From: A_Tina_Hall@kruemel.org
On 29.12.18, Brian P. wrote:
> On Tuesday, December 25, 2018, A. Tina Hall wrote:
>>> I'm the last person you should ask, since I've never done it
>>> successfully. In general, I plan by writing outlines, but I've
>>> never figured out how to follow them once written.
>>
>> So you write outlines, and then start writing and just write what
>> happens, kind of?
> Often I do, but the results are usually poor until I've rewritten it
> six or seven times. Too much irrelevant digression, and I fall into
> that as-it-happens-to-the-viewpoint-character narrative voice that I
> mentioned I don't like.
Well, my writing is what it is, I didn't know how to do it any better
back when I first asked here, and I don't know better now. :) [1]
Some characters have different ways to talk when they speak, but I don't
know where that comes from. It's just part of their personality that I
find out along with everything else.
I'm curious though, still. Outline, how exactly do you go about that?
> I'm still working on the sequence I mentioned a few days ago, where
> B. and E. go to a spot that they think will be a vacation. I've
> dreamed up a nearly epic back story for the place, but for them to
> think about it too much would kill story momentum. Maybe the
> narrator will give the readers a quick rundown while the two
> vacationers get ready for the pool party.
I get that sometimes, summarizing what happened in between, with a
character thinking about it. Sometimes that bores even me, but I don't
know how to fix it.
Back stories come as I write them, out of seemingly nowhere. :)
How do you do that outside the story?
> They've been transported back in time to a Bronze Age city just
> experiencing the dawn of civilization. Everything these people do is
> for the very first time. The air and water are very clean and the
> forests and wild creatures are ancient and still unspoiled. E. has
> talents that are of immense value here: she can read.
How does that help when no one else can read or write, and there's
nothing _to_ read? (Or not much?) Just curious. :)
Bronze Age is quite unexpected as vacation spot, btw. :)
> Should I tell what the hills and farmlands look like, or the color of
> the sea? Do the people magically speak English, or is there a
> language barrier?
What would you like to see if you read it?
Also, if they don't have a TARDIS (or equivalent) translating for them,
I think a language barrier would make more sense. :)
> Are any of the natives connected with the villain's evil plan, and if
> they're already in contact with each other then what do I need B. for?
> (He's in the story as an instigator, remember.) How much of this does
> E. get a glimmer of before being interrupted by the characters she was
> originally intended to meet, who aren't from here at all?
I'd go by what makes sense. (Am I not helpful? ;P )
>> Hm. For me, with anything I find doubtful, justification comes from
>> having a reason I can accept in the story. If I can't have that, I
>> must find some other way to resolve it, tweak things until I'm
>> satisfied.
>>
>> Like, why did X not warn Y? That would bug me, unless I find a
>> really good reason that makes sense for the characters...
> I don't require a well established reason, as long as the logical gap
> is acknowledged. For instance, if X says, "I'm sorry, I guess I
> should have warned you" or Y reflects that X can't be counted on to
> speak up, then that's usually enough to keep it from bothering me.
That'd not be a reason or justification for me, just additionally
pointing out what's wrong. (Leaving it as that would be behaviour not
allowed for my characters. :) Well, the good guys anyway, who must be
the way I want them to be.)
I'd either have to tweak things so that X does warn Y, and things happen
the way they do despite that (because I can't change what happened, and
notice such things after they did happen), or have a really good reason
why they'd can't.
I've got specific instances in mind for both.
Then of course there's the bad guys. Depending on what kind, they can't
be too stupid either; my evil overlords must prepare themselves within
their abilities to not be removed by any random 5-year-old with a stick.
(See evil overlord list - stuff from that must not apply, because
they're too powerful, not interested, or prepared.)
The warped ones from the S&E of course are warped. Only the very best
could resist that (warped magic), the others had all sense removed along
with everything else good.
As one of those who does resist ponders on the way back to its people,
contemplating if the bad ones knew it wasn't really one of them (they'd
have to think of this and that)... "Expecting all that would mean they
had well buried their brains somewhere and only dug them out on special
occasions, since they hadn't shown any so far." :))
Which reminds me, where on earth did I put the S&E quotes for the sig,
all that's left is ME ones. (I went looking, but couldn't find them.)
[1] So much for "write a million words and you'll get better". I knew
back then that that wouldn't work.
--
"Being raised by the secret order of not-being-very-informative
doesn't mean you can't tell us."
-- Ranes, Magic Earth 7/6
Excerpts at:
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