How I Put A Story Together

[cariad]

I have not written enough fiction to have an established pattern of how I work. However to date…

Assignment one for both level one and two. The basic idea evolved from seemingly nowhere, and I really cannot remember the process which led to the plot of the first part. Having got the basic plot worked out in my mind – something which could have been summed in about 25 words I then spent a little time, very relaxed, with my eyes closed ‘seeing’ that part of the story almost as a series of stills from a film. During the process the characters became real and as did their setting, and a few key lines also emerged. I made a note of those lines, although I found they were lodged in my memory anyway.

A few days later, when there were no time pressures or other distractions, I sat down in a favourite chair in a still part of the house with my laptop on my lap. I then closed my eyes, relaxed and allowed myself to drift back into the scenes I had previously imagined. I then just typed what was important, action, description, reactions, all as I saw them. At this point not bothering about spelling, typos, grammar or anything else. It took a few sessions like this to write each submission.

At the end of each session I went back and corrected any major errors, particularly typos which I might not be able to translate into English if I left them unattended too long!

When the whole was written, I read through it first silently to make sure there were no logistical errors, and then aloud to correct, or in cases to ‘de-correct’ the grammar and ensure that the flow was as good as I could make it.

My assignments in level 1 were then proof read. Those in level 2, for different reasons were not.

Assignment two for level one. Having instantly made the decision that this was not going to be a ‘so I was taken into the manager’s office and fucked by all the staff’ type fantasy story I thought it would write as though it were real life. I spent a little time choosing my characters and visualising the setting, and then I just sat down and wrote it, each time just thinking, and what would happen next. Having finished it, it went through the same proof reading process.

As I said, my pattern of writing is still in the very early stages of evolution. I would be reluctant to start recording an outline on paper/screen because it would then start to feel dead, although with a longer piece of work I can see myself putting down a series of key words or phrases.

cariad