The Ravenpiper

Fantasy writer, Free software user, Parrot Rescuer, Collection of Pacific Northwest First Nations Art

[theravenpiper]

Monsters I Have Created

Rather than use existing myths or borrow from other authors, I prefer to make my own monsters,

Care to guess what these are?

*barrow guests

*windprowlers

*poppet-banes

*The Hollow Ones

[theravenpiper]

Monsters I Have Created

Rather than use existing myths or borrow from other authors, I prefer to make my own monsters,

Care to guess what these are?

*barrow guests

*windprowlers

*poppet-banes

*The Hollow Ones

[theravenpiper]

The Evolution of a Plot Element

In fiction, plot is everything. Yet it is rarely talked about except in generalities that are of limited use to new writers. I know that, even now, with some apprentice level experience, I would appreciate a sample of how plot is developed, but such examples do not seem to be available. As a result, I am posting an example based on my own drafting -- not because it is outstanding in any way, but because it shows how a plot element can develop and the amount of work involved. My hope is that other writers will find the example useful for their expectations. And who knows? Maybe they will even be motivated to show how their own work evolved.

My example is from a story about a young man on the run from his sister and her pet monster. In the first draft, I soon realized that his sister was off-stage for most of the story. My efforts to change that involved many aspects of the story, but here are the steps of how is how one part of them developed: 1. Instead of having the sister stay at home, I decided she would pursue her brother with an army so that they could have more interactions before the climax and keep the tension strong.

2. To allow further reactions, I gave the sister a way to communicate with the brother though the monster.

3. That still wasn't enough, so I gave the sister thre allies who also were involved with magic,

4. Four people in a high stakes situation would unlikely be equals or in perfect agreement. So I made one a rival to the sister, and another a junior partner who was bullied and abused by the others.

5. This situation made the junior partner defect to the brother's side

6. To emphasize the conflict, I gave the junior partner a different kind of magic from the other three. Her magic consisted of a few minor but surprisingly useful spells.

7. Originally, these minor spells were only background. However, having mentioned them, I felt obliged to change the plot so she would use them. First, the junior partner's magic helped prepare the brother's discovery of his own form of magic. Then I found other ways she could could play an active roll in the story, especially in the climax.

The end result? A highly developed secondary character, and more interest and conflict.

The other partners of the sister underwent similar evolutions, although less detailed ones. However, you get the idea. By looking for a solution to the original problem, I found myself cascading through a series of other problems, each designed to justify background details I had chosen. I am still learning, but I believe that what I experienced is an undocumented element of the writing process that is essential. If anyone takes my summary as an example, I'd be interested in knowing how close your experience is to mine.

[theravenpiper]

The Evolution of a Plot Element

In fiction, plot is everything. Yet it is rarely talked about except in generalities that are of limited use to new writers. I know that, even now, with some apprentice level experience, I would appreciate a sample of how plot is developed, but such examples do not seem to be available. As a result, I am posting an example based on my own drafting -- not because it is outstanding in any way, but because it shows how a plot element can develop and the amount of work involved. My hope is that other writers will find the example useful for their expectations. And who knows? Maybe they will even be motivated to show how their own work evolved.

My example is from a story about a young man on the run from his sister and her pet monster. In the first draft, I soon realized that his sister was off-stage for most of the story. My efforts to change that involved many aspects of the story, but here are the steps of how is how one part of them developed: 1. Instead of having the sister stay at home, I decided she would pursue her brother with an army so that they could have more interactions before the climax and keep the tension strong.

2. To allow further reactions, I gave the sister a way to communicate with the brother though the monster.

3. That still wasn't enough, so I gave the sister thre allies who also were involved with magic,

4. Four people in a high stakes situation would unlikely be equals or in perfect agreement. So I made one a rival to the sister, and another a junior partner who was bullied and abused by the others.

5. This situation made the junior partner defect to the brother's side

6. To emphasize the conflict, I gave the junior partner a different kind of magic from the other three. Her magic consisted of a few minor but surprisingly useful spells.

7. Originally, these minor spells were only background. However, having mentioned them, I felt obliged to change the plot so she would use them. First, the junior partner's magic helped prepare the brother's discovery of his own form of magic. Then I found other ways she could could play an active roll in the story, especially in the climax.

The end result? A highly developed secondary character, and more interest and conflict.

The other partners of the sister underwent similar evolutions, although less detailed ones. However, you get the idea. By looking for a solution to the original problem, I found myself cascading through a series of other problems, each designed to justify background details I had chosen. I am still learning, but I believe that what I experienced is an undocumented element of the writing process that is essential. If anyone takes my summary as an example, I'd be interested in knowing how close your experience is to mine.

[theravenpiper]

Why did I suddenly imagine Gandalf as an African Gray and Saruman as a Cockatoo?

[theravenpiper]

Eliminating characters

To my surprise, my revisions almost always include eliminating characters and combining two into one. An unnecessary character is a needless complication -- and makes plot development more difficult, too.

[theravenpiper]

Eliminating characters

To my surprise, my revisions almost always include eliminating characters and combining two into one. An unnecessary character is a needless complication -- and makes plot development more difficult, too.

[theravenpiper]

Why Writing Is Hard

Writing is hard because most of us leave school with no idea of how to write more than a couple of pages. However, because most of us have easy access to tools with which to write, we tend to assume that writing itself is easy. This is also one reason why writer's block is most common among beginning writers. Experienced writers are more likely to know how to generate ideas and to fix what doesn't work

[theravenpiper]

Why Writing Is Hard

Writing is hard because most of us leave school with no idea of how to write more than a couple of pages. However, because most of us have easy access to tools with which to write, we tend to assume that writing itself is easy. This is also one reason why writer's block is most common among beginning writers. Experienced writers are more likely to know how to generate ideas and to fix what doesn't work

[theravenpiper]

"a good story doesn't just copy life, it pushes back on it." - Barbara Kingsolver

[theravenpiper]

Alternate PlotLines

I find the concept of alternate universes helps with plot development. Whenever I have to figure what happens, I run through as many possibilities as I can until I find the one that contributes most to the story.

[theravenpiper]

Alternate PlotLines

I find the concept of alternate universes helps with plot development. Whenever I have to figure what happens, I run through as many possibilities as I can until I find the one that contributes most to the story.

[theravenpiper]

Backups

One of life's eternal mysteries: why do so many writers not back up all that they've labored so hard over?

[theravenpiper]

My murdered darlings

When writing, I always save my murdered darlings. Many can be resurrected in another context. Then my progress takes an unexpected leap forward with a few minor revisions.

[theravenpiper]

Outlining for Pantsers

I've always been a discovery writer, or pantser. However, I only recently discovered why starting with an outline doesn't work for me: it's planning too far out. An outline may be useful for the first chapter, or even two or three chapters if I get lucky,. but much further along, it becomes obsolete and a waste of time and effort.

For me, the time to outline is between drafts. By outlining what I have already written, I have a summary that helps me to detect plot-holes and missed opportunities for an interesting story.

Should I decide on a major revision of a chapter, I have enough of a foundation that I can create a revised outline in less than half an hour, and can plunge right into writing, avoiding spending too much time on an outline and risking wasting energy that is better channeled into writing. I am sure to still improvise in the coming revision, but I will do so with more of a sense of direction.

Apparently, my problem has never been with outlines as such. In the past, the problem has always been in their timing,

[theravenpiper]

Why I Write

I see three reasons why writing fills my life: 1. My mother read to me regularly. Books fascinated me, and by the time I was 4, I wanted to read for myself.

2. When I entered Grade 1, I couldn't pronounce a hard "C." Instead, I said "T." As a result, I was put in the slow reader's group, and took speech therapy for months. From this experience, I learned the importance of words, both practically and socially. When I finally corrected my speech, within weeks I leaped into the most advanced reading group. By the end of the year, I was reading through the Hardy Boys series. Halfway through Grade 2, I began The Three Musketeers. I believe the same experience made me a lifelong leftist and led me to fantasy and adventure.

3. In Grade 5, I became one of the few band members who had never taken music lessons. The music teacher had no interest in teaching the inexperienced, and lavished time and attention on those already skilled. I was left to learn music appreciation by myself -- and thanks to used copy of Simon and Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence album, my method was words. By the time I entered Grade 8 I was a hardcore Bob Dylan fan.

After these events, it's not surprising that, one way or the other, I have mainly learned my living as a writer -- whether teaching composition, writing technical manuals, or working as a journalist. I took years to do more than dabble in fiction, but finally I'm starting to get there.

[theravenpiper]

Why I Write

I see three reasons why writing fills my life: 1. My mother read to me regularly. Books fascinated me, and by the time I was 4, I wanted to read for myself.

2. When I entered Grade 1, I couldn't pronounce a hard "C." Instead, I said "T." As a result, I was put in the slow reader's group, and took speech therapy for months. From this experience, I learned the importance of words, both practically and socially. When I finally corrected my speech, within weeks I leaped into the most advanced reading group. By the end of the year, I was reading through the Hardy Boys series. Halfway through Grade 2, I began The Three Musketeers. I believe the same experience made me a lifelong leftist and led me to fantasy and adventure.

3. In Grade 5, I became one of the few band members who had never taken music lessons. The music teacher had no interest in teaching the inexperienced, and lavished time and attention on those already skilled. I was left to learn music appreciation by myself -- and thanks to a used copy of Simon and Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence album, my method was words. By the time I entered Grade 8 I was a hardcore Bob Dylan fan.

After these events, it's not surprising that, one way or the other, I have mainly learned my living as a writer -- whether teaching composition, writing technical manuals, or working as a journalist. I took years to do more than dabble in fiction, but finally I'm starting to get there.