Anyone write accidental books?

JustSarah · Oct 30, 2014

By this I mean, you have a bunch of short stories that initially started out as separate arcs. For example:

1. An arc of the pig.
2. An arc of the squirrel.
3. An arc of the large bat.

But then later they end up forming something more? This ended up happening with my last book. Though I'm unsure at the moment if it's a chapter book or middle grade. (Around 15,500 words.)

I know I'd be within chapter book word count by trimming off 500 words or so.

MJWare · Oct 30, 2014

That's a first for me. However, I know writing a short story, or even just a scene for fun can often lead to an entire book.

Sometimes I like to dig through the old stuff that I've shelved to look for lost ideas.

I'm glad your shorts turned into a book--seems like one of those 'once is a blue moon' type things.

Good Luck with it!

JustSarah · Oct 30, 2014

I think the experience taught me too, that I shouldn't try to limit a novel to a seven point structure I guess.

It's also making me wonder why I didn't think of it sooner. I wouldn't have stopped at 10,000 words for Song Of Lost Youth, if I knew the particular method that helps now.

Editing The Hatchling Saga is going to be hard though, I just know it.;/

gingerwoman · Oct 30, 2014

I imagine all pantsers writer "accidental books". That's if they are 100% pantser.

Supergirlofnc · Oct 30, 2014

I'm not sure I've written an accidental book per se, but a lot of times I have to write to figure out where my books going. So in a way, they're all accidental. (I may be a hopeless pantser who wants to be a plotter...)

JustSarah · Nov 1, 2014

I'm starting to wonder more and more how much of a pantser I am actually. I'm finding myself loving some parts of outlining yet hating others.

For example I love drawing fantasy maps and sketching characters. Maybe even writing the ending. Yet more and more the outlining I did for Nymphs Of Winter Fire feels increasingly restrictive to the flow I'm wanting.

Like I'm wanting "a series of adventures about various arcs of change within the main character" instead of "a self-contained story where a MC undergoes a single change or development."

Jamesaritchie · Nov 1, 2014

gingerwoman said:
I imagine all pantsers writer "accidental books". That's if they are 100% pantser.

I'm 100% "panster". I'm as panster as it's possible to get, but there's nothing accidental about anything I write.

Jamesaritchie · Nov 1, 2014

JustSarah said:
I think the experience taught me too, that I shouldn't try to limit a novel to a seven point structure I guess.
.;/

There's a seven point structure for novels? I've had eighteen novels published now, but I had no idea.

Can you list the seven points?

JustSarah · Nov 2, 2014

Oh just to be clear it's not anything I agree with, but I watching Dan Wells youtube videos on the hook, plot turn, pinch, midpoint, SP, SPT, and resolution.

I don't personally agree with it, but that's how it is I guess.

nealraisman · Nov 3, 2014

Okay I need to know what a pantster is please. Not a term I know. As for accidental bonks. I just finished one or at least I think it is a book for kids, picture book perhaps but not sure. It has 1000 words. Started as a short thing and grew. Can a picture book have 1000 words?

Debbie V · Nov 3, 2014

A pantser is someone who writes by the seat of his pants, no planning needed.

I think 15,000 is long for a chapter book. I thought they went to about 10,000, maybe 12,000 words.

gingerwoman · Nov 4, 2014

Jamesaritchie said:
I'm 100% "panster". I'm as panster as it's possible to get, but there's nothing accidental about anything I write.

If it's not accidental, that would indicate there was some planning.

JustSarah · Nov 5, 2014

Actually it wasn't totally accidental. I had plotted each individual story seperately, not originally intending each one to become a whole. It was when I threw in an intermediary character that I ended up pantsing 15,000 words.

Yea like Spiderwick volume three is like 9,000 words.

Edit: Well it happened again. I'm just going to stop assuming stories are done till I can see if I can make the character's fit elsewhere or rewrite the thing.

Anyone write accidental books?

JustSarah

MJWare

Kidlit gang, Junior member.

JustSarah

gingerwoman

Supergirlofnc

New fish; Swimming with the current

JustSarah

Jamesaritchie

Jamesaritchie

JustSarah

nealraisman

tenured at Mammon U

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others

gingerwoman

JustSarah