tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post5229667003125671501..comments2023-10-23T12:40:22.672-07:00Comments on The Writers Alley: A Panster's Guide to Plotting Your PremiseSherrinda Ketchersidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07581676437345249386noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-49455718423519197032013-03-08T16:29:22.051-08:002013-03-08T16:29:22.051-08:00That's great, Elisabeth! :)That's great, Elisabeth! :)Ashley Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15448862585766728595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-49042927282950260112013-03-08T07:23:54.895-08:002013-03-08T07:23:54.895-08:00I just meant that I don't plan out every singl... I just meant that I don't plan out every single word, how much time I will spend on this scene, that scene, etc.<br /> I also run them through my head before writing them, but it's more of in a movie form than the actual words. It's one of my favorite parts of writing. Elisabeth Pettiforhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17432512208316662257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-63529689242827311192013-03-07T13:09:23.901-08:002013-03-07T13:09:23.901-08:00Ang, you are too kind! And lest anyone reading you...Ang, you are too kind! And lest anyone reading your comment be fooled, you have taught me plenty about plotting premises too! I so appreciate having someone to talk through those early, fragile stages of a story with. :)Ashley Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15448862585766728595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-1922403380869188082013-03-07T13:07:52.873-08:002013-03-07T13:07:52.873-08:00Sue, you bring up such a great point! When I find ...Sue, you bring up such a great point! When I find that a scene is lagging, usually it's either because I'm just generally feeling tired, or it's because the plot is feeling tired--I haven't set out a clear forward motion in the story. Have you read The Moral Premise? It talks about how the external arcs should mirror the internal arcs, so having that moral or core reason for writing is so very important, because it shapes the external action just as much as the character's emotions. Thanks so much for coming by today! :)Ashley Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15448862585766728595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-84845946506985518232013-03-07T13:07:51.400-08:002013-03-07T13:07:51.400-08:00Sue, you bring up such a great point! When I find ...Sue, you bring up such a great point! When I find that a scene is lagging, usually it's either because I'm just generally feeling tired, or it's because the plot is feeling tired--I haven't set out a clear forward motion in the story. Have you read The Moral Premise? It talks about how the external arcs should mirror the internal arcs, so having that moral or core reason for writing is so very important, because it shapes the external action just as much as the character's emotions. Thanks so much for coming by today! :)Ashley Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15448862585766728595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-7962265981560607612013-03-07T13:06:10.603-08:002013-03-07T13:06:10.603-08:00Jeanne, it's so interesting to me how people h...Jeanne, it's so interesting to me how people have such different styles of planning and writing, and no one particular style is any better than the other! Susan Meissner teaches a lot at ACFW about plotting, and from my limited experience with her teaching, I get the impression she really plans details out... and look how brilliant her novels are! Sometimes plotting more versus panster-ing can really be an advantage in that it can allow for more complicated stories... for instance, if your character is living with some kind of secret that she (and the readers) need to know from the beginning. Thanks for sharing!Ashley Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15448862585766728595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-33382787668178707092013-03-07T13:04:03.918-08:002013-03-07T13:04:03.918-08:00Elisabeth, I like what you said about planning key...Elisabeth, I like what you said about planning key points, but nothing else. Sometimes I also like to think through a scene that's coming, without realizing how I'm going to get there. :) Thanks for stopping by today!Ashley Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15448862585766728595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-48631635605169330242013-03-07T13:03:10.678-08:002013-03-07T13:03:10.678-08:00Teresa, I'm right with you! I totally get what...Teresa, I'm right with you! I totally get what you are saying! Thanks for sharing that today. Yeah, with me, I've found that plotting out every little detail stifles my creativity because it inhibits those let-the-characters-do-something-that-surprises-you moments that are so fun to write. I hope you find that having a core moral to each scene helps you blend the styles! I'm reading The Moral Premise right now, and that's a book I would DEFINITELY recommend since you seem to have a similar writing style as me. :)Ashley Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15448862585766728595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-66150141114516889262013-03-07T08:26:21.378-08:002013-03-07T08:26:21.378-08:00This is a great post, Ashley! You have taught me t...This is a great post, Ashley! You have taught me to plot my premise out...that's something I never did before. Thanks for being such a great inspiration for me!<br />Love ya!Angie Dickenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11794268733490363528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-18703622171635906592013-03-07T08:00:33.429-08:002013-03-07T08:00:33.429-08:00Hi Ashley,
Wonderful post! I was sitting here try...Hi Ashley,<br /><br />Wonderful post! I was sitting here trying to come up with ideas for a new story, wondering why it wasn't sounding exciting and then I opened your blog. <br /><br />My story needs a theme and a core concept!<br /><br />Of course! Thanks for the reminder!<br /><br />I'm definitely a plotter much like Jeanne above, I have to see the scene in my head first, where the story is going, before I plunge in.<br /><br />Have a great day!<br /><br />Cheers,<br />SueSusan Anne Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17258093329143787876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-37575712975046497552013-03-07T07:32:41.175-08:002013-03-07T07:32:41.175-08:00Ashley, what a beautiful post. :) I'm the oppo...Ashley, what a beautiful post. :) I'm the opposite--I have a hard time writing if I can't picture the story or the scene before hand. So, I do much better plotting things out first. I am working on becoming a little more flexible and trying some "Pantster" methods, but it's harder for me to really write if I can't see the scene in my head first. <br /><br />I plot out the major points ahead of time, using MBT's Book Buddy. It helps me see what I need to include and gives me the freedom to craft my story in my way, if that makes sense. If I know my story and it's themes, I find it easier to plan out my premise.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing your wisdom today!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-77070879526459944712013-03-07T06:22:10.125-08:002013-03-07T06:22:10.125-08:00A little of both I guess. I make a list of key poi...A little of both I guess. I make a list of key points in the story I want to hit, and that's pretty much the extent of the plot planning. I love it. It's just the right amount of freedom and control for me.Elisabeth Pettiforhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17432512208316662257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392393277880937685.post-20242530168186080892013-03-07T05:54:26.641-08:002013-03-07T05:54:26.641-08:00Thank-you for this wonderful post!! I just finishe...Thank-you for this wonderful post!! I just finished my first novel, starting with the spark of an idea and working through it pantster style. I found that my best ideas came out of nowhere and I never could have planned them out beforehand, but the editing process became a nightmare as I realized it was extremely difficult to surgically insert new ideas into my book without rewriting the entire thing. So now as I start my second novel, I've determined to plan it out first so I don't get caught in the same way, but I'm finding it is really killing my desire to write at all! Thanks for helping me see that blending both styles might be the best solution.byutm33https://www.blogger.com/profile/09748644322258429204noreply@blogger.com