how do you go about your edits? like the big developmental ones, i'm picking up an old draft and now I'm trying to develop the plot and characters further and I may lose it
I had a full response to this typed out and then I lost it forever, so basically I'm at my limit
MY DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING PROCESS!
Usually for repurposing and revamping an old draft that shows promise but needs lots of help
First, I read over whatever I have written out and jot down a list of existing key plot points and important characters. In conjunction with this, I'll brainstorm some changes and ideas I know I want to implement into the new version of the story (character changes, setting shifts, new takes on existing scenes, the like). You don't have to start with this brainstorm, and can instead begin with the plot and character development and work your way to these broader changes, but I get distracted by exciting tangents and find it helpful to start wide and narrow my focus after. Sort of running wild and then reigning it in.
Now, in theory, I have a starting point and a destination, but I need to find a way to get from the steaming shit pile in my documents to the shining vision of the story in my head. Let's take a look at characters. Obligatory disclaimer that you don't have to do it this way, but I (internet guy So Many OCs) write with an eye on character.
All of your characters want something. All of your characters want two things, but they can only have one or the other, not both. The two things they want represent a binary choice with inherently contradicting options.
Note: your characters may want more than two things, but everything else they want comes back to this binary decision. A lot of what I'm about to say is based on a workshop by Alice Sudlow I saw last year, and it puts to words something which a lot of writers understand intuitively. You can find more advice from Sudlow on her blog and podcast.
Usually, we can phrase our character's desire as a sentence: "This character wants X without Y." They want a (perceived) positive change while avoiding or preserving something else; they want power without responsibility; they want success without sacrificing safety; they want revenge without sacrificing morality. A great example of a binary choice is in ATLA. Aang can either kill Fire Lord Ozai or preserve his cultural and moral beliefs, but he can't do both. The question we are asking is whether the character will make a sacrifice for their desired state or choose to preserve something desirable they already have.
Representing this question is a series of value shifts. Internally, your character goes from point A to point B. This will be symbolized by a parallel external shift. We can see this in simplified form with classic fairytales: a character goes from rags to riches in a material sense, which in turn represents their internal shift from misery and hardship to happiness and completion.
To find ideas for these value shifts and the decisions attached to them, we can look to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. For instance, a character may want love and belonging without sacrificing (perceived) safety; moreover, a character may go from self-esteem to self-actualization, traversing up the pyramid. Our character could also go down, or sideways, or in a secret third direction.
You can and should add in other details (flaws, fears, quirks, hobbies; all the things that make a character feel human), but this is the core guide that influences their storyline and vice versa.
Now, I like to complete this exercise in at least some detail for each relevant character, but your protagonist's choices and value shifts will drive the story. This is where plot comes in.
The turning point is a disruption in the story that causes an internal crisis and an external response. A fight, a surprise, something that pulls our character out of the flow of their arc. This is the point of no return. It is irreversible.
The crisis is the character's resulting, internal realization that they cannot have X without Y. They are forced to confront that central, binary choice.
The climax is the external response to this realization. The reaction to discomfort; the final decision. These three items are clustered together, and act as one point in the story, but the distinction between internal/external and action/shift/reaction is helpful for us as writers.
Lastly, the resolution is the result of the change. The character has made their decision and this is the outcome.
(I am going to stress again that the choice is binary. Readers will often think they want the character to have it all, but this isn't the case: the sacrifice is what makes it satisfying, encouraging us to value what we have all the more for what we've lost. Even in stories that seem to be about having it both ways involve a choice like this. Princess Carolyn from Bojack Horseman has both a family and a career, despite being told all her life that she can only have one or the other. This is a situation where compromise is possible, because these things are not inherently contradictory. But she cannot achieve her personal fulfillment and self actualization goals while also refusing to acknowledge her individual wants and desires. She must address her compulsive need to take care of other people at a personal detriment in order to find a version of success that truly satisfies her. Real life, and the stories we tell, are more nuanced than this, but we are forgoing some nuance in favor of a streamlined editing process.)
You can apply these plot points to an outlining method or just create additional moments to fill in the space. Remember that these moments will escalate tension leading up to the turning point. I use the three-act structure, but, generally, it does not matter. You can use specific structures tailored to, say, a mystery, romance, or tragedy. It's the same concepts applied in a different way. They have their purpose, but don't overthink it, and don't allow choice paralysis to prevent you from doing the damned thing.
Then look back at the scenes you have. Are they in service of these value shifts, this decision? Your characters' individual conflicts and the plot progression that exacerbates them? This is where we simplify. There are going to be some lovely scenes which sadly do not serve much purpose from a character or plot perspective. You can remove them, edit them to better serve the story, or put them off to the side to look back at and maybe reuse at a later point.
You will also likely create new scenes; maybe new characters and settings. Keep an eye on consistency as you work. As usual, I recommend starting with the broad (your key plot points) and narrowing your focus (finding good placement and smoothing out the transitions).
Editing for me is an iterative process. Write, read, rewrite, reread. Eventually a story will take shape. Then seek out feedback and rinse & repeat. You've got this!
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Okay, that's it from me! I hope that was helpful, and as always I'm sorry for the rambling mess. Thank you for the ask! Happy editing :)
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hi! ive been following you awhile, i really admire your meticulous approach tontracking your own progress! it makes me wanna try writing again! (got any general tips for planning a story btw? you mentioned doing that in ur progress notes so im curious ab how that works)
hi!! omg it makes me so happy that my posts make you want to write. š„ŗ you should totally go for it!
as for advice on planning stories... i can definitely share some of my own methods although, i think it really depends on the project and what your writing/planning style is like.
i consider myself to be a "plantser"āthat is, somewhere between a "planner" (someone who plans out their stories meticulously before writing them) and a "pantser" (someone who delves right into drafting a story without planning it). i like to have some general idea of where the story is going, but my brain doesn't work well with trying to use a particular structure/formula.
so, i'm more of an exploratory writer and my planning methods are a bit all over the place, but to share some of my own process:
i usually start with what i call the "braindump" where i open a document and just write down every single idea i have for the story so far. it doesn't have to be in any particular order or be properly punctuated or anything lol, it basically is a stream of consciousness. i will usually go back to this every once in a while for at least a few months until an actual story starts to emerge out of it.
when i reach that phase where i feel like an actual story is forming in my brain, i create either a separate section or separate document which i often call "the actually coherent outline" or something along those lines š here is where i start to plot out the story in the order it actually happens. however, this isn't to say i know every single thing that happens in the story. i essentially write out a list of bullet points of scenes in chronological order, but there may be gaps where i just put in something in brackets like "[i'm not sure what happens here]" lol.
i'm a fan of "zero drafting" by which i mean, basically drafting out whole scenes but in an extremely rough form. so especially for important scenes and/or ones i'm most excited about, i tend to flesh those out more and outline them beat-by-beat and write down specific lines of dialogue i want to include and so forth. keep in mind these are still not even properly punctuated or formatted or anything; it's just vomiting the scene onto the page in its rawest form before i lose momentum or inspiration lol.
sooo basically my outlines end up being a messy hodgepodge of ideas, lists of events, and zero-drafted "scenes." š i can't say that this will work for every writer's brain but it works (??) for me haha.
if you like craft books and/or are looking for additional resources:
if you're like me and prefer a more exploratory approach, then refuse to be done by matt bell and 2,000 to 10,000 by rachel aaron are both books i found to be really helpful and motivational.
if you think a more structured approach than what i described above would work better for you, save the cat! writes a novel by jessica brody may be a good place to start (or just look up the "save the cat" method, there are a ton of beat sheets out there). story genius by lisa cron is another popular one that has a method for building your story around your protagonist, so this may also be helpful if you're interested in doing more character work + writing character-driven stories.
outlining is, depending on who you ask, a vital step in the writing process. of course, it all depends on whether or not you are a plotter at all. if youāre a pantser, or somewhere in between, outlining might be a little difficult to get anywhere with. in this multi-part series, iāll talk about a few different methods i have used as well as some pointers.
first, letās begin with some general outlining tips to get you started!
THE BLANK PAGE: cultivating your idea.
might seem a little daunting at first. but this is where your story begins. write down any ideas that you might have for your wip. maybe that just means the concept, the premise, or a singular scene that you really want to happen. it doesnāt matter--write it down!
how many povs do you want? first or third person? omniscient or limited? alternating povs or something else? consider why you want this specific type of pov and how these characters can contribute to the story.
think about story structure. how do you want to divide the story up? of course, you donāt actually have to stick to it, but this might help you get started.
what tropes do you want to include? found family, there was only one bed, enemies to lovers, etc.Ā
maybe make a few graphics, or scroll through youtube for those 1 hr long playlists that just give you vibes. it might help immerse you a little bit more in your idea. make sure you save these things for later--if you get stuck, these could dig you out of a hole.
ramble to friends!! having someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of could get your idea to grow even further.
remember that anything you do at this point is subject to change. youāre loosely setting up how you want to tell the story, as well as figuring out how itās going to be written. if you find out later down the line that you want to do something else, nothing is stopping you from changing it!Ā
depending on what sort of writer you are (plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between), the beginning steps of an outline may differ. when iām putting together my more cohesive outlines, i write a lot more in the first step. when iām just writing to chase after inspiration, wherever it might take me, i usually just write down a few thoughts that i know have to happen. it all depends on whatās comfortable with you!
A lot of writers will create an outline at the start of writing their first draft, then actually begin writing their story and realize that the outline is all wrong and the real story just isnāt going to end up where the outline intended it to be. This can cause a sort of panic and reversion to pansting your entire novel, which is generally not a good idea (especially if you are the type who does make an outline at the beginning because then I assume you are at least somewhat a plotter).
One great way to minimize the shock effects of straying away from your outline is to create a reusable document that plans each scene when you write it. Often, these documents contain which characters are in the scene, what will occur in the scene on a surface level, and how that will move forward plot, side-plot, character development, or the theme of the story.
When you finish writing that scene, keep the template and just fill in the blanks with the new characters, plots, side-plots, etc. that are relevant to the current scene youāre writing.
This way, you can follow a sort of outline based on your initial plan, but you donāt have to follow that rigid structure that doesnāt even apply anymore. Instead, you take it day-by-day, making sure to focus on what youāre writing in the here-and-now and how that can still connect with the bigger picture of your story down the road.
In which I attempt to explain my chaotically systematic outlining process for BOTC this July...
Iām gonna start this off by saying Iām not a horoscope nut. Iām not! I donāt superstitiously believe in star signs, but I like to believe in them. Thereās lots of things I like to believe.
Anyways.
For my July Camp NaNo project, I decided to re-outline my biggest baddest fantasy WIP, because it just wasnāt working for me in its current form. And I hadnāt re-outlined since like, 2016 (aboutā¦
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Hello! So I'am outline a new WIP (again,lol), and I'm ask to outhers Writeblr how they outline and make plot structure. How you make yours? @letswritestories101. Ps: ask meme 6.
hi!! iām not sure iām the best person to ask, espĀ ācause this is my first wip, but iāll give it a shot!!
i use a combination between the three act story structure and save the cat!! basically, i follow this post, and add in a few of the three act story structure plot points (supposed victory is my favourite)!!
i separate acts even further, into twoĀ āblocksā (8 in total) of what i aim to be 10k words. i plot out one block at a time, and then jump around that block when i draft!! i use scrivener, and thereās a littleĀ āsynopsisā block where i put what happens in that scene. for this, i use the 2-point method, which is basically like this example (taken directly from my draft):
SCENE: Emmy ignores what happened, and dances with her friends. When she goes downstairs, she runs into Briarāand has a fun, normal chat.Ā
POINT: Emmy still tries to continue as if nothing has changed. (Wow, this bitch is a disaster.)
ahh i hope this helps!! dm me if u need any more advice, iām really tired and i probably made a lot of mistakes here <3
Writerly types will often ask, "Are you a planner or a pantser?" Planners outline and plot out their stories before writing, with a clear end goal. Pantsers, on the other hand, fly by the seat of their pants (hence the name) and write without a plan. Some people consider themselves "plantsers", planning some things while also doing whatever they feel like. Full confession: I first heard "pantser" as "panzer", like the tank, and thought, "Heck yeah! I ride over the writing process and destroy everything in my path! I'm a panzer". I'm not sure that still isn't an accurate description.
Regardless, I am hardly a planner, no matter what else I am, but find myself in need of some sort of outlining scheme for two of the WIPs I'm starting: the alternate-history fantasy mystery (AHFM), and the novella-in-verse. There will be a lot of storylines and developments to wrangle, not to mention the huge cast of the novella, each member of which will get at least one poem per chapter. Winging these stories isn't an option, but I've tried planning using notebooks before, and this just ends up with pages and pages of good (and bad) ideas in no sort of order. I am, after all, a panzer, so I come up with scenes non-chronologically and will often scrap storylines at the drop of a hat. I needed some way to have the order of planning, with the freedom of pantsing, and my brain finally settled on a way to do that: three-ring binders!
The beauty of three-ring binders is, first, that they allow for change. Did you write out a plot line that totally changes? Just remove those pages. Want to add in a note about the magic system in your setting? Write it on a new sheet and pop it in where appropriate. I also like that you can buy tabs to separate sections. To me, outlining is more than just plotting. It involves world building, character backstories (which may never appear in print), and even blog preparation. So, without further ado, here are two separate examples of how I, a not-planner, have gone about outlining:
The Alternate-History Fantasy Mystery
This is the story that, without a doubt, needs an outline, not only due to the complicated plot but also because of its three genres. Let me discuss each tab, and what I plan on including in each one. This is my process, which might look very different from other people's, so this is sort of an example of what one could do, rather than what one should do.
Characters: I've always based my character profiles off of the ones in manga, because I am a hopeless weeb. Anyway, these often involve likes, dislikes, blood-types (because Asia), and such, but can obviously be tweaked. While my Styx Trilogy profiles included spirit animal and spirit vegetable, this story will include "Flower" as a representation of the character's personality. I will also include a note about magical ability or lack thereof, as well as the backstory and current situation of each character.
Setting and Magic: These are the most relevant to its being an alternate-history and fantasy. These, or something like them, would also be useful for a sci-fi, horror, or paranormal story. The "Setting" tab will concern which events, historically, are different from our own and how that has effected the world. Politics and culture will be planned out, as will the layout of the city in which the story takes place. The "Magic" tab will involve how the magical system, spirits, psychic powers, and curses work.
Main Plot and Cases: While any outline will involve plot, I've separated out the main plot because my story involves lots of little subplots or cases to be solved. Thus, the "Main Plot" tab will involve the basic storyline and sequencing of events, also noting when certain cases take place along this line. The "Cases" tab is specific to the WIP's being a mystery. Each case is essentially one chapter, so I'll include a basic outline of said chapter as well as any dialogue I already have planned out. I will also enumerate the themes explored in each case and the details important to the mystery aspect of it: the crime and set-up, the evidence and clues, the perp and motive, and the denouement.
Side Stories, Blog Posts, and Miscellaneous: These tabs involve the non-writing aspects of the book. Side-stories are like those Iwrote for Styx, where we get to explore parts of the characters' lives that don't make it into the main book. Blog posts will involve a general list or schedule of posts I plan to do about the book once it's closer to publication. These include the initial announcement blurb, character profile and world building posts (taken from those tabs in the binderāhow clever!), contents and cover reveal, sneak peaks, giveaways, and the actual release (I said I wasn't a planner when it comes to writing; I never claimed not to be an obsessive lunatic when it comes to blogging). Miscellaneous is just that: whatever doesn't fit anywhere else. This might include topics to research, notes on what I've found in said research, cover concept art, or (fingers crossed) ideas for chapter splash pages.
The Novella-in-Verse
This will be a much, much simpler outline in terms of world-building (since it takes place in our world) and in terms of plot. What is more complicated is the characters, as there will be ten of them, they all get equal page-time, and they will each have a different poetic style (because I'm insane).
Characters: This tab will involve the history and current state of each character as well as their relationships with the other characters in the story. This is going to be a whodunit, so I might also include notes about why they each seem equally guilty. I'm not going to do actual character profiles as blog posts for these peopleāthat would ruin the mystery quite a bitābut I will explore their personalities by noting what poetic style they each use and why. Some characters will only speak in sonnets, others in haiku and waka, others in free verse. Some of these styles will change throughout the course of the storyādifferent sorts of sonnets, short tanka to long chouka, etc.āso I'll note down when and why that happens.
Plot and Chapter Tabs: The plot tab will be a basic plot outline of the whole story, and the chapter tabs will include what happens in that chapter and rough drafts of poems. True, this is getting into actual writing rather than outlining, but like I said, I'm a panzer, not a planner. I do what I want, and sometimes I want to write a poem as soon as it's in my head.
Blog Schedule and Miscellaneous: Similar to what I said for the AHFM, these concern non-writing things. I'm planning on actually publishing this novella on my blog as a serial, so that schedule will be included. Miscellaneous will likely include art for each post, and anything else that might come up.
Who is the Outline For?
One thing that you pantsers, plantsers, and panzers out there must realize is that any outlining or planning is for you and you alone. If you don't want to use tabs to separate your sections, don't. If you want to cover your binder with stickers that represent the story, or alternatively have nothing to do with the story, do. If you want to have more sections about the characters and fewer about the plot, or an entire tab devoted to maps or characters outfits, go nuts.
The point of an outline is to help you write your story, so anything that interferes with that should be scrapped, and anything that helps with that is fair game. I feel the need to say this because I have seen some very persnickety outlines. I've seen handwriting that's so uniform and neat that it looks like a computer font, or each chapter's happenings typed out on index cards. In most outlines I've seen, you never see any scribbles or scratching outs. I think that's why a lot of people don't want to wear the planner mantle, even when they do a ton of planning. But planning or plotting or outlining doesn't need to be immaculate. You don't need nice handwriting or complete sentences. You can scribble stuff out and add stuff above, under, and around what you've written. You don't even need to use character names, as initials or symbols will do the trick as long as it's clear to you what they mean. Just look at this mess, from one of my AHFM cases:
It sure doesn't look like a planner's outline, but it gets the job done. I have a record of what I want the chapter to be, how I want it to go down, and enough details that it all makes sense in the end. I think it's a pretty good outline, as far as I, a pantser/planster/panzer am concerned, and that's really all that matters.
Hi! I have a problem. I want to start a fanfic, and I have a concept, and I want to start, but I don't know where to start. I wanna start researching, but I feel like I need the plot in order to research, and I wanna plot, but I feel like I need to make the characters, and do some worldbuilding. I feel like I need each one to do the other, and I don't really know which one to start with, could you give me a rundown on the order I need to do things? Thank you!
Hello there! First of all, I totally get the struggle. Starting a project can be a daunting and work intensive thing, but hopefully this can help! Hereās how I would proceed, since you already have a concept. (Yay to that, btw!)
Figure out your major story beats.Ā These should be kept general at this stage, just what the inciting incident, pinch points, climax, ending, or other major events are. Write them out and move them around until theyāre in the order you want them to be.
Determine what character roles will be needed. Based on your story beats, you can probably get a grasp on what roles youāll need, number of protagonists, types of supporting characters, antagonists, etc.
Decide on a setting. This will be the location and time period. Also, this is when youāll start researching. If you have a real-world location or a time period in history that is focused on in your project, youāll want to do research.
Design your characters. Now you know their setting, and what roles need to be filled. You may already have a few ideas for them, but now is the time to bring them to life. Cover personalities, physical appearances, and relationships with other characters.
Continue to work on your outline. You may have already been doing this, but make sure to continue fleshing out your plot as ideas come to you.
More research. Other things may have come up as you outline that you might need to research. This is where youāll work on that.
āFinalizeā your outline. Youāll probably come up with more ideas as you write, so youāll be able to add them to your outline as they come to you.
Start writing! Yay, you should have enough to start writing your project!
I hope these steps are able to help you out! Thank you again for the ask. Happy writing!
-Mod Michael
If you need advice on general writing or fanfiction, you should maybe ask us!
