writing tip for the non outliners re handling plot complexity: forget about figuring out what you're going to do, just find out why it needs to be done, then wing it towards that goal, you'll find it a lot more useful than forcing yourself to write to an outline and hating your whole process for it - ThreadSky

nameshiv.bsky.social • 6 days ago

writing tip for the non outliners re handling plot complexity: forget about figuring out what you're going to do, just find out why it needs to be done, then wing it towards that goal, you'll find it a lot more useful than forcing yourself to write to an outline and hating your whole process for it

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politicsmom.bsky.social•6 days ago

I had never considered this before but that makes so much sense.

mcbea.bsky.social•6 days ago

I just let the characters drive. They will tell you where the story is going. Listen to them.

lenorarose.bsky.social•6 days ago

If I figure out where I'm going but am stuck on getting there, I sometimes find it useful to look back at shat I wrote for a passing tidbit that can be useful. (Hmm, I mentioned so-and-so's family problems, can I pull in a family member to both expand on her character and find a plot solution?)

lenorarose.bsky.social•6 days ago

*at WHAT I wrote...

lenorarose.bsky.social•6 days ago

Which is also one reason I throw in all the breadcrumbs and worldbuilding in the first draft in the first place, aka why I have to pare down my drafts severely in revision.

mrkeithtaylor.bsky.social•6 days ago

All my complexity is added in the second draft (3rd, 4th, 948th, etc.). First draft is just for getting from A to B in a way that makes sense. Once you’ve done that you can go back and play around until you get from A to B in a way that’s *entertaining*.

cathshaffer.bsky.social•6 days ago

My experience is that complexity reduces as a story matures in the writing process. When I ask myself what seemingly unrelated characters, ideas, and themes have to do with each other, some collapse and fold into the central storyline, and others can be culled.

digitaldiscipline.bsky.social•6 days ago

outlines are, functionally, a premature and unwanted terminator for my writing.

i absolutely *cannot* use them, because the research/story/information is all there, just as an incomplete skeleton that will never be fleshed out.

cpatten.bsky.social•6 days ago

I needed this 😭

bhowe.bsky.social•6 days ago

Yep, that pretty much describes my writing process.

salimlolla.bsky.social•6 days ago

Plz quote my story
My family needs your support
My child no your support

peebeejaybee.bsky.social•6 days ago

So...you mean like life, right?

wreckingball4good.bsky.social•6 days ago

Yes, this is very similar to my process, much more humane

she5los.bsky.social•6 days ago

Yeah, whenever I get stuck in a scene I go "okay, but where is the story *going*" and answering that question always allows me to write again!

If the answer is "not really anywhere," well, that's the reason I don't publish until my stories are done anymore.

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