The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Check the full list of blog participants here, and make sure to visit a few new names.
DECISIONS
Writing is all a matter of decisions. If you and I both start with the same concept for a book, and then go our separate ways to write, the outcomes will not be the same. Each writer brings their own voice, bias, interests, and storytelling techniques to his or her pages. That's why you can't patent an idea. Joe Writer's idea of a boy wizard going to magic school thought up in 1994 is no good against J.K. Rowling's powerhouse series because she wrote it, Joe didn't. Ideas are nothing! Execution is everything!
Which all leads me to how crippling this: writers must decide everything in the story. Every name, every action, every plot development, twist, progression, relies on the writer deciding which way is best to tell the story.
No wonder we see images of writers dependent on caffeine and comfort foods. So much pressure!
Right now, I'm helping a writer shape up her manuscript for the Pitch Wars contest agent round in November. Where to start the story and how much information the reader should know are debatable. There is no one right answer. Together, we need to decide how to tell the story best. (Sidenote: check out an interview with myself, my co-mentor Valerie Cole, and my Pitch Wars mentee Jenn Kompos on Brenda Drake's blog.)
I'm pulling out every strategy I can think of. Any advice for writers stuck in a land of decisions? What makes decision making in writing easier for you?
Posts
I love what you're saying here, about how one idea can turn into so many completely different things. Decisions are unbelievably important in our writing; one decision can make or break a story.
ReplyDeleteOh jeez, imagine the setting being a completely created world... then there's that world-building on top of everything else haha .. My advice? Take it slow and work on it in pieces. Character worksheets for like... ALL the characters (even minor). But, I also tend to go over the top so maybe my advice isn't the best?
ReplyDelete- Madilyn Quinn @ NovelBrews
I know, I don't write fantasy or paranormal, but I have invented towns based on a mix of real ones. There is so much inventing to do.
DeleteGo ahead and make the decisions. Put one on like an article of clothing and see if you like it. If you don't try tweaking or do something new.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your encouragement!
DeleteSometimes I just follow my heart (and my crazy brain)--sometimes I write myself into a corner and have to dig back out, but sometimes I get somewhere magical.
ReplyDeleteI've tried #PitMad and found a publisher. It is definitely worth trying. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from Elements of Writing
Wow! Great news. The contests and online pitch stuff can be great opportunities.
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ReplyDeleteNote: duplicate post
DeleteI have no answers for that. Just write seems to be the only thing you can do and then get professional help with the editing and cover for sure. The story will always always be on the author writing it, because we are the only ones that can tell our stories, The rest, well, I think there is help out there, but even that requires the author making the best decision for their own work, Satisfy your heart first and then decide, lol. Great post.
ReplyDeleteJuneta Writer's Gambit
I love your advice--satisfy your heart first. So true.
Delete"Just Write" is basically the answer to every writing question, and it's a good one. It will either work or it won't, and you'll lean your own way of doing things.
DeleteIWSG October
Sometimes the decisions are so big, and even the small ones can drive you crazy!
DeleteI;ve heard there are only about 7 plots in the world and each story is a variation of those plots. (I may have the number wrong. Anybody know for sure?) How lucky we are as writers to have the freedom to write te story how we wish and play with words. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteKristen Lamb has written about that in her Warrior Writers blog (check her out if you haven't!). I've actually found that helpful to take an existing framework and go from there.
DeleteWriting from prompts with a group of people always beautifully illustrates this. No two people, no matter how big the group, will have the same story even though they're writing from the same prompt. I'm always delighted by the variations in stories in a situation like this.
ReplyDeleteSo true. Funny how I've seen a lot of new writers fret over writers or agents stealing their ideas. Ideas aren't worth much in publishing--you have to actually write it!
DeleteI always feel like a huge weirdo when answering questions like this. When I write, a character starts talking to me and my job is to tell his--or her--story. I never feel like I'm consciously deciding things, or making something up. I only feel that way if I take a wrong turn. Sometimes characters ramble just like people. :)
ReplyDeleteIf anyone else has this weird, somewhat creepy way of writing, shoot me an email and tell me I'm not alone. All I can say is, when I read Stephen King's The Dark Half, I could totally relate.
I hear of writers who work like this. Stephenie Meyer claimed to have written Twilight that way; characters from a dream who then spoke to her. I have had these in moments, but I am 90% of the time aware that I am making these decisions.
DeleteI have a saying: there are no bad decisions, just different outcomes. If the outcome isn't what we want, hopefully we learn from that. In looking at decisions this way, it takes a lot of pressure off and, paradoxically, seems to help with making better choices.
ReplyDeleteThe one idea, many stories concept is what I based my multi-author short story blog, Lightning Quick Reads from. It is so much fun, too! This month's theme is 'Scary.' Well, there are a lot of scary things in this world and so many different ways to verbalize them. Now, how to decide on what to say? Stick with the compelling bits. What is most compelling about the story that will make the readers need to find the answers?
ReplyDeleteBut you're right. So hard to decide. Good luck to you guys as you work through it. Thanks for stopping by the blog today.
Love it! Execution is everything. Writing styles are very different and it's wonderful how one idea can generate so many different stories and outcomes!
ReplyDeleteThe decisions can get overwhelming sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI like to stick with a theme. I think that helps when making decisions.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your collaboration!
Heather
You know, it may sound totally nerdy, but I like flow charts. One decision leads to this one and then this one. Then I start over and do a different set of decisions. It really helps me see the multiple possible paths a character can take and helps me choose.
ReplyDeleteI have done flow charts! Visually it can help untangle a problem. Mine are very messy :)
DeleteThat's cool you are helping another writer with Pitch Wars.
ReplyDeleteI think getting a second opinion often helps with decision making. I often bounce ideas and plots off my critique partners.
Good Luck Mentoring!!! Your post is right on. Writers need beta readers and critique partners, it helps drastically!!!
ReplyDeleteHaving so many different approaches to the same idea sure does make things interesting.
ReplyDelete"Interesting" yes! Maddening!
DeleteI wrote about something similar on today's blog. I agree though to helm the ship can be overwhelming at times. I think the only thing to get through it is to push forward and fix later.
ReplyDelete