what happens next, desisions, etc

What do your characters WANT? What do they NEED? What are they trying to achieve? Who is trying to stop them? How do they need to GROW and change during this story?

CONFLICT
CONFLICT
CONFLICT


Do I need to explain it? Have the child mistrust. Force it away and for a good reason.

That's what I see.

If you really need help, add a character to add the conflict. The addition of characters is one the best and mostly commonly used way to extend story.

Each chapter should up the tension level as the story unfolds.

Who are the main character/s and what do they want?
Who or what is trying to stop the main character/s?
What happens if the main character/s fail?

Conflict and resolution is what readers read for, especially in fiction. For me, each chapter must raise the stakes and the tension level. Generally, there are multiple conflicts that must be resolved and as each one is resolved, its not unusual for a new one to be revealed. This ups the tension.

Now, depending on the type of story you are writing, add in some romance, deaths, big bad guys or gals, and really mysterious creatures and you have the making of a story. But it still comes down to the tension the author creates between all these elements...

Good luck...

These are the moments asteroid impacts were designed for.

caw

This because that because that, but then then because of but then...

Lather.

Rinse.

Repeat.

Layla Nahar said:

I've found a solution for the situation I described. But it made me curious to hear how others approach the problem. Where do they get the next event from? How do they arrive at it? I'd love to hear that, but I guess more on the concrete side, maybe examples...

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For me, it's abut story. Conflict is essential, but conflict without story, which means goal, is meaningless. There must be a problem to solve, a question to answer, or both. Without this, there is no story.

The protagonist has a goal, which can be anything from solving a mystery to saving the world. The antagonist also has a goal, which can be anything from preventing the protagonist solving the mystery to taking over the world.

Primary conflict stems from these opposing goals. The events are a chess game. The antagonist makes a move, which causes the protagonist to react with a move of his own.

What the events are depends solely on what has already happened. The first move, and then the chess match that follows, are all reaction to whatever has already happened. This is story.

Subplot is also a chess game, but secondary to the actual story and main goals.

I've read through this thread, and it seems to me there are a lot of posts about conflict plotting, adding characters for extending a story, what do the characters want or need...I particularly enjoyed the asteroid impact.

I think what Layla is really specifically asking about though is organic narrative or natural story telling. Here is an intriguing blog: A Place for Strangers and Beggars. He talks about the six narrative elements in any oral story telling, and then how literature messes with those elements. His ideas are taken from a workshop, which in turn took its idea from Mary Louise Pratt's article "Natural Narrative" (which I haven't been able to find, and if you know where it is, please let me know!) Anyway, I think this blog post is an interesting read in terms of Layla's question.

Personally, I outline my first rough draft, though anyone that has looked at my first drafts tell me it is more written out in a narrative than a list of plot points. But there is nothing "external" brought in. The idea for my drafts heavily relies on Plato and Aristotle’s idea of "organic unity." This is a structural principle. The story being created must have "internally consistent thematic and dramatic development, analogous to biological growth, which is [should be] the recurrent, guiding metaphor" (Britannica online).

Perhaps all of this sounds high minded, but don't fertilize your tomatoes, I guess.

In addition to all the good advice offered here, try looking backward over what you've written so far and see what seeds of conflict you might have planted that can now begin to bear fruit.

I go for the external elements, such as having someone come in an wreak havoc for the MCs. For example, I had a group that consisted of two people who loathe each other and a third person who always kept the peace between them. The story started to get stale, much like you described in the OP, so I had the peacekeeper get kidnapped.

*shrug* But that's just me.

Layla Nahar said:

This makes me curious. In terms of 'what happens next' how do you get there?

I'd be interested in hearing how those who write as they go and end up with a viable story at the end of their draft approach this problem. Do you find that you have to 'add' something to make the story happen? Does an appropriate solution arise from your subconcious? Is it a mix, or does it vary from work to work? I'm interested in hearing how others approach this.

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Hey, Layla,

For me, it's a little of all of it.

I typically start with either a character already in mind, or a starting situation without necessarily a firm character. I'll think a lot without necessarily writing anything down and I'll either start writing that first situation, or start writing about the character and what I see happening to him or her. From there, things just sort of develop and the story takes shape as I go. Now, sometimes, things just arise straight out of the depths of my mind and I'll find myself typing something I haven't thought of, but it's just right. Other times I'll be thinking about The Story So Far (usually while I'm doing something else) and the next scene will just sort of play out in my head; I'll let that happen then write it later. And still other times, when nothing seems to be working, I'll have to try to think very logically and ask questions: 'What if he did this?' 'What if she went here instead of there?' In those cases I work it out and explore different possibilities until I find the one that makes the most sense and feels right.

And yes, sometimes you have to go back and add in later. The finished work I'm subbing now had a beginning, middle and end after 2 months and ~44K words. I knew it was too short and I knew it wasn't complete, so I spent another two months adding in. But the essential core of the story was already in place.

Hope that answers your question.

I recently wrote a novel without an outline, but I wouldn't say that I exactly made it up as I went along. I thought about each character's story in broad terms, knowing vaguely where I wanted to go, and then allowed the novel to unfold as I wrote it. Even then though, I hit a few snags, not knowing how I would tie one plot point into another.

In difficult cases, I did most (if not all) of my thinking while away from my computer, while boxing and shipping at work. My best ideas came from forcing myself to work through issues and not simply waiting for an idea to come to me.

Other times, ideas came to me while I was writing and I consciously changed plans mid-chapter.

My best suggestion at this point in the developmental process is to be extremely open to new ideas and detours. Write when you're not writing and change your plans as much as you need to until you're confident in your direction. Also, don't worry too much if previous material doesn't match up with the new plans. If the new plans are superior, fix the old work up during the editing process.

I tend to develop plot points multiply, so that one is on the backburner while another is on stage.

If I were writing three groups on a pilgrimage -- magistrate, child, and suspicious pilgrims -- I'd devote some interlocking scenes to each relationship. The magistrate may be curious about the child, who is distrustful of him. The magistrate may play cat-and-mouse with the pilgrims -- and maybe in one scene find ambiguous evidence about them. Then the magistrate (POV-character?) may overhear a conversation with child/pilgrims.

This would give the reader some provocation, some anticipation. Then at a juncture in the plot, someone would make one move, which would demand the other characters to act. The child would run away at an inopportune time; the child would disappear in a city renowned for child slavery and the magistrate would confront the pilgrims about it; the pilgrims would decide that the magistrate knows too much and decide to poison his food (but the magistrate would suspect it and switch the glasses...!); etc. etc.

For me, an external force is a terrible idea for generating conflict. All setpiece scenes should be set up well in advance. If there's going to be a battle of wits with poison, the magistrate should hear one of the pilgrims talking about 3 types of poison (2 red herrings, of course, and the true one). If there's going to be a slave trade, the magistrate should hear the child talk about how his village was ransacked and put to the sword -- but he was spared because of his talents. etc. etc.

But that's just my style! I'm sure there are a dozen good ways to add conflict to a novel.

Layla Nahar said:

I'd like to be able to sit down and write when I write and pretty much set it aside outside writing time.

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A lot of "writing" takes place away from the keyboard and in your head. Your brain needs time to compost ideas. I've found that when I'm stuck, I can often become unstuck when I walk away from the keyboard and do something physical that doesn't take full concentration. (A walk, routine housework, that sort of thing.)

I don't outline either, so each section calls for some brainstorming to see what could happen next, and what the consequences could be. And that, as others mentioned, happens in my head, not on the keyboard. So, if A happens, then X, Y, or Z could be the consequences. Do I like X, Y, and/or Z? If not, then I look at what if B happens instead. And, of course, by the time I get to the actual consequences of B, I may have come up with yet another consequence. A bit like real-life, where we make decisions and then figure out how to get out of the mess that made. lol

blacbird said:

These are the moments asteroid impacts were designed for.

caw

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Hah!

What do I personally do? I charge thru the situation, make it as relevant to the plot as I can, and wait for something to happen in the future that I can come back and link to later.

My current WIP has pulled a complete 180 on me for this reason. I had a series of events planned. When I backfilled those events went to mud. But something great came out of it--I love the story even more now with the new content!

Charge through, wait for an "Oh, yes!" moment to occur, and then tag your story back once it does.

Layla Nahar said:

yes, fairly.

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Yay!

Layla Nahar said:

What I'm really interested in is insight based on how other people come up with their own solutions. I'd like to be able to sit down and write when I write and pretty much set it aside outside writing time.

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In some ways it would be nice to compartmentalize like this, but I find I can't do it.

BethS said:

A lot of "writing" takes place away from the keyboard and in your head. Your brain needs time to compost ideas. I've found that when I'm stuck, I can often become unstuck when I walk away from the keyboard and do something physical that doesn't take full concentration. (A walk, routine housework, that sort of thing.)

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Like Beth, a lot of my 'writing' comes when I'm not writing, but when I'm doing other things. Sometimes it's a deliberate thought process, sometimes it's not, it just sort of comes to me. Non-writing times are a good time (for me) to work out problems, when I'm not necessarily pressured to get the next thing down, or feeling the weight of a story that I can't quite resolve.

Layla Nahar said:

So in my case I found myself being analytical, eg, 'what's the worst thing that can happen?' (in this case I conluded that would be losing the child he want to protect).

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Sometimes that's the best thing you can do. And even though I consider myself a 'discovery writer' or 'intuitive writer' or (yes, I'll say it, even though I hate the word) a 'pantser', I will be analytical if I feel I need to be. I actually feel pretty good right now because I did just come up with what I hope is the right solution to my own WiP problem. I could not figure out how to resolve the story. I sat down today and listed three or four logical possibilities and started writing one -- I think it's the right one. I'll hope I still feel that way when I look it over later.

There's a little creativity technique that I picked up from somewhere. Don't ask me where. May have been a cross between de Bono and de lead singer of U2. I may have even made it up myself and forgotten about it. It may or may not give the general answer that you are looking for.

If I'm stumped for a solution, I go through these steps:

1. throw out as many possible solutions as possible. Don't worry if those solutions are far-fetched or silly. Just chuck them all down. Capture the ideas on paper if it helps. The trick here is to collect as many possible solutions as possible. At this point, quantity is what counts. Quality is irrelevant. Try to be exhaustive.

2. Then look at each idea in turn. Don't ask yourself the closed question "does this work?", even though every instinct in your body wants to ask that question. Instead, ask the open question "how can I make this idea work?" For each and every possible solution on your list, imagine that your life depended on making that one solution work. Fight to find a way to make it work. Use every scrap of creativity that you possess. Be outrageous. The trick here is not to be selective. Give every solution a chance to work.

3. This is the theoretical step. Throw out the ideas that you cannot make work, no matter how hard you tried. Weigh up what is left. Choose. Evaluate. The focus here is on being honest.

I call step 3 the theoretical step because the answer nearly always pops out in step 2 (or sometimes step 1). The trick seems to be two open ended questions:

1. list every possible solution
2. for each solution, how can I make it work?

Works for me. If only I could remember where I got it from ....