I regard this as a significant weakness which I must correct.

Pete, I’m not so sure about this. To me, it’s akin to trying to ‘correct’ left-handedness. Just because the majority of people are right-handed doesn’t make it wrong to be left-handed.

Try every method you can think of, but when you find what feels right for you – what works for you - stick with it, even if your logical brain is telling you it’s not what most writers do.

Dee

Dee

I hear you.

At the same time, it's possible to improve on a skill, attending to it and exercising it, so that even if it isn't natural to you, still you can achieve a certain competence there.

I guess that's what I mean.

Pete

Emma

Now look here EmmaD, I do NOT need something like that link to the Paris Review in my life right now! The word Procrastinator runs through me like lettering in a stick of rock. And you do this!

Now, where's my mouse?

Pete

<Added>

Never a better moment to interview Norman Mailer than 1964. Cheerio for a while.

Ste - good to see you in Flash II. Next week's topic: 'Horsemeat'

It may be dead, but it'll run forever.

I feel a Burt Lancaster moment coming on:
"Might as well throw in a woman. Any age, any size, any colour. Any woman."
- from 'The Professionals'

Ste

That writer's cafe thing just gave me a headache - I couldn't be bothered to even try it out once downloaded. A pen and paper's good enough for me...

But the Paris Review on the other hand.... Now that is my kind of website.

Do you mean story, or do you mean novel? I think that would affect any advice I'd offer. I'm in the same state myself at the mo, having a 9-15000 word crime story to write. I have the character because I've used her before. I think that what you mustn't do is tell yourself you're stuck before you're even started. The unconscious mind has a bad habit of taking you very literally. I can't give advice because we all work differently, but I'm just going to start writing because it's the only way to conjure up the muse. Once you do, she'll come to your aid and point the way forward. Does that sound like pretentious crap? Usually works for me, though. You don't always have to keep what you write but there's something about doing it, rather than talking about doing it or thinking about doing it that will always enrich that initial germ of an idea you had and take it to another level.

Jem, I think that's a great way to work for a story, but novels are more demanding in terms of structure, and it's much harder to sort that out when you realise you've gone wrong - and you might not realise that until after weeks of going up the blind alley. Or - like me - you can just be paralysed by the inifinite number of ways to start, given how long the journey's going to be.

Planning - even just on the back of an envelope - sorts out roughly where you're going to start, and which direction you're heading in, which gets the whole thing going, and makes you less likely to take a seriously wrong turning early on. I find I don't need to plan the later stages nearly so much, because I've got a much more developed sense of what the story needs, and can make the decisions on the fly as I reach them.

Emma

Planning - even just on the back of an envelope...

Or, if you're JK Rowling, the back of a stamp should provide ample room.

JB

oooh!

This is an excellent thread. Very helpful.

I've just embarked on my first, and possibly only, book. I've discovered a non-fiction story that needs telling.

Yesterday, I found a way to put my research in order by using a card system, however, until I read this thread, I hadn't pulled together a planning method for the actual story.

Thank you Emma for your "grid" suggestion, I went straight to my EXCEL spreadsheet program and typed it up plus I pasted in your description. That will really work for me.

There's a quote from somewhere or other i.e. "If you have a map, you will get to where you are going."

Also, I had a quick look at The Paris Review. Looks good. I've put it on my Magazine Rack at Artuccino so I can go back to it later. A good addition to my reading material MagazineRack

Thanks Pete for the thread. Best wishes with getting un-stuck.

Do what is 'right' for you. Personally I am in favour of the bare minimum when it comes to planning of plot for, like Dee, one can often have a major change inflicted by what comes out of the mouth of one of your characters.

However I favour having a very clear idea of the characters you use. Make sure you plan out how you 'see' those characters for most readers enjoy, understand and relate to the characters you invent; it is the sympathy or empathy with your characters, and clarity of, that readers seek.

However this is not mandatory or even sacrosanct although, for me, it is essential... but we are all different.

Len