon reading the whole thing did it become clear that the flow wasn't correct. There was a stretch where the pace had settled into a rhythm that got boring. There needed to be something to change things up and force the reader to pay attention. Again, it was obvious when you read the whole thing, even though the outline never revealed it. So the plan was revised and the work improved.
Surprises also come in the middle of writing, often in dialogue. I have my chapter outline to follow and I normally have a conversation worked out in my head before writing it. I know where it's supposed to go, even if I don't have the words chosen. But once I start typing, I try to choose the words that the character would use. In doing that, the character often ends up leading the conversation in a different direction than I intended. It always surprises me when my characters don't do what I tell them to do.
But invariably this is the way to go - follow your characters, don't force them to follow you. When you try to force it you lose their voice. And ultimately you will lose the reader. I've had to revise my plan for several chapters based on a conversation that went sideways. It's frustrating, but always seems to end up an improvement.
So I will continue to plan my books. And I will continue to revise that plan as things change. For the surprises are often the best part of the writing process. We learn things we didn't know we knew. We get the joy of discovery right along with the joy of creation. The joy of reading and writing. The best of both worlds.
The first manuscript I completed was meticulously planned (at least by my standards). I had a full chapter by chapter outline and was sure that it had everything covered. As I started writing I added a chapter within the first five. I didn't plan it. I just finished one chapter and before I started the next one on the outline I wrote a different chapter, one in between the two I had planned. And after writing it, it was obvious that the new chapter was necessary. Not for the logistical details - there wasn't any necessary action. But it revealed more information about the characters. Information that was necessary to make the connection to the following chapter. Otherwise it would have been going from A to C. The surprise chapter was the necessary B. Obvious after the fact.
Wen I finished the book, I realized that it was missing some more chapters. Again, it wasn't the action. Everything that needed to happen was already in there. But only upon reading the whole thing did it become clear that the flow wasn't correct. There was a stretch where the pace had settled into a rhythm that got boring. There needed to be something to change things up and force the reader to pay attention. Again, it was obvious when you read the whole thing, even though the outline never revealed it. So the plan was revised and the work improved.
Surprises also come in the middle of writing, often in dialogue. I have my chapter outline to follow and I normally have a conversation worked out in my head before writing it. I know where it's supposed to go, even if I don't have the words chosen. But once I start typing, I try to choose the words that the character would use. In doing that, the character often ends up leading the conversation in a different direction than I intended. It always surprises me when my characters don't do what I tell them to do.
But invariably this is the way to go - follow your characters, don't force them to follow you. When you try to force it you lose their voice. And ultimately you will lose the reader. I've had to revise my plan for several chapters based on a conversation that went sideways. It's frustrating, but always seems to end up an improvement.
So I will continue to plan my books. And I will continue to revise that plan as things change. For the surprises are often the best part of the writing process. We learn things we didn't know we knew. We get the joy of discovery right along with the joy of creation. The joy of reading and writing. The best of both worlds.
Friday, July 6, 2012
What's the plan?
First, you have an idea for a story. But that's not really worth much. Some people will just start writing with that, and if you have enough experience maybe that will lead to something structured. But for most people that will lead to a rambling mess. If you just want to write, that's fine. But if you're goal is a book, something that other people can follow and enjoy, and maybe be willing to pay to read, then you need to have structure. There are different levels of planning that will allow you to write to a structure and it's important to know what you need.
For me, it works like this. I have an idea. That can mean a lot of different things. Sometimes it's a character. Sometimes it's a scene. Sometimes it's a deep philosophical concept that tugs at the mind. Though I often find my stories come from a reaction to someone else's story. I read something and think that it would be more interesting if approached from a different viewpoint. So I'll start with that viewpoint and see where that leads me. For instance, there's a classic fantasy convention of the kitchen boy becomes king (King Arthur). The idea is that you start with a character who is unsure and unlikely and over the course of the book, or trilogy, or Robert Jorden never-ending continuum, they develop. Characters that develop are interesting. And most readers can identify with a character who starts as an everyday person. If you start with a king, someone who has the power and keeps it, someone who has everything figured out and doesn't need to change, well, what's interesting about that? That's what's interesting to me: how to make a hero interesting when he starts as a hero. Based on that simple concept I have an entire fantasy epic worked out (though not the time and patience to develop it at the moment). But it's the idea that starts it.
But how do you work it out from there? For me, it's an outline that keeps getting filled in. I'll outline the general concept of the book. Two or three sentences that sum it up. Then I'll think about it in terms of acts. There's a reason most plays have three acts and it's a solid structure to build around (though not necessary). Once I have the acts, I'll try to break it into parts. The number of parts in an act will vary, but the idea is to have a sense of how the act will flow. From there I'll break it into chapters. Each chapter will get a paragraph summation. So at that point I will have a chapter by chapter outline of the novel, but built from the outside in. I've tried starting with the chapters but normally end up missing something (you only see that when looking at the whole). And once I have the full outline I summarize it. For me it's invaluable to have a simple one sentence per chapter outline that really shows me the whole story at a quick glance.
And that's what I'll write from - my chapter outline. It turns a long, complicated story into simple pieces. Pieces that I can accomplish, that don't overwhelm me. By focusing a piece at a time I can dig in to each one and lose myself in the moment. But by planning the whole I know my piece will be part of something much more complete. A lot of the unpublished stories I see and read have fine writing, but they roll and ramble through a series of interconnect events that somehow doesn't satisfy. They drag in places and rush through others, ideas pop up and disappear, there's no sense of completeness that readers ultimately want (whether they know it or not).
Of course, many great writers and great stories throw this all out the window. Some people just start writing and greatness comes out. But greatness is something different. I don't have the skill to aspire to greatness (not yet). I simply want to create a good story that others will enjoy. Maybe I'll stumble upon greatness one day, but I don't think you can plan for it. So I plan for goodness and go from there.
For me, it works like this. I have an idea. That can mean a lot of different things. Sometimes it's a character. Sometimes it's a scene. Sometimes it's a deep philosophical concept that tugs at the mind. Though I often find my stories come from a reaction to someone else's story. I read something and think that it would be more interesting if approached from a different viewpoint. So I'll start with that viewpoint and see where that leads me. For instance, there's a classic fantasy convention of the kitchen boy becomes king (King Arthur). The idea is that you start with a character who is unsure and unlikely and over the course of the book, or trilogy, or Robert Jorden never-ending continuum, they develop. Characters that develop are interesting. And most readers can identify with a character who starts as an everyday person. If you start with a king, someone who has the power and keeps it, someone who has everything figured out and doesn't need to change, well, what's interesting about that? That's what's interesting to me: how to make a hero interesting when he starts as a hero. Based on that simple concept I have an entire fantasy epic worked out (though not the time and patience to develop it at the moment). But it's the idea that starts it.
But how do you work it out from there? For me, it's an outline that keeps getting filled in. I'll outline the general concept of the book. Two or three sentences that sum it up. Then I'll think about it in terms of acts. There's a reason most plays have three acts and it's a solid structure to build around (though not necessary). Once I have the acts, I'll try to break it into parts. The number of parts in an act will vary, but the idea is to have a sense of how the act will flow. From there I'll break it into chapters. Each chapter will get a paragraph summation. So at that point I will have a chapter by chapter outline of the novel, but built from the outside in. I've tried starting with the chapters but normally end up missing something (you only see that when looking at the whole). And once I have the full outline I summarize it. For me it's invaluable to have a simple one sentence per chapter outline that really shows me the whole story at a quick glance.
And that's what I'll write from - my chapter outline. It turns a long, complicated story into simple pieces. Pieces that I can accomplish, that don't overwhelm me. By focusing a piece at a time I can dig in to each one and lose myself in the moment. But by planning the whole I know my piece will be part of something much more complete. A lot of the unpublished stories I see and read have fine writing, but they roll and ramble through a series of interconnect events that somehow doesn't satisfy. They drag in places and rush through others, ideas pop up and disappear, there's no sense of completeness that readers ultimately want (whether they know it or not).
Of course, many great writers and great stories throw this all out the window. Some people just start writing and greatness comes out. But greatness is something different. I don't have the skill to aspire to greatness (not yet). I simply want to create a good story that others will enjoy. Maybe I'll stumble upon greatness one day, but I don't think you can plan for it. So I plan for goodness and go from there.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Routine
I've seen many authors share their advice on a writing routine, with most starting with the idea of 'write every day'. I'm sure that's good advice and all, and I don't have any counter argument against it, but I've found it interesting to note what actually works for me.
When I started to write seriously I dedicated time for writing. I had a 'regular' job so I would try to write for an hour or two before heading in to work. Even though I would have more free time at the end of the day, I was normally mentally tired from the day and unable to focus after getting home, making dinner, cleaning dishes, etc. That every day routine helped me develop discipline and proved (to myself) that I could finish things and produce a large quantity of words. But it wasn't always the best stuff.
Now that I have the whole day free, the mornings are still the most productive. My mind is fresh and my energy high. And once I start going I can keep going as long as things flow. And that's an important thing. Writing is very much a endeavor of rhythm, and if you have to break that rhythm with something like a job, it can slow you down considerably. So I now find myself more productive without the time limit on my writing sessions. I force myself to start in the morning (by 9am at the latest) and work while the working is good.
But I normally run out of steam by mid afternoon. Or earlier. And then it's time for a break. I'll often keep thinking about the story, but stop writing. Have some lunch. Go for a bike ride. Work on website development. Anything to change the mental gears. The break may be for an hour, or maybe four. Sometimes that's it for the day. But if an idea hits, or the words come to mind, then I'll get back to the writing. Quite often it's after a full break and late in the evening that the keyboard will beckon. And then I'll resume writing as long as the rhythm is there.
So that's a writing day. But I actually think it's good to take some days off completely. Don't write at all. Don't even think about it (that one's hard). Don't just switch to some other story (I can't work on multiple stories simultaneously - if I switch thoughts it's for at least several days). I find the more I rest the more energy I return with, the more things flow when I start typing. The difference in quality between forced writing and natural writing is quite obvious when I look back at it. So it's worth it to find your own rhythm. But that 'write every day' thing is a good place to start..
When I started to write seriously I dedicated time for writing. I had a 'regular' job so I would try to write for an hour or two before heading in to work. Even though I would have more free time at the end of the day, I was normally mentally tired from the day and unable to focus after getting home, making dinner, cleaning dishes, etc. That every day routine helped me develop discipline and proved (to myself) that I could finish things and produce a large quantity of words. But it wasn't always the best stuff.
Now that I have the whole day free, the mornings are still the most productive. My mind is fresh and my energy high. And once I start going I can keep going as long as things flow. And that's an important thing. Writing is very much a endeavor of rhythm, and if you have to break that rhythm with something like a job, it can slow you down considerably. So I now find myself more productive without the time limit on my writing sessions. I force myself to start in the morning (by 9am at the latest) and work while the working is good.
But I normally run out of steam by mid afternoon. Or earlier. And then it's time for a break. I'll often keep thinking about the story, but stop writing. Have some lunch. Go for a bike ride. Work on website development. Anything to change the mental gears. The break may be for an hour, or maybe four. Sometimes that's it for the day. But if an idea hits, or the words come to mind, then I'll get back to the writing. Quite often it's after a full break and late in the evening that the keyboard will beckon. And then I'll resume writing as long as the rhythm is there.
So that's a writing day. But I actually think it's good to take some days off completely. Don't write at all. Don't even think about it (that one's hard). Don't just switch to some other story (I can't work on multiple stories simultaneously - if I switch thoughts it's for at least several days). I find the more I rest the more energy I return with, the more things flow when I start typing. The difference in quality between forced writing and natural writing is quite obvious when I look back at it. So it's worth it to find your own rhythm. But that 'write every day' thing is a good place to start..
Monday, July 2, 2012
History
So here's a little bit of the story of what has led me to this point. It's incomplete, but you'll get the general idea. And it only is about my writing, since that's all that matters here.
When I was a kid I was always creating stories in my head. I think we all do that. And I never bothered to write anything down. I had my writing assignments in school and enjoyed it, but I was generally too busy out doing things to sit at a desk and write. When I got to college I didn't have time to write for fun, nor did my classes involve much creative writing. I didn't think much about it.
After grad school I had to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Never quite nailed that one. So I ended up teaching in various capacities. And I was pretty good at it. My professional career has been a mix of teaching/training/managing/administrating. But I never stayed at one thing too long, and never saw any of my jobs as my future.
Along the way I kept creating stories in my head. And I started writing them down as well. Not whole stories. That would take too much effort and discipline. I mostly jotted down the outline of the story, even if I had all the details sorted in my mind. Sometimes I would write scenes, something particular that interested me. And I always thought that writing would be my ultimate future. Someday I would actually start doing it.
And about two years ago I decided that the future was now. But I didn't just jump into it. I decided to start looking into it. Investigating it. Researching it. And most importantly, working at it. I started writing complete stories. Short ones at first. Never my forte, but good exercises. I started working on character development, dialogue and narrative. I had plenty of ideas and outlines that I had built up over the years, but I needed to learn how to develop them.
At the same time I started figuring out what a career as a writer entailed. And what it might take to make it happen. Writing can mean many different things, but I knew I wanted to be a novelist. And while there are a lot of steps on the way, the first thing you need is a novel. So after a year of working on stories and technique I started The Novel.
It was from an idea I had several years ago. A modern love story that I thought had good commercial appeal. It took a month to outline it. Two months for a rough draft. Several months of revisions and editing with feedback from a few select readers. But I ended up with a book that I really like and am proud of. It was time to try to get it published.
I'll probably go more into the pursuit of publication in more detail at some point, but suffice it to say that so far my novel is unpublished. Not that I've given up, but I needed to pursue other things. To keep writing. On a break from my editing The Novel (breaks are very necessary to get away and give perspective) I expanded on a previous story I had written. It was a short story that had turned into a novella, and now it turned into a second novel. Now I had two books with no publisher (and no agent). So while I had not made any progress on the professional side of writing, I had satisfied myself that it's something I can do. That's really where it starts: I believe I can do this.
All of this happened while still working my day job. Now was the time for the leap of faith. I had been saving money and was close to my target: enough to live off for a year. So I quit my job. And I officially became an unemployed writer.
And that's where we are now. I have a new book planned. The writing has started. I am still searching for an agent and looking into self-publishing options. I have a year and we will see how it goes.
When I was a kid I was always creating stories in my head. I think we all do that. And I never bothered to write anything down. I had my writing assignments in school and enjoyed it, but I was generally too busy out doing things to sit at a desk and write. When I got to college I didn't have time to write for fun, nor did my classes involve much creative writing. I didn't think much about it.
After grad school I had to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Never quite nailed that one. So I ended up teaching in various capacities. And I was pretty good at it. My professional career has been a mix of teaching/training/managing/administrating. But I never stayed at one thing too long, and never saw any of my jobs as my future.
Along the way I kept creating stories in my head. And I started writing them down as well. Not whole stories. That would take too much effort and discipline. I mostly jotted down the outline of the story, even if I had all the details sorted in my mind. Sometimes I would write scenes, something particular that interested me. And I always thought that writing would be my ultimate future. Someday I would actually start doing it.
And about two years ago I decided that the future was now. But I didn't just jump into it. I decided to start looking into it. Investigating it. Researching it. And most importantly, working at it. I started writing complete stories. Short ones at first. Never my forte, but good exercises. I started working on character development, dialogue and narrative. I had plenty of ideas and outlines that I had built up over the years, but I needed to learn how to develop them.
At the same time I started figuring out what a career as a writer entailed. And what it might take to make it happen. Writing can mean many different things, but I knew I wanted to be a novelist. And while there are a lot of steps on the way, the first thing you need is a novel. So after a year of working on stories and technique I started The Novel.
It was from an idea I had several years ago. A modern love story that I thought had good commercial appeal. It took a month to outline it. Two months for a rough draft. Several months of revisions and editing with feedback from a few select readers. But I ended up with a book that I really like and am proud of. It was time to try to get it published.
I'll probably go more into the pursuit of publication in more detail at some point, but suffice it to say that so far my novel is unpublished. Not that I've given up, but I needed to pursue other things. To keep writing. On a break from my editing The Novel (breaks are very necessary to get away and give perspective) I expanded on a previous story I had written. It was a short story that had turned into a novella, and now it turned into a second novel. Now I had two books with no publisher (and no agent). So while I had not made any progress on the professional side of writing, I had satisfied myself that it's something I can do. That's really where it starts: I believe I can do this.
All of this happened while still working my day job. Now was the time for the leap of faith. I had been saving money and was close to my target: enough to live off for a year. So I quit my job. And I officially became an unemployed writer.
And that's where we are now. I have a new book planned. The writing has started. I am still searching for an agent and looking into self-publishing options. I have a year and we will see how it goes.
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