The Stages of Story

3D model created by hubby as this weeks illustration:
https://andyartisand.carbonmade.com/

How do stories happen?

I do sometimes feel as if they fall straight out of my finger tips and one idea follows another like rain on summer holidays, there’s a little more to it than that though. Here are my observations on the stages of story.

The Hook

This is the seed of an idea. The seed may be generated through various creative techniques; such as automatic writing, or mind mapping. I find the seed turns up when I am in quiet mode; doing the dishes or riding the bus from work, a flutter of an idea drifts in, a kind of notion to be mulled.

Various notions I have had include, the markings on pavements delivering a secondary message altogether, the ability to listen to white goods and anything that looks like a face having consciousness.

The Inspiration

This is the best bit of all, this is when the notion has germinated (this might take years), and when it’s ready your subconscious reels it in and you become alive with a workable idea. This is fast writing and feels so rewarding. I do this on the lap top, on the sofa often with music.

The Voice

Here I look at the frenzy of words on the laptop and try to create a mood. I think about the voice of the writer, the rhythm of the words and how the reader will relate to the nature of the protagonists journey.

The Rules

This happens in silence at the PC. It involves asking lots of questions. Have I set the scene? Is there enough back-story? What are the protagonists motivations? Who is the antagonist? Where is the conflict? How does the protagonist overcome the conflict? Do we see the protagonist grow? Is it too predictable? Can I re-order the structure? The Rules are the hardest bit, I don’t think I have ever answered all the questions effectively.

The Edit

I love asides; minor details that add flavor; for example that Raqui Star offered Shadow Alignment only on Saturday afternoons. Unfortunately in the edit I have to take a lot of these out. I don’t mind ditching words in order to be succinct but I don’t always want the asides to go.

Punctuating and Proofing

I use the child for this. I ask him to count two for a comma, three for a full stop and four at the end of a paragraph. If he stumbles I know I need to rework something. Husband provides proof reading and has so far served me well.

There should be a word or two about acceptance; what makes a story a success. And you know all I can conclude is it’s simply a matter of taste; I guess it’s for the reader to decide. Maybe we could return to it sometime.

Finally if you are a writer and your stages of story differ to mine, do share and let us know what works for you.

A Writers Vision

I have a vision of a writer. It is a dream like vision that fluctuates with the movement of the clouds; on a dark windswept night, when the rain drops are so heavy that you can see each fall individually past the light of the lamppost; the writer is frantic; an Einstein like character, working obsessively, words falling from the finger tips. By morning, the storm has passed; the writer is composing at the sort of desk an Edwardian lady, having inspired a range of Laura Ashley furnishing is now writing at, with a fountain pen, in a beautiful note book. It is a balmy summer evening, the writer smokes, drinks, paces the floor, searches for the right word, whilst a neon motel sign flickers on the study wall.

Illustrated by http://andyartisand.carbonmade.com/

The writer is a mysterious thing, elusive, reserved, inaccessible; Oh to penetrate the writers deepest thoughts.

Give me one glass of white wine and I will tell you my elusive, mysterious thoughts. I will talk to anybody about anything; things that actually happened, which I always prelude with “That actually happened” as though every other word was a lie, and things that sort of happened but not quite in the way I described, which of course is the writers gift, it’s the story tellers way.

I may have failed to achieve the writer image; of one consumed with a passion that only the written word can express. I have read a wealth of books, articles and blog posts of writer’s tips; the most reoccurring of which is to develop discipline; a Jedi like commitment to work, a Fame costs and right here is where you start paying; determination towards my craft; an attitude in conflict with my Einstein vision.  Someone somewhere wrote that you should treat each word as though you would be charged for its use; this, paired with regular committed writing has been the best advice I have received. I have no idea if this blog is increasing my readership and will enable me to break through. I do know that my commitment to write this every week, has instilled a level of discipline I have not previously known and that to limit myself to a word count of 500 words* has helped with that discipline, that ability to choose the right word; as well as provide a good excuse for the pacing of floors and drinking.

I find it close to impossible to impose a word count on my student’s essays, and emphasize constantly that I require concise work, not repetition or a plumping out of the words, I just want to know what they have to tell me, and I don’t have all day.

The truth is you need one eye on the word count and the other on the words. This is certainly working for me and now I feel somewhat lost without a word count, fortunately this blog allows me to share while I practice. Hopefully you enjoy the practice and perhaps you will see the difference it makes.

*504 words in total.