Comments on: Entirely Pointless http://www.itchpublishing.com/news/2009/09/plotting-tool/ ITCH - Manga with a <3 heart Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:16:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Willie http://www.itchpublishing.com/news/2009/09/plotting-tool/comment-page-1/#comment-338 Willie Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:33:44 +0000 http://www.itchpublishing.com/news/?p=897#comment-338 Hm, that's a good point. Sometimes you start with something that isn't too big and sprawling, but too bare bones, and you edit with additions. I do that too sometimes, although I'm a very big and sprawling type of idea generator. About filler; I think it's only filler if, like I said above, there's no point. Not every scene has to propel the plot forward, but it has to do <i>something</i>. Explain something about a character. Create some tension, some foreshadowing. Give us some background detail on the setting that will later be crucial to our understanding of the events. I'm all about the super-tight plots though, I know there are plenty of writers who don't work that way, and still produce good stuff. You could ask the filler fanatic what she means by detail. It's not a bad thing to add complexity, layers, or little mini-stories to a plot. You don't have to get from A to B in the straightest line possible. It's only filler when the path you're on not only doesn't get you closer to B, it doesn't get you anywhere, and you have to retrace your steps to pick up the flow of the story elsewhere. Hm, that’s a good point. Sometimes you start with something that isn’t too big and sprawling, but too bare bones, and you edit with additions. I do that too sometimes, although I’m a very big and sprawling type of idea generator.

About filler; I think it’s only filler if, like I said above, there’s no point. Not every scene has to propel the plot forward, but it has to do something. Explain something about a character. Create some tension, some foreshadowing. Give us some background detail on the setting that will later be crucial to our understanding of the events.

I’m all about the super-tight plots though, I know there are plenty of writers who don’t work that way, and still produce good stuff. You could ask the filler fanatic what she means by detail. It’s not a bad thing to add complexity, layers, or little mini-stories to a plot. You don’t have to get from A to B in the straightest line possible. It’s only filler when the path you’re on not only doesn’t get you closer to B, it doesn’t get you anywhere, and you have to retrace your steps to pick up the flow of the story elsewhere.

]]> By: Kaz http://www.itchpublishing.com/news/2009/09/plotting-tool/comment-page-1/#comment-337 Kaz Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:29:10 +0000 http://www.itchpublishing.com/news/?p=897#comment-337 Yes, this is useful! I also work in a similar way, in that I have to plan everything in advance - the idea of not knowing where the story just messes with my head too much. If I don't know where it's going, then I don't know what the point is, so I don't know how to illustrate that point, create foreshadowing, add symbolism, know how to pace so it reaches that point. Personally, I just can't be doing with that whole improvisation thing X-D. I guess if it's an epic story, I mean truly epic, it would be OK to plan it one plot arc at a time.... but even then it can lose depth. At the moment I'm planning a story I'm writing to the absolute nth degree (no spreadsheets, lol) and mainly, I'm finding things to ADD into it to make it better rather than subtract - the complete opposite of how I wrote Tsuchigumo (which was the subtraction method). Things that get added to the rather basic plotline are giving it some interesting extra dimensions which will hopefully make the story, while short, a bit more dense and re-readable. Yes, this is useful! I also work in a similar way, in that I have to plan everything in advance – the idea of not knowing where the story just messes with my head too much. If I don’t know where it’s going, then I don’t know what the point is, so I don’t know how to illustrate that point, create foreshadowing, add symbolism, know how to pace so it reaches that point. Personally, I just can’t be doing with that whole improvisation thing X-D. I guess if it’s an epic story, I mean truly epic, it would be OK to plan it one plot arc at a time…. but even then it can lose depth. At the moment I’m planning a story I’m writing to the absolute nth degree (no spreadsheets, lol) and mainly, I’m finding things to ADD into it to make it better rather than subtract – the complete opposite of how I wrote Tsuchigumo (which was the subtraction method). Things that get added to the rather basic plotline are giving it some interesting extra dimensions which will hopefully make the story, while short, a bit more dense and re-readable.

]]> By: Elizabeth http://www.itchpublishing.com/news/2009/09/plotting-tool/comment-page-1/#comment-336 Elizabeth Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:06:52 +0000 http://www.itchpublishing.com/news/?p=897#comment-336 Wow, looking at this makes me think that filler is pointless. At least my added chapters tell more of the story. My beta tells me to add detail, so I do. Now I think she's just a filler fanatic. Wow, looking at this makes me think that filler is pointless. At least my added chapters tell more of the story. My beta tells me to add detail, so I do. Now I think she’s just a filler fanatic.

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