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Ideas for sale. Ok, not for sale so much as I would like to find out where they come from. As in what invisible entity is selling these crazy ideas for my books to my brain.
This idea of ideas came as I speed through last night's NaNoWriMo word count. I'd had a vague idea of what was coming up ahead in my story earlier in the day. Not too far, mind you, just the upcoming scene. Then, as I was chugging along, a brand new set of ideas took over and completely changed the direction of that part of the story.
That happens a lot to us pansters, we never know completely where we're going, so we often jump the rails. And writing at the accelerated word count of NaNo even makes it worse.
But this time I really thought about it. About all of the times that I zigged in my story instead of zagging. Where I brought forth one character and let another fade away. What happens to all those other stories? the other ideas we had that just went "poof"?
Back in the day, before I realized I really am a pantser, I'd try plotting. More notes of ideas really but still, I'd lay down some ideas, then go off writing only to come back to find my ideas had totally changed. I still find notes jotted down that are light years away from where my story ended up and I find myself wishing I could see how that "other" story would have turned out.
I like where my stories have ended up in the past, so hopefully the same will hold true with my current WIP- but it does make me wonder about ideas. And where they go when we don't use them.
Have a great IWSG day and if you are NaNoing -good luck!
I used to be a total panster, but as soon as I had deadlines to meet, I found I had to be a plotter. Most of it happens in my head, but it definitely helps get words down on the page.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with NaNo. I'll be waiting to give you a high five at the end. =)
Unleashing the Dreamworld
Thanks, Crystal! It's good to know that you were able to switch sides ;).
DeleteThanks for coming by and commenting!
I keep a notebook for orphaned ideas and characters. I hate to lose those great characters that ended up getting cut from a story or an interesting plot twist that no longer made sense. You never know, they may get a story of their own some day.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with Nanowrimo. See you at the victory party.
Elizabeth Hein - Scribbling in the Storage Room
Thanks, Elizabeth! I should do that, or at least a file on my computer. I do that with scenes, but never thought of keeping those "might haves". Those directions would have made for different book and you're right maybe they could be one!
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A creative mind is an amazing thing, isn't it? I have no idea where the ideas come from, but I definitely get more of them when I'm a) in the shower and b) working out. Something about relaxing the body, definitely relaxes the mind. Also, I was a total pantser until I picked up a book called Rock Your Plot. It is so short and so succinct, and basically boils an outline down to 9 plot points. At least gave me some markers to write to. Anyway, best of luck with Nano!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jonathan! I often get them when I'm driving, maybe that relaxes me? (Nice driving that is--not rush hour traffic ;)). I'll have to check out that book, I like being a pantser most of the time, but I would love to give it more structure.
DeleteThanks for coming by and commenting!
I used to be a total pantser. Back when I let my characters take me all over the place. But I hate plotting (along with writing a synopsis). By the time I'm done with writing out the plot or syn, I've told the story. No fun in that. So I'm sort of half & half, leaning more toward the pantser part. BTW, I love your brand--faeries, dragons, & spaceships. So intriguing. Best wishes on NaNo.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Diane! :) I totally agree about that problem of plotting, once I've plotted it to much the fun is gone. But I am working on becoming more half breed, trying to at least map out a days writing a head of time ;).
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I think you're on a roll. Keep going. I like your attitude.
ReplyDeletePlay off the Page
Thank you, Mary! :)
DeleteThat's kind of what happened to me when I entered Nano a couple of years ago. New directions for my story kept popping up in my head while I was writing, directions that I liked better than the original ones. Soon it became impossible for me to continue without sitting down and replotting everything, and that killed all the momentum.
ReplyDeleteOh man! That sucks, Ken :(. That is a problem with NaNo if a certain point is crossed in "this just ain't working" you kind of have to throw in the towel.
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That happens to me all the time. When I go back and look at where I thought the story was going, I realize how much better the new direction is. It's what makes writing fun.
ReplyDeleteVery true, Lori. I do like seeing things in my notes that I know wouldn't have worked near as well as what i went with. But some of them could have been serious possibilities- just a different direction from what I made. And somewhere in the void, maybe they'll be written :)
DeleteThanks for coming by and commenting!
You can ship some of those unused ideas my way; I'm feeling uninspired at this moment. I'm a pantster too.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I hear ya, Dolorah. Sometimes my brain just ain't budging. But I've found going out and being around nature or art will trigger me back into the game ;).
DeleteThanks for coming by and commenting and good luck on getting those ideas flowing!
Where do the ideas go when you don't use them?
ReplyDeleteThey go to the same destination as the lost socks...to Lost Ideas Island, which is adjacent to Lost Socks Island!
Good luck with NaNoWriMo!
LOL!! Thanks, Michelle. I like that, a lost island of stranded or lost ideas ;). Sounds like it could be a fun place to hang out!
DeleteThanks for coming by and commenting!
I wish I knew where ideas come from. Most days, I'd love to FIND them!! I'm a panster too and I LOVE to see where my stories take themselves. I usually have a beginning and an end but I never have an idea as to how they are going to resolve one another until I write them.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with NaNo! I'm writing like mad myself this month :D
Cheers,
Jen
You and I have the same process it sounds like Jennifer :). Best of luck to you on NaNo as well-it's such a crazy thing we do! LOL!
DeleteThanks for coming by and commenting!
When I write short stories I don't need to plot, really. I have a general idea of where I'm going, but I will follow whatever path seems to suit the story better. However, writing novels I totally NEED to know where I'm going. Not knowing drives me nuts, so I plot. Incessantly. So what I need to find is some sort of middle ground. =)
ReplyDeleteWell, it sounds like what you're doing is working for you, Georgina :), maybe you don't need to change a thing!
DeleteThanks for coming by and commenting!
Sometimes I try to think of how I got to a particular point in an idea and it's usually the most random connection ever. Good luck on NaNo! I'm doing it, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle :)- yeah there have been some times where I can't even figure out how I got where I got! But I guess that's why we're writers :). Good luck on NaNo!
DeleteThanks for coming by and commenting!
I pants, too, and have found that sometimes whatever idea spurred the story in the first place never shows up in the actual story. Then I sit there wondering if I should find a way to stick it in there. Good luck with NaNo!
ReplyDeleteOOOO! I have so had that happen, Shannon! Ok, I'm usually a character first writer, but I have found that the original character, the one who started the entire thing in my "thinking" stage is totally not who shows up even on page one! I think we should save those people and ideas and wring another story out of them ;).
DeleteThanks for coming by and commenting!
LOL, Marie. The idea of pantsing to this hardcover OCD plotter used to be terrifying but with my latest paranormal series, it was pure seat of the pants, type fast and follow the unfolding story. Scary but it worked.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Sounds like you had to jump into our pantser world- but you did just fine! Welcome to the wild side ;).
DeleteThanks for coming by and commenting!
All the planning in the world can't stop the story that was meant to be written from coming out. I'd prefer to write like you but, I need my famework to work within and a direction. Always a direction.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on NaNo.
Anna from Shout with Emaginette
Thanks, Anna :). I think many writers look at the "other side" and think, "I wish I wrote like that" but we're all good at doing it how we do it :). But, for me at least, too much planning kills my need to tell the story. So it may still be there, but not in a form anyone could read ;).
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by and commenting!