How am I
going to get it done, though? Maintaining vision and focus over such an
extended period is no mean feat - that is one of the talents of a truly
dedicated writer. Keeping a cohesive and consistent story together is
difficult, and it's easy to lose yourself - and your plot - in the exploration
of a story. A lot of writer's - myself included - will tell you that 'they
don't know exactly where the story is going'. This doesn't mean we, they or you
don't have a plan for the story, just that they haven't picked all the bells
and whistles for it. It's in choosing these bells and whistles that writers can
lose their focus and direction.
After
exploring a magnificent side story or addition to the main plot it can be
difficult to return to the central story. Often I find myself re-reading the
section or sections before where I intend to continue writing from to
re-immerse myself, which can be arduous or annoying. The other stymieing factor
is not knowing what the connecting elements of your story are - you know that
you want to make a meal but not exactly what you need in it to make it a
masterpiece of culinary art. You're aware there needs to be some nutritional
content - probably vegetables- a bit of seasoning and some meat, because
everybody loves meat. But which meat? And what about vegetarians?
So you need
some guidelines, a plan; a recipe. Writers - and directors - sometimes use a
storyboard, which is a series of short paragraphs or captioned images. This
gives a general outline of the plot and some basic story elements. At this
point I will explain how I differentiate between 'plot' and 'story' so we're
working with the same definitions;
Plot: A series of events
involving the same or related characters.
Story: A detailed description of those
events & how the characters react to them.
Using these
definitions it is clear that plot is a much simpler construct that the story.
Another analogy for the difference is that your plot is the structure of a
house and the story is the contents, furnishings and decorations which it a
home. What I'm trying to highlight here is that a plot is only a fraction of
the length of its story. In a hundred thousand word story, your pot will be
somewhere around two to four thousand words.
So write
that plot! Get it down, even in untidy, scrawled shorthand. You'll have it for
reference throughout your entire story, guiding you and keeping you focused on
what's happening, what's going to happen and what needs to happen. It doesn't
mean you can't chop and change your plot, rewrite it or recreate it; it's
written in shorthand not stone!
I sincerely
believe this will help keeep your story on course through stormy times or low
tides of writing. I know it will be helpful for myself, & I know other
members of my writing group use the method. Maps - city, country, world - can
also help your visualise your world as you write. Just make sure they're
relevant to your plot if you intend to use them - it's all very well exploring
your world but if you mapout a whole continent for a plot and story that only
takes place within one city it's a bit more than your reader needs, and
probably wants. Enjoy plotting your story's course. Keep it short, simple and
mostly unembellished so that the story can flesh it out. Good luck, and don't
lose your way!
