Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The whispering lure of new story ideas
I'm getting toward the end of my revisions on a novel I've been working on for over two years. I'm exhausted with this project, and frankly, am sick of revisions. And like the whispers of a kid wanting me to come out and play, I hear the rumblings of a new story.
She's a cop from a city on the East Coast. She's running from something. I'm not sure yet. But she started driving, and she drove until her car broke down, which happened in some dinky little spot-on-the-map town.
He runs a sports tournament/camp type thing. He's the son of a small town doctor, with two brothers. One's a doctor too, the other is a fancy-schmancy lawyer. The reminder he's not "living up to his potential" is constant.
Somehow they hook up. I think she needs a job and he gives her one. And then maybe her past catches up. I have a feeling it'll get dark because that's what happens to most of my stuff. Maybe it was a serial killer she was chasing that drove her to run.
I love this stage. I love all the "maybes" that are floating around in my head. I'm trying to capture all the emotions, and seize all the fragments I'm seeing. And every idea I get leads to new ideas.
When I was reading Jenny Crusie's blogs about making collages, it seemed she bought most of her items/pictures for her collages during this stage. She looked for items that represented an emotion, or pictures that evoked a tone, while the story developed in her mind.
I tend to free write during this stage, to develop the ideas and emotions I'm seeing. I've heard other people draw pictures, and others start making outlines.
Do you do anything creative to capture ideas in the new-story-idea phase? Do you focus more on the characters, the emotions, the tone, etc? What do you love about this stage? Anybody have any ideas for the scenario above?
I'm in a training session all day today, but I'll respond as often as I can!
She's a cop from a city on the East Coast. She's running from something. I'm not sure yet. But she started driving, and she drove until her car broke down, which happened in some dinky little spot-on-the-map town.
He runs a sports tournament/camp type thing. He's the son of a small town doctor, with two brothers. One's a doctor too, the other is a fancy-schmancy lawyer. The reminder he's not "living up to his potential" is constant.
Somehow they hook up. I think she needs a job and he gives her one. And then maybe her past catches up. I have a feeling it'll get dark because that's what happens to most of my stuff. Maybe it was a serial killer she was chasing that drove her to run.
I love this stage. I love all the "maybes" that are floating around in my head. I'm trying to capture all the emotions, and seize all the fragments I'm seeing. And every idea I get leads to new ideas.
When I was reading Jenny Crusie's blogs about making collages, it seemed she bought most of her items/pictures for her collages during this stage. She looked for items that represented an emotion, or pictures that evoked a tone, while the story developed in her mind.
I tend to free write during this stage, to develop the ideas and emotions I'm seeing. I've heard other people draw pictures, and others start making outlines.
Do you do anything creative to capture ideas in the new-story-idea phase? Do you focus more on the characters, the emotions, the tone, etc? What do you love about this stage? Anybody have any ideas for the scenario above?
I'm in a training session all day today, but I'll respond as often as I can!
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28 comments:
I'm first! :)
Hal, I love this new idea! It sounds wonderful. I like the idea of a cop hiding from a serial killer. It's got so much potential. As to ideas.... what if she pretends she isn't a cop. What if she decides to take on a secret persona? SO, she starts off by keeping secrets from him. Or what if he's retired military? So she's got someone to turn to for help? (Of course, just ideas for jogging the thoughts. I love this phase.)
And great about getting close to the end of revisions. I know it probably feels like a long slough, but I am certain it's worth it.
I don't know what I do to capture new story ideas. I don't write things down much, but I think a lot about it. I feel like in the beginning, it's about getting the tone and the feel of the characters right.
Hi Marn!! Ohh, he's military! I like that a lot. Especially if he was very successful in the military setting, and then comes home to this "you're not good enough" idea.
I probably just think about new story ideas too - and I agree, for me at least, it's all about capturing that tone for the new story. I'm going to try Jenny Crusie's collage idea for this story. I was wandering through a craft store the other day, and just generally looking for things that evoked the tone I'm starting to feel take shape for this story.
Oh, if he's retired military with a "I'm not good enough idea" he could have had a bad experience while he was in the military. Like he failed in some way. So when she needs help, he's not sure he should get involved, because what if he fails again? What if he can't help her?
I love the collage idea. I'm not crafty, but if I were, I'd do that. LOL!
I tend to find songs. I mean, I'll do what you're talking about, make character snippets and free writer a lot, and occasionally I pull pictures for a collage that never gets made, but mostly I collect songs that evoke the emotion and feeling I'm going for. I make and remake song lists, and the songs will generally spin scenes for me that I'll jot down and know how the story will unfold.
I always focus more on character. I couldn't identify a plot if it bit me on the ass.
I think a cop who runs away is a twist on the ideal--I always imagine characters who go into that job don't back down--and would not run off. Their sense of facing down bad guys would be too strong, overwhelm the common sense the rest of us would have. So it will be neat to see what exactly would scare a cop so bad they'd actually run, unless she's got a secret she doesn't want revealed and will run to protect it?? I don't know. Maybe cops are more scared than I give credit for. :) But cops are like firemen to me--they go into the burning building when the rest of us are rushing out. It takes a lot to make them run--so what would do it? It'll be a great twist.
Let me know how the collage goes. I never finish them because they never look as good as I want them to. It's like the first draft of the novel but as art. So I sorta skip it. *LOL*
I love new ideas. My gut reaction was "Don't make him military!" LOL! But that's just me. And ironic since the hero of the short story (I tried and failed to write) is ex military and now a cop. *g*
What if instead of a serial killer, she's running from something more mafia-like? She got too close. The guy they charged got off on a technicality, and now the cops don't want her (because she screwed up the case maybe) and the mobsters do want her - but dead since she knows too much.
Hmm...I don't write this sort of stuff but it's fun to brainstorm. LOL!
What if he "thinks" he messed up a mission and innocent women in some small Middle East village were killed? That would be motivation for that kind of "I'm not good enough" and "I can't protect her" kind of thing.
Forgot to answer the question. I spend a lot of time in my head with the characters, then take random notes of the scene ideas I'm getting. Light character sketches and eventually fill in more character details on an actual detail form. Not every detail, but what I get as I get it. For me, everything starts with the characters.
You guys are very good at the "What If" game. I feel like I need to revert to grade school and learn how to do it again. *LOL*
Hal, congrats with finishing the revisions, and starting a new story is always so refreshing and exciting.
A new story appears to me as a scene, so I typically sit down and write that, and then start pondering all the whys, and then start taking notes. It all kind of bubbles up from there. :)
I'm loving the "What if" game here! All these new ideas popping into my head. If he failed once before in the military, the one thing he *thought* he was good enough at, and then comes home to hear the constant "well, your brothers are lawyers and doctors and you're just some lowly . . . xyz" Then he gets the chance to save her, and is so convinced he can't that he doesn't want to try . . .
I love how we all have different ways of capturing those early ideas and emotions and characters!
I like getting songs, too, Hellie! I end up with a playlist for each character by the end of the book.
I was definitely thinking along the lines of a secret she needs to protect (but not a baby, haha). I think I could mix up running from the mob and running from her secret being revealed . . . hmmmm!
I love the possibilites that lead off the "not living up to his potential" part. I think it's been said, but it does make me think he has a great talent for something that he's given up. Something must have happened.
I'm writing a new story too (well, it's a sequel but it's mostly new) and I'm loving the surprises. I think I do start out focusing on the tone and it's a lot about listening to the characters. Like I swear I could hear "I wouldn't do that" when I had my hero smile at something. It wasn't right. Not yet. I apologize and try something else. LOL Maybe a cough to cover his amusement. Maybe a glare. Whatever fits the tone.
Or if it's raining should it be sunny? If it's summer should it be autumn? Should the brief appearance of an old man should be turned into a kid on a skateboard? The beginning of a new story is the one time I love making changes. No regrets.
I haven't been tempted to do an outline, but it's in my head. LOL I know they have four days and the situation they're in ends. So I guess that timeline has helped me capture some ideas. Also, I started out thinking it would be a short story or novella and I just wanted to know what happened next. A simple, uncomplicated story with limited secondary characters. Right. Until one thing leads to another...
And I did the same thing thinking I'd write a short story and then all these plot bunnies came out of nowhere. Crazy how those things reproduce!!
Oh, what if she finds out her grandfather was in the mob and mob money sent her to college? Or something like that. So her secret (that's she's "family" in the mob way) and running from the mob would be tied together.
Though I've no idea how you'd get her out of the mess. LOL!
Melissa- I've heard that same "I wouldn't do that." I always seem to set my storied in fall or spring. My first MS is set in the fall and I've figured out one of the major changes I need to make to get that MS into shape is move the entire story to spring.
Terri -- the best thing about going in thinking it's a short story has been staying in the moment. I think a "real" short story has a lot more structure and you need an outline, but I only wanted the illusion of a short story. LOL
The time frame is what keeps me focused, Melissa. And for this short, I had no idea of the timeline. For stories under 15K, you need URGENCY. I didn't have it. Which is likely why the story didn't fit the word count I tried to impose. *sigh*
Illusions can be so helpful. LOL!
Timeline! I could see how that would help both consolidate ideas and contribute to the urgency. In my current WIP, my full timeline is less than 24 hours, so I have it broken down by hour as to what's happening. With this new story, a timeline never even entered my head. I kind of figured it'd be stretched out over the spring/summer/into fall. So there's no real urgency (except her mob father chasing her down - I'm loving this idea!)
It's a good thing I never try to write short stories! haha
Melissa, I love it when a character lets me know that that's not how they respond. It's rarely so clear as "uh, no, I would do x-y-z instead," but like you, I just start trying other things, and can usually stumble onto something that at least feels closer to how that character would respond, or points me in a closer direction
I love the first stage because it's all potential with no problems yet. Anything seems possible. It's as if I can touch the string of the red balloon with no worries that it's going to go sailing into the heavens beyond my grasp.
I start with character bios, although they will become much more detailed later. I usually know much more about one character. In my current WIP, it's the hero whom I know best; the heroine is still shadowy. He is an engineer, an inventor, and host of a reality TV show, I Can Fix That. He wants to film a segment on the heroine's equine/canine therapy farm, and she sees him as this arrogant user who wants to exploit her kids for his ratings. Research is important to me at this stage because it gives me accurate information and sparks ideas for upping the conflict and for secondary characters.
My enthusiasm will stay high through the writing of key scenes, but before I finish I’ll be weary of this story and tantalized by another new idea. The discipline of keeping on is the hardest part for me.
I love the idea of your story, Janga, and the inherent conflict there between them. I too can keep up my enthusiasm in those key scenes, especially the really emotional ones.
Isn't it fun in this stage? I'm trying to enjoy this part, since I know that like you said, it'll turn to drudgery by the end :)
I too love the sound of that story, Janga. Especially the immediate conflict. I almost always get the emotional/internal conflict, but have to dig and dig to find what real life event/circumstance gets in the way of the relationship. Gets very frustrating, but that's where the "what if" game comes in handy.
I'm such a bloody pantser, questions like this are almost impossible to answer for me. I like the stuff I'm hearing for your story, Hal... I'd make it Russian Mob becasue they seem the absolute scariest of the mob types out there...
As for what I do in when I'm working emotion... right now I'm in a place with two stories where I'm dangling from the yardarm, wrapped in plot lines. I've been here before, so I'm just swinging a bit in the wind right now...being patient. Last time it was a song that shook me loose...not sure what will do it this time...
Yep, I do the song thing too. I'm very character driven, so it isn't unusual for me to stumble on a song and think, "That's it, there's Whathis/herface's backstory!"
Once I get farther along with character design, I sometimes draw and story board. I like to draw floorplans for buildings so I can block out action.
Wow, songs seem to be a popular way to get at characters and emotions, which I didn't even think of when writing this blog. But the more I think about it, I do use songs a lot to tap into a new character's emotion (or to continue tapping into one particular character while writing).
Pat, I've done floorplans too, which can be fun. Ter, you've done that for whole towns, right?
I do storyboards on a big whiteboard, once I know more about the plot. I'm a visual person, so the big huge whiteboard is always handy for me. I finally put up white-board-style panels all over one wall in the room where I write. Of course, it's now my son's room, so I erased all the plot points and replaced them with stick-drawings of robots and aliens.
Hal - My first book was essentially set in my hometown (though with a different name) and the current one is set in a real place. So I have a map of the island on my desk at all times. The only extensive plotting device I use is the storyboard. Couldn't live without it!
One of the oddities I've written up for this WIP is something that has nothing to do with my main characters. It has to do with The Counselor--which really sounds like a major bit of procrastinating, but I basically wrote up a "Marriage Bible" sort of thing. It was his marriage bootcamp booklet he gives to all the participants and has his hokey analogies in it, about how marriage is a house...or marriage is a field, and you reap what you sow and the pillars of your house need a firm foundation: COMMUNICATION and things of that nature. Something you can mock, but that end up being things that are real and need to be addressed too.
And thinking of those things helped me think of various "couples building activities" I wanted to use in the story. How would you teach each other again about respect? How do you do empathy? Something that is supposed to show what's missing, but misses it's mark--BUT at the same time, they end up learning the lesson out of it, in a different way.
I keep thinking I want to flesh the thing out more and give it quizzes and activities and "examples of couples stories" to learn from.
And I also want to flesh out a few of the other couples at the camp--I want them to interact with A&E, but I'm so horrible at that. *LOL* but that means I need to build 3 more (at least) dysfunctional couples. (I just don't care about these other couples enough to do it, but if I don't care, I can't make them good characters for A&E to interact with. They need to be fleshed out somewhat, you know.)
Wow, sounds like Hellion is writing with an 'agenda'! Good for you! ;-)
Hal, I love the idea of a room covered with white boards. If I had that, I might try some plotting...though most of it would probably be brainstorm craziness...
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