On plot, and plot-like things
Aug. 30th, 2009 06:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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catsintheattic has been writing an intriguing series of entries on writing, and it's really made me think harder about my own writing process. One of the things that I've been really mulling over is what I call "plot and chores."First of all, the terminology is my own rather poor word choice, and I'm certain that it's called something more accurate somewhere else, and it's probably explained better, too, but what I'm trying to do here is explain my own version of plotting in my own words. And keep in mind that this will not be a huge epiphany for anyone who regularly writes--it's more of an attempt to figure out how I write.
When I'm writing a long fic, I generally follow a pattern. I think about the fic quite a bit, daydream about it for days, sometimes months, and then I sit down and start writing down every plot point I can remember. I keep that up for a couple days, and then I type all of the plot points/scenes into a Word document and rearrange them until I have them in chronological order. I add a starting location and a date (and time, if necessary) to each section. I also add a few details that I don't want to forget, sometimes even a bit of dialogue. This is the plot. The outline looks like this:
- Saturday, July 1st, Potions classroom
- Snape finds the chickpeas
- Snape rushes to the DADA classroom to confront Lupin about the chickpeas
- Lupin acts calm and unconcerned
- "Chickpeas, Lupin?" asked Snape in a deadly tone. "What's next? The dreaded Hag Hummus?"
- Lupin doesn't seem to care
- Snape storms out
- Sunday, July 2nd, Great Hall
- Snape sits down at the head table
- A bowl of Hag Hummus appears next to him
- He glares at Lupin, who simply shrugs his shoulders and looks innocent
These are the basic events of the story, presented bare-bones, and they provide a framework over which I can form the story.
There is a second layer, though, and that's what I call the chore of the scene. A chore is kind of a combination of things. First of all, it's the purpose of the scene. Secondly, it's the underlying intent of the scene. It's what the scene has to accomplish that doesn't involve the physical movement of the characters, for example, Character A walking up to Character B and punching him in the jaw. It often involves the emotions, or epiphanies of some sort. Or it repeats an earlier chore to give it more emphasis. As the writer, it is my "chore" to do this character development/plot enhancement, you see.
Let me try to explain better what I mean.
In the two scenes above, Severus is being provoked by Lupin. The plot involves chickpeas and bowls and glaring, but really, the underlying action, the chore, is that I need Snape to actually notice Lupin and acknowledge him. I need something to wake him up and make him feel something about Lupin, even if it's negative. There is a chore for Lupin, as well, which is that this action with the hummus is showing that Lupin wants to be noticed, and even though the scenes are from Snape's POV, I still need the reader to figure out that Lupin is deliberately provoking him.
Another example. A story involving an oblivious Cody with a very-much-in-love Nick might have this plot in one scene: Nick and Cody are sitting in the salon. Nick notices that the coffeepot is empty. Nick goes to make more coffee in the galley. He makes the coffee and brings the coffee pot back up into the salon and pours a cup for Cody.
Now, this is simple, and sounds pretty much like a slice-of-life moment. Which is why it needs a chore. In this scenario (told from Nick's POV), I would have Nick feeling angry that he's forgotten about making more coffee, and then have him go and make the coffee and think some thoughts about Cody and how much he wishes he could just tell him how much he loves him. Maybe he scalds himself accidentally because he's not paying attention. He realizes something has to give soon, because he keeps scalding himself with coffee and dropping wrenches on his feet. The chore gives the plot emotional weight. It expands the scene, showing the readers more about them, or preparing them for further plot points or chores.
There are two kinds of chores; scene chores and arc chores. Scene chores are usually simple and last only for a single scene. Lupin needs to realize that Snape is feeling out of sorts that day, which makes him realize that he cares about Snape. Cody realizes that Nick keeps bringing him coffee before he's even asked for it and that makes him wonder why.
Arc chores are longer, sometimes pop up in many scenes, and are occasionally linked to the theme of the story. Lupin starts to understand that Snape has never forgiven him for nearly eating him at the Shrieking Shack. Nick needs to rid himself of the fear about telling Cody how he feels. This sort of chore doesn't resolve itself in a single scene; it often takes multiple scenes, or the whole story.
In one story I have a character who is trying to deal with a lot of emotional baggage, and she ends up having three separate conversations with the love interest, and these scenes occur in three separate chapters. In each conversation she deals with some aspect of her emotional baggage, and each conversation has a specific scene chore; past baggage, present baggage, and future plans. As an arc chore, I repeated the emotional baggage chore three times, but changing it just slightly, yielding a final fourth scene where the character can actually move forward with her life. Even though it's a tentative move forward, it's still progress for her.
I usually don't write down the chores. Often, the main arc chore is the reason for the piece. Other arc chores become obvious after I've written out most of the plot points and I can see where the story is headed. Which leaves the scene chores. Occasionally the scene chore is obvious, and I include it in the outline. Usually, though, scene chores pop up as I'm writing the scene.
The scenes/plot points listed in the outline are a pretty solid guide of what I'm going to write, but I often include new scenes. What I do is I think of where the characters are, physically, at the conclusion of the last scene. I try to think logically of what they would do next. Sometimes this points to the next plot point on the list; sometimes I think of a new scene that seems like a plausible extension. Snape goes to Hogsmeade to buy potion ingredients. Cody needs to get a part for the Ebb Tide. After that, I wonder who they could run into, or about the task itself, and after a little more writing or thinking I figure out a chore to attach to the scene. Snape is wondering how long he'll be able to keep up his cover at the school. Cody wonders why Nick's acting so strangely. I think about the next scene and try to make certain that this extra scene concludes properly and doesn't screw up any of the other plot points. If it does screw up the plot points, and it's a good scene, then I adjust things accordingly. I only delete the scene if it's going nowhere, and that rarely happens.
So most of the time, plot comes before scene chores. I have a mental list of small chores that can be accomplished, and as I write, I try to use the chores in the scene, if possible. Tying the plot points and chores together increases the value of each individual scene. If I've just written a physical plot point--a chess move to get the characters into place--then it often sounds like an instruction manual to me. "He did this," "He did that," "He tied the gophers together with lace and ribbons." But add in a chore, and there's a little extra oomph for the reader. Plus, it keeps the reader in the POV character's headspace, which can only be a good thing.
I'm interested in you, my fellow writers/readers...let me know if you have plot processes or thoughts about this. I'm thinking that "chore" is the wrong word, but unfortunately, that's what my brain came up with, and I haven't come up with a better word yet.
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-31 01:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-31 01:44 am (UTC)There's never a plan. The closest I come is random bits of dialogue that occure to me so I stop and type them into my phone so I won't forget. Although I often to anyway, and have to save them to work into some other story later. Or not.
The whole process, if you can even call it that, is so random that reading yours makes me ashamed. Is this was all writers do? Stephen King does, so it must be right. But I'd either get too busy making notes to write, or get hung up on a good part of the outline and start writing it there. The downside is I do forget things I really wanted to include, and when I remember them, the story doesn't have a good opening anymore. I had a wonderful scene for one of the catbread stories where Murray got a barbed fishhook in his hand and Nick had to cut off the end and push it through, and they were all very pale and stoic about the whole thing, but I forgot and the story healed without it. Now they have to go fishing again later. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-31 02:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-31 02:31 am (UTC)Wow, are you serious? You don't have the arc all worked out ahead of time? I would never have guessed, seriously. Your stuff seems like it so logically progresses to a conclusion that I always assumed you had a theme and were pretty much good to go. And considering how prolific you are...well, I wouldn't have guessed on crazy-detailed outlines, or you'd never have time to write, but still. It doesn't seem randomly plotted, y'know?
The whole process, if you can even call it that, is so random that reading yours makes me ashamed. Is this was all writers do? Stephen King does, so it must be right. But I'd either get too busy making notes to write, or get hung up on a good part of the outline and start writing it there. The downside is I do forget things I really wanted to include, and when I remember them, the story doesn't have a good opening anymore. I had a wonderful scene for one of the catbread stories where Murray got a barbed fishhook in his hand and Nick had to cut off the end and push it through, and they were all very pale and stoic about the whole thing, but I forgot and the story healed without it. Now they have to go fishing again later. :)
Um...the only thing I've noticed about writing is that there's no right way to write. I mean, seriously. We all end up with our own systems and methods, which is why I love reading about how other people do it.
And the thing is, this isn't how I do short fics; I simply write them out, and they sometimes don't even need anything except for a few scribbly notes. But for something like this--jeepers, I'm to 70k now--I need a little more organization. As it is, I've already forgotten about two minor subplots. *headdesk*
But yeah, the dialogue thing? I have to write down any bits of dialogue, too, because those always get lost in my head. Plot points might resurface, because there's a logical progression to things so they tend to reoccur in my head even if I've forgotten them, but dialogue? Gone in a heartbeat, unless it's a killer line, which I don't have very often.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-31 03:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-31 04:15 am (UTC)I'm intrigued by the spreadsheet idea. I'm very into spreadsheets anyway. lol.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-31 11:33 am (UTC)Sometimes I just start writing because I want a story but have no idea what it's about, and it kind of developes out of nothing. I don't know where they come from, but planning ahead too much seems to ruin it.
scary riptide fic
Date: 2009-09-02 04:18 pm (UTC)and all your heart you gave in this--of that i am more than sure---
well i hope to read it--and when i aome home, i will surely find something .
i do not allow my husband to take his notebook to greece, so i cannot take mine there as well, so i think i have to stay and wait, whatever, love penball
(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-02 07:00 pm (UTC)Re: scary riptide fic
Date: 2009-09-03 12:29 am (UTC)I regret to tell you that I will not be able to begin posting the fic until I return from a trip of my own. I will not post the fic until October 12th at the earliest.
Have fun in Greece!! And thank you for the comment!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-03 12:30 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-10-15 07:12 am (UTC)Adding this to my "writing" memories! :D
(no subject)
Date: 2009-10-16 01:33 am (UTC)