Writing short stories is a unique process. An always changing process. Whether I am typing a story on my iPad, or writing a story the anti-technology way, getting to the end of a story I realize it is nothing like what I originally wanted. It’s weird, and I’m sitting here unable to understand how a writer could use an outline.
I was walking to work this morning, thinking about my current project, you know, what it needs, what it wants, what I want. Our relationship is unhealthy, or at least I thought it was. The first draft, and maybe the second, are always rough like Calgary’s roads after winter. I always find a string in a story I’m writing, tugging in the opposite direction, then I get frustrated. I don’t wanna write it. I get scared that it wont be any good. But when I find a pair of scissors, and sometimes I don’t, but if I do I cut that string.
That’s when things feel like they are clicking into place. I guess that is the Ah-ha! moment.
So this current project was going to be about a kid in middle school who decides to be a super-hero of the schoolyard. I wrote a first draft, which is currently locked up in a drawer as I write the second draft. The first draft is like sketch, or frame. A test to see how sturdy the story is, a way for me to see the entire thing as a whole. When writing, sometimes you fall in love with certain scenes, moments, and feelings. Putting them together, you find you’re matching blue socks with red socks.
The super-hero angle wasn’t what the story needed, but is what I wanted. I’m writing a second draft now, by hand, on blank printer paper. I lied in one of my posts (realizing this now) when I said I liked writing on my iPad. I still do, but ultimately typing is restricting. I can’t write things in the corner of the pages, or in between sentences, nor can I doodle pictures on top of my words. And writing on blank printer paper felt even better than writing on lined-paper. This probably sounds hokey, bordering cliché, yet it’s the truth.
Hell, I am not even writing this thing in order. I gave up on forming a solid plot line. I am looking for the interesting moments my character has with the other characters. I am observing them to find the theme, to find the plot. I know they’re there, I just haven’t discovered it yet.
Generally when I get jammed up on a subject or I am looking for an answer to writing, I step back then immerse myself in that type of subject matter. I won’t lie, I borrow a lot of ideas, but then again, that’s part of writing. For Lucid, I watched Gladiator; for The Vow, I watched Sherlock Holmes with RDJ and read a bit of Black Butler; for Project Clarity, well I have a lot of knowledge when it comes to the Cold War and psychics are generally one of my favorite type of sci fi elements; for Frostbite, played a lot of Diablo III and a bit of D&D.
Sometimes you need to just let the answers come to you instead of scouring for them.
I do this too. I was writing a story with robots wearing human skin, so I started watching Terminator one and two to see what James Cameron did. I wanted, I guess, to pay homage to his series while avoiding any obvious Terminatorness in my own work.
Nice little glimpse into your process!
As for writers using outlines, I’m one! Well, sometimes. One of the most fun parts of writing for me is experimenting and playing around with it. Whether or not I end up using an outline usually depends on how the story comes to me. Sometimes it comes fully formed, sometimes it’s just a small nugget begging to be explored.
I find editing the funniest part of writing. Maybe my first drafts are more like outlines cause they lack details and fleshing out. I’m weird and add more words than I take out.
I agree with JW–it’s always great understanding the processes of others. I feel like it adds to my own writing process and helps it grow. Oh, and I’m totally mimicking you with that iPad idea! :)
Great post!
At this time it sounds like Drupal is the top blogging platform available right now.
(from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?