Spare me a few secs

[Tatsuo]

When writing a story do most of you start with the beginning or the end? By that I meant normal outline and reverse outline.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Outline? I just have a few notes and an opening scene and run with it from there...

 

[Tatsuo]

Outline? I just have a few notes and an opening scene and run with it from there...

Is that the Snowflake Method?

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I think more "snowball" (or "Classic Plantser - begin with a loose plan and do everything by the seat of your pants from there")

 

[Tatsuo]

I think more "snowball" (or "Classic Plantser - begin with a loose plan and do everything by the seat of your pants from there")

How do you handle possible plot holes?
I did the reverse outline method.
Still trying to piece everything together.

 

[RepresentingPride]

I used to do both. Mostly using a story planning for the big events and coming with something between the events.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

What is this "writing" you speak of?

 

[CharlesEBrown]

How do you handle possible plot holes?

Editing, revising, or just ... well... ignoring.

I did the reverse outline method.
Still trying to piece everything together.

Good on you! A lot of authors work best with a strict structure. A lot go with none at all. Most are somewhere in between (like myself)

 

[Valmond]

To give an answer. There are many ways to handle this, but that does not mean it is efficient. Completion, consistency, and growth happens through diligence.

Completion: How many works you finish.

Consistency: Doesn’t matter how long it takes, so long as you get to the end.

Growth: Reader trust which leads into a steady growth over time.

These three are important, since no matter what ideas you have. It can be the best thing in the world, but if you don’t get to the end. It just damages your brand.

Now, to the next point. And take this from someone who went from someone who just wrote, and never finished anything in the past.

To someone who buckled down, and planned. As a resulted finished hundreds of stuff.

A solid plan is the bread and butter, without one. The rate of incompletion, increases a lot. Now, planning can be difficult, there are tons of situations you have to go through, so here is a general way I do things.

1. Plan the ending first. An end point is essential to have an area to work with.

2. Estimate the chapters, based on the end point.

3. Begin further planning.

Detail down the chapter number by estimate, and try to stay within this range. However, if need be, it isn’t a bad idea to make midpoint chapters, or if absolutely needed. Shift up the chapter, and make an insertion.

Chapter 1
-
-
-
-
-

Chapter 2
-
-
-
-
-

Chapter 3
-
-
-
-
-

Chapter 4
-
-
-
-
-

Chapter 5
-
-
-
-
-

Chapter 6
-
-
-
-
-

Chapter 7
-
-
-
-
-

Chapter 8
-
-
-
-
-

Chapter 9
-
-
-
-
-

Finale
-
-
-
-
-

—> Last thing you can think about are the titles, these are subjected to change.

—> As noted in the example, those dashes are scenarios.

From chapter 1, determine the start point based on the end point. This can affect form of story telling, and when or where to start it.

Which can affect whether you may think it will be better to cover plot important points later down in the story, that leads into how the scenario happens.

Another thing to note, is to plan out multiple scenarios for each chapter. This way if one doesn’t work, another can.

And if all else fails, crunch your plans and determine the best way forward from there. In short, it would be insanely unlikely to get stuck.

Midpoint of the story.

This is important, once the midpoint starts. You will know it is time to really start building up the story to the finish.

Essentially, the first half can be like the pieces. And those pieces will take form from the second half to the end.

Now, when it comes to editing. While revising, now you have everything in front of you. Based on what you know, you can now polish up and improve the scenes.

—> All in all, following a structure will lead to the end. The more you complete, the more you build, and the more you grow.

—> On a final line. Note, the longer a series is. The more you will have to keep track of. Getting into the habit of consistency will make things easier.

 

[Clo]

For my current story, started with the characters. Because it's character-driven, they are the most important bit.

Then I built the game and rules.

Then I started thinking the scenes I wanted to see.

Eventually I decided what scene would be the end of the story.

After, I just had to write the intro chapters, and let my characters drive the story, as long as we're going somewhat towards the end I planned.

I am a hybrid planner/pantser, and that skill comes from decades of adjusting my story for my players in D&D.

 

[LesserCodex]

I spared one hundred and eighty seconds. I don't know what a few is to you but I don't care!

Ignoring the voices in my head telling me to destroy everything I've written and start from scratch. I usually have the ending written down and then the beginning in bullet points, in which I break down important moments into arcs and then fill out each of those arcs. It's something I've been getting into.

 

[Boundless]

fragmented ideas then connect the plot. that's basically how outlining works

 

[Thraben]

Outlines are for cowards. Real warriors simply dump 20k words in three days, do a bunch of editing, then wait another 2 months until their muse decides to let them write another 20k words in three days.

 

[lambenttyto]

When writing a story do most of you start with the beginning or the end? By that I meant normal outline and reverse outline.

I write a back cover-style blurb and get going from there. I don't use silly terms like snowflake or pantsing. I just write myself a fun story and enjoy the process.

 

[Tatsuo]

I spared one hundred and eighty seconds. I don't know what a few is to you but I don't care!

Ignoring the voices in my head telling me to destroy everything I've written and start from scratch. I usually have the ending written down and then the beginning in bullet points, in which I break down important moments into arcs and then fill out each of those arcs. It's something I've been getting into.

I was expecting 10 secs, you are very generous thank you.

I think I am in the same stage as you.