As a fellow pantser, I hear ya! Increasingly, my characters are taking me down roads that lead to surprising places, but places that are remote and disconnected. I have to weed and prune as I go, tossing long passages into my “Cutting Room Floor” file, and pushing my characters down more fruitful paths. It’s like herding cats. It’s also like throwing ideas against the wall to see what sticks. I’m still having a good time with it, though, and I’ve got some ideas in that “Cutting Room Floor” file that may yet see the light of day in one form or another.
My rough little outlines still lead to unexpected paths once I start writing. It's just that I feel a bit better having a story that vaguely holds together to begin with, then I have the freedom to ignore it, lol!
Your process sounds very much like mine, though you might have more discipline. The first part of your excerpt sounds a lot like the way I write: a night drive into an open landscape, a few triangular rocks and stars to guide me. Hope you punch your way out of the "The Box" some day.
I didn't have much discipline before I got stuck in the Box. And I still don't have any when I write short stories. For example, I'm writing a retro noir piece this week. I started Monday and it's only this morning, Friday, that I think I might know what it's all about... maybe!
I'm not a plotter either, but doing NaNoWriMo in 2020 forced me to be a little bit more disciplined. I didn't want to get stuck midway. I wrote a stream of consciousness thing, as if I was telling myself the story. It served as a map, even if I deviated a lot as I went. I like working that way, it's still loose enough.
As a fellow pantser, I hear ya! Increasingly, my characters are taking me down roads that lead to surprising places, but places that are remote and disconnected. I have to weed and prune as I go, tossing long passages into my “Cutting Room Floor” file, and pushing my characters down more fruitful paths. It’s like herding cats. It’s also like throwing ideas against the wall to see what sticks. I’m still having a good time with it, though, and I’ve got some ideas in that “Cutting Room Floor” file that may yet see the light of day in one form or another.
My rough little outlines still lead to unexpected paths once I start writing. It's just that I feel a bit better having a story that vaguely holds together to begin with, then I have the freedom to ignore it, lol!
Your process sounds very much like mine, though you might have more discipline. The first part of your excerpt sounds a lot like the way I write: a night drive into an open landscape, a few triangular rocks and stars to guide me. Hope you punch your way out of the "The Box" some day.
I didn't have much discipline before I got stuck in the Box. And I still don't have any when I write short stories. For example, I'm writing a retro noir piece this week. I started Monday and it's only this morning, Friday, that I think I might know what it's all about... maybe!
Excited to hear about your retro noir piece. You know I favor that sort of stew. Can hardly wait to read it.
There'll be one in the next issue of Guilty Crime Story Magazine. I think you'll like it.
I'm not a plotter either, but doing NaNoWriMo in 2020 forced me to be a little bit more disciplined. I didn't want to get stuck midway. I wrote a stream of consciousness thing, as if I was telling myself the story. It served as a map, even if I deviated a lot as I went. I like working that way, it's still loose enough.