For All the Writers On The Forum

[Southern Breeze]

My problem with writing is that I can write snippets, maybe even whole chapters, but I can never seem to string them together with a coherent plot.
Those of you who can do that - my hat is off to you (if I wore a hat).

I get a lot of odd snippets and chapters from my muse. If it seems good I archive it on paper or CD. I've came back several months later and added 90,000 words to a 60 word snippet.

[Pleater]

I must have gone through many reams of paper and pints of ink before I started to use the PC - a typewriter doesn't work for me, - well it does, for business letters factual essays etc., but it seems to shut down the creative area.

On the PC I can simply write - most of the stories I have put into this forum have been spontaneously enworded into Reply. The idea is there, the words just arrive. Even entirely new ones.

I have used Word on a couple of occasions when the connection has been a bit iffy and I was concerned that the direct route might result in chunks of the story vanishing into the aether never to be seen again.

If I had to map out the story before I started to write I would never even start.

I am probably as surprised as anybody when something happens.

The destabilising of the Fashion Furs Homeworld and its descent into anarchy due to the death of Ivana Rulitall was possibly inevitable, but her appearance was originally intended just to cause mischief in Paris, and her arrival and demise in the House and the consequences for that continuum and the visitors to it, just suddenly occurred to me, was written a little later, and then the consequences seemed logical though not essential to the narrative, so they are not there in their own right - but they might be mentioned, to explain something else.

The trick is to try not to explain too much, real life is not a series of explainations but of chance discoveries, casual remarks, going to make a cup of tea and turning on the radio to hear something that makes sense of something holding up the narrative.

All a bit Zen.

It just happens.

We are aware of so little of our brain's activity, but that is no reason not to pass it the bits of intercepted messages and allow the process of decryption to go on in our own personal Bletchley Park.

Anne the Pleater.

[davedove]

Mr. Dove slid slowly off his bar stool in the graceful manner of a dying swan. His entourage of young ladies caught him and lowered him gently to the floor.

I gave a signal to our Heralds Arlen and Dee, as well as our Cartographer Trefor who bore him away to his chambers.

I don't know how long I was out,but I do so hope that nice girl Dorothy and her delightful scarecrow friend find what they're looking for. And that little fellow with the ring better be careful on his mountain climbing expedition; there are some nasty men following him.

[davedove]

I find that I have to be careful not to post my story scenes too quickly. There have been a couple of times when I posted something, then had to manuever a story back in another direction.

I put all of mine in a word file and try to write several scenes in advance. When I review them before posting, I often rewrite whole chunks of the narrative.

[Rob Wright]

Posted another update, starting the final act now.

Rob