Wednesday, November 26, 2014

And the Plot Hid from the Author.

And now, in contrast to last week's entry, I get to write about something I'm plotting that's not going so well.

I think most writers, if not all of us, have been asked where they get their ideas.  (I always say "the shower."  It's true, and it throws people off.)  Ideas can come from anywhere, and most of the stories I've told and plots I've worked with have come from combining several different ideas and seeing what works well when put together.

Since May or June or thereabouts, I've been attempting to plot something that's really different from what I usually write.  And ye gods, it will not play nice and let me figure out what the hell it's actually supposed to be.

The story's origins come from hearing this song on the radio.  Roses are important to me, so I scribbled down notes based on what came to mind when I listened to the song's lyrics.  When I got home from work, I watched the video, and found it inspiring in unexpected ways.  I noted all the weird phrases that appear in the video, and started to get some story ideas from thinking about what all those things could mean.  I wrote everything down, of course, and my notes showed the first hints of forming a story.

That might be the last coherent bit of plotting I managed for this thing.

Since then, trying to figure out anything about this story has been like trying to pick up enormous spheres of Jell-o without damaging them while wearing Hulk Hands.  I know that dream logic will be a significant factor in the story, as it's entirely possible that the whole thing takes place in someone or something's dream or in a dream realm.  I know that the setting is supposed to be a school that's not a school, though exactly what it is fluctuates several times in the 2.5 pages' worth of story notes.  And I know that things are going to get progressively weirder.

This is the kind of thing that makes me wish I could draw worth a damn, because most of what I can think of for this story is visuals, and I don't know how to fit them into words.

This is the sort of thing that scares me.  I've planted the seeds of a story that I quite literally do not know how to tell.  How do you show that a character has been completely forgotten, to the point where the remaining characters would never mention that person again because to them, the person never existed?  Can you create a workable system of dream logic when dream logic only makes sense because you're dreaming, and would seem wildly inconsistent in text?  And what does "The ways themselves may be asleep or awake" mean?

I wrote that in my notes - it came out of my head - and I have no idea what it means.

I know that I could be overthinking this; there's a reason some of my characters think about things too much, they get it from me.  In most cases, I would just sit down and tell myself I was going to work on this particular plot, and that would be that.  Most of the time, I can hash out where the story's supposed to go and what it's supposed to be with time and focus.  But everything about this story eludes me.  And that's why it bothers me so much.

I know I can't be the only one who's dealt with ideas like this.  Commiseration time, anyone?  :P

12 comments:

  1. I've never had to jumble together a bunch of ideas and imagine that would be challenging. My latest came from one idea of a song and it was a struggle to come up with a complete story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think there's always a struggle in finding the story - I've never had a plot that I didn't have to bang on, so to speak, to get it to work. This one's different, though. I'm going to give an idea I had a shot this weekend and see if that helps me find the actual story.

      Delete
  2. From the moment I got the idea about writing a book about a secret, hidden day of the week and the time I had a working plot in mind took about 18 MONTHS. Even then, when I started writing the story, I had no idea the characters and plot would hijack my outline and pull in Arthurian legends.

    So, what I'm saying is -- give it time. You have a premise, and it's okay you don't have a plot yet. Don't rush it. Let it develop!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heh! I definitely hear you there. I must have one enormous metaphorical oven, for all the stuff I've put on the back burner. ^_^ You're right that there's no need to rush this, though. It's frustrating to have so much trouble figuring out what the story's supposed to be, but it's not like I'm on a deadline with this.

      Delete
  3. You are preaching to the choir. I have a story idea that keeps evolving. Every time I think I have a grip on it, it changes! It's quite maddening. I recently had a brief look into the main character's life (please don't ask how or what that even means) but I still have no idea how the plot is going to come together. My only advice to you is to write what's ready (another story) and let this particular idea simmer for awhile. Because once it's ready, it'll come pouring out (and then you'll probably have this same issue with a newer story). Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trust me, I know what having a brief look into the main character's life means. ^_^ But you're right. As frustrating as not knowing is, forcing it would lead to something that's not what the story needs to be. I can wait.

      Delete
  4. Right now, I'm stuck because I'm AFRAID… I've got this story burning inside of me, and I know it can be something special… but I'm terrified that I won't get the *right* story out. It's hard when you get glimpses of plot and characters and can FEEL who they are and what vibe you want the story to have, but everything else eludes you… and I know I just need to let go and trust that I'm capable of doing this, but… yeah… you get it.

    I know you understand the process… and it can be so maddening… it's awful how some stories take time to cook---but sometimes a story will never finish cooking unless you get in there and MAKE it happen. Which is another frustrating thing, because some stories flow out like nothing and others it's like pulling teeth… am I even making sense? Ha. Oh the joys of all of this!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know what you mean, and yes, you are making sense. It's rough, though - as Quanie said above, write what's ready, but at the same time, sometimes you have to dig in and just plain figure the story out. And there's no way to tell what will be best if you don't try.

      Eh, if this was easy, everyone would do it. :P

      Delete
  5. "Like trying to pick up enormous spheres of Jell-o without damaging them while wearing Hulk Hands" -- excellent description. I have a feeling we've all been there. What works for me: writing through it. Sure, I may end up scrapping pages, but I'll have something worth keeping, and it will get me back on track eventually.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you; I think creative metaphors are one of the joys of blogging. ^_^ And I think just sitting down and hashing this story out might end up being best. It might not work, but like you said, I can scrap it if it doesn't and keep anything that does work.

      Delete
  6. I'm with Milo - "Like trying to pick up enormous spheres of Jell-o without damaging them while wearing Hulk Hands" - I love that!!! I've never tried to plot anything half as weird as what you're working on right now, though, so I don't think I can commiserate. Um...I wish I had something useful to offer. To use your metaphor, then, if the tool you're using isn't working, try another tool. Hulk hands aren't good for Jell-o. A big spoon would be better ;) Good luck!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. ^_^ And I think I am going to have to use a different tool on this, so to speak - I'm going to try finding the story in a different way than I usually do. It might work, or it might crash and burn. But at least I can try to figure it out, instead of just being frustrated.

      Delete