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How do you develop your stories?

starseed galaxy auticorn

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You know, that hard little word everyone calls... plot? Just as the topic asks, how do you develop your stories? Are there any techniques you would like share with struggling writers (like me)? How do these methods work best for you?

A fellow writer and author suggested to me on trying a writing binder. I put one together using what I had, and I do plan on improving it when I have the chance. Anyway, I feel this might work best for me than constantly trying to rely on my iPad all of the time as well. What I'm about to do is provide you with various pictures (spoilered of course) of this binder. I also suggest giving this a try if you don't have a tablet like me! :3

Keep in mind that my binder is somewhat makeshift. I had to use things I had, and that isn't a whole lot considering we have no money at the current moment. XC

Spoiler:


I plan on adding a lot more to this. I have some general ideas to try for tabs. One thing I want to do is separate "ideas & characters". I plan on creating a new tab called "Character files" for all my character ideas and such. I also want to have a tab for writer's block as well. Anyway, I'll stop rambling now. XD

What about you guys? Anything special you do to organize and develop your stories?
 

Bay

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Before I would write all of my ideas in a notebook, but sometimes I would put the notebook somewhere else and can't find it, haha. I tried various other things like Scrivener, OneNote, GoogleDocs, and Evernote to organize. I like Scrivener, but the free trial version only lasted a month. I like One Note (oneline version) for a while but sometimes it loads slow for me and somtimes my notes won't go through if there's a bad connection. GoogleDocs things got messy rummaging through my notes and prose. I prefer Evernote as I can easily capture websites when using for research and I have a "story notes" tag where I can easily check my notes. I have Evernote on my phone, too, so I can easily typed up a quick idea or paragraph if I'm away.

When doing notes, I'll have one for characters, one for events/chapters, and a have a few for research.
 

VisualJae

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Outline beginning. Outline ending.

Jot down all ideas, even the most outlandish and illogical ones.

Mix and match ideas in an order that you think might make sense.

Add details to all ideas with the essential bits like who's involved, where, why this is happening, how it's happening, etc. Add as much detail as possible, even the dumbest points.

Continue adding and rearranging content until there's a coherent timeline.

Remove, but don't delete, content that no longer fit the story. Keep the content in a separate document/bin/file/whatever as reserve.

Write out each section in brief and see how it reads.

I put everything in Google Docs. Label everything with comments, set bookmarks and anchors for easy navigation.

The visual novel I'm currently developing (link in signature) currently has a Google Drive folder that I use collaboratively with others on the team. Included are numerous Excel charts, documents, art assets and brainstorming notes that span hundreds of pages.

But it's highly organized and easily accessible as everything is labeled and categorized properly. Need information on a character? Refer to the characters outline document. Need information on what's happening from the months of April-May in the visual novel? Refer to the events document and events calendar spreadsheet.
 

Bay

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Remove, but don't delete, content that no longer fit the story. Keep the content in a separate document/bin/file/whatever as reserve.

This is what I've been doing with Evernote lately. If there's content that doesn't fit the story anymore I save it in Evernote just incase I can bring back some parts/ideas and such.
 

Nolafus

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I keep organized by putting up sticky notes on my walls. I have a little over 200 up at the moment for my current project, and I bought lots of colors, so it's all color coded. It's gotten to the point where my friends and family got me sticky notes for Christmas, haha. And yes, I did enjoy getting them.

I don't really have a specific order when doing things. My interest seems to fluctuate a lot, and it can be quite difficult to sit down and concentrate on a task at times, so whatever I'm interested in at the moment is what I work on.
 
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I have a notebook set aside for whatever story I'm working on so I can jot down anything that comes to mind. Like for the fic I'm currently writing, the notebook is full of interesting ways I can deviate from canon and develop the characters.

Aside from that, I really don't develop my stories. Pretty much anything that happens in the story isn't pre-planned in any way. It just comes to mind as I write. Any research that I need to do happens as I'm writing.

Though like VisualJae, I do have a calendar for one series, so I know what exact day of the week a chapter takes place on. Which is necessary to know so I can make sure that the characters are supposed to be in school that day or if they have the day off.

Remove, but don't delete, content that no longer fit the story. Keep the content in a separate document/bin/file/whatever as reserve.

This is what I've been doing with Evernote lately. If there's content that doesn't fit the story anymore I save it in Evernote just incase I can bring back some parts/ideas and such.
Same here. I have a separate file on my computer for any scene that I need to rewrite or delete. You can never be sure if you might need that scene again!

It's gotten to the point where my friends and family got me sticky notes for Christmas, haha. And yes, I did enjoy getting them.
Haha, reminds me of the Christmas I got 100 pens as a present. I was so excited!
 

starseed galaxy auticorn

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Astinus said:
I have a notebook set aside for whatever story I'm working on so I can jot down anything that comes to mind. Like for the fic I'm currently writing, the notebook is full of interesting ways I can deviate from canon and develop the characters.

That's like how I work my binder. I have a tab for brainstorming, and under that tag you will find these sheets of printer like paper with three holes. On those sheets of paper, there is the title of my story. I categorize my ideas by each story I write. Otherwise, if I don't then I would end up confusing myself over what idea goes with which story I have. XD

Aside from that, I really don't develop my stories. Pretty much anything that happens in the story isn't pre-planned in any way. It just comes to mind as I write. Any research that I need to do happens as I'm writing.

This is like me as well. I usually write better if I can just write the chapter without pre-planning it first. My ideas always seem to flow best when I do this. However, my only drawback to doing this is that I get tired of stories or lose interest in them. When that happens, I end up doing other stories, only for the process to happen again. I blame a lot of this on my ADHD and have even had a case manager tell me this is related to that.

Like, I do write down as many notes as I possibly can. It's just that the plotting process is absolutely foreign to me. No matter how hard I seem to try, I can never properly plot out my stories the way a 'normal' writer does. Keep in mind also that I've tried everything to become better at this. It's just not happening for me it seems. :c
 
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I feel that I'm quite unorthodox in my planning since I don't really plan, or at least I don't write down notes or anything before I write out my story. I listen to music a lot and get a lot of inspiration from that, which I then combine with different scenarios in my head.

I usually start off with a particular song, then think up an action scene to fit that song. After I've got that down I'll think up the events leading up to that action scene, as well as the what happens afterwards. In this aspect I can visualize the whole sequence of events in my head as if it were a movie, with all the sountracks to go with it.

Once I have the bare bones of what I want the story to be like, I'll rehearse it in my head over and over, tweaking bits here and there until it's ingrained in my subconscious. Only at that point do I put pen to paper and write it all out.
 
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  • Age 22
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Honestly, I just start with an idea. A simple idea. The idea beomes the title, and I expand upon it as I write my stories to develop a plot that slowly grows more... intense as the events go on.

In short, I just get an idea, and barge into writing my story, screaming, "LEROY JENKINS!!!"

Actually, I do it, but not the screaming part.
 
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