FILL: Working on 6x6?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 8 Jan 2008

Hey, y'all having fun?

I'll admit, I am. I have my little list of ideas, I've picked one and started scratching out notes, and been reminded of a couple of things.

One is a generic approach to getting work done that someone showed me some time ago. Pretty simple really, with four steps.

Step 1. Make a list of ideas. This is the brainstorming part, where you poke around in various places, maybe take a walk through a toy store, pick some random words, or otherwise stoke the furnaces of your imagination. And make a list of possible ideas. Set yourself a quota, and push to get as many as possible. (I also find it useful to just keep adding to the list as I wander through life, bumping into stuff.)

Step 2. Selection. Here is where you pick through the ideas from the list, setting aside those that aren't quite ripe, don't have the oomph for what you want right now, and so forth. Given the realities of writing, you probably need to pick one to work on right now. Doesn't have to be the idea to end all ideas, just something for now.

Step 3. Plan. Take that idea and stretch it out. For a short story, think about characters, setting, scenes, plot. You might use the checklist of questions . . . what checklist? Oh, here's one at
http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/47919.html

Background

1. Where are we?  (setting)
2. Who is involved?  (characters, strengths, flaws)
3. Where are they headed? (goals, motives)
4. What stops or blocks them? (obstacle(s))
5. What are they going to do about it? (plans to overcome problems)
   
   Story
   
   
6. What hook(s) or bait for the reader will I use? (where start)
   What story question do I pose for the reader?
7. What backfill is needed? (background that needs to be filled in)
8. What buildup do I want?  (scenes)
9. What is the climax?
   - how does the character change? (overcome weakness, etc.)
   - how is the plot resolved? (overcome problems and achieve goals)
   - What answer does the reader get to the story question?
   
   Higher Level
   
   
10. What purpose, moral, or theme am I writing about?

This step is kind of like outlining and such - do what works for you. But I find some time scribbling little notes before I start writing actually helps me.

And then,

Step 4. Write! Sit down, put words down, try to capture that festival hall in your mind through the words. Don't be afraid to start with the ending, then work backwards, or otherwise write things out of order. And most important, don't fret about trying to think it all through, or have the perfect bits and pieces to start with - get something down, then polish and revise.

Simple, right?

So I hope everyone is having fun!

[When is Saturday again? Eeek - only three more days, four if you count today? That's almost tomorrow! Back to work, oh ye of the easily distracted.]

tink again!

[psst? If you came in late, we're in the first week of a six week exercise called 6x6. Simple notion - start writing a story on Sunday, and post it by Saturday night. 300 to 5,000 words. And then do it again. And again. 6 times. So probably on Saturday, or perhaps before that if some of us get in a rush, you'll see some stories posted out here. And maybe along the way, some reflections about the process? Or at least observations about what kind of craziness it takes to do this? :-]