Oh Slinky...How I deplore you...Also known as that D@mned Tangled Knot

[reed]

So, what are some good ways to fixing my damn slinky from tangled bent metal to "slinky, slinky, everyone loves a slinky" or as a friend put it to me, untying the tiny 1000 times knotted string of ideas in my head?

I've heard meditation, psychotropic drugs (which I would never suggest or do), running, drinking (alcohol, tea, warm milk, etc...), other...unsavory...physical activities and other senseless, meaningless ramblings of helpful people being unhelpful. I'm stuck and need ideas.

What works for you people to finally sit down and get the ballpoint rolling or the fingers dancing on the keyboard?

Reed

[Moritz]

I write all ideas down and sort them when I am not making up new things. when enough ideas clog together for something I really think is worth it, I start writing.
up to now, I have only finished two short stories, which both didn't make it in competitions. I am dabbling with 4 stories now which came out of those idea lists. in fact, one story is based on a massive idea list, in which I created one small idea a day for three months (that way lies insanity, BTW).

[Spectacular Sameth]

Make an outline. You don't have to follow it, but it helps unravel the jumbled thoughts of a story. Also, I've been known to let my subconscious do the writing. I'll sit and listen to music and sort of zone out while my fingers do the writing. Okay, so it's probably not really my subconscious doing the writing, but it does help quite a bit.

[SunPhoenix]

Can always try the comically large Q-tip and just write whatever information down comes out thats on the ear-wax. (I'm feeling slightly ecstatic and elated.)

[meg_evonne]

(I'm feeling slightly ecstatic and elated.)

I'm not feeling so ecstatic nor elated as they just cancelled my writer's workshop after having arrived in the city. Yes, it is horrid and I understand that the 500 year flood has hit and it'll be cresting in IA City as we start--but I'd finally gotten gutsy enough to go to one.  Now I have to build up that confidence again...

Wrestling with slinky.  (I like the image of the slinky!)  Jim's idea was a really big, huge poster board and post it notes.  Tried it and it worked pretty well.  Easy to pick up scenes and move them somewhere else as things settle into place, also lets you see right away where the holes might be.  I used different color sticky notes so I could keep the mini and the major story archs straight.   The huge board also leaves you room to start character, place fact sheets and you can't lose the d*** thing.  It resides on the dining room table or some other place because it's so big and is a constant reminder to get back to work on it!  LOL

I also like excel worksheets. Break it into sections, then set up columns-->I. Title of each scene, II.Action/what happens, III. WHY the scene is important or WHY it exists or is necessary, IV. word count.  You can shift things up and down, insert, delete, drag unclear sections down into the bottom.  Also later it makes putting the synopsis together easier because you can start with cut/paste.  (Don't kill yourself with Chapter numbers.  They change all the time as you work anyway.)

Best news, you'll have scenes that are definite keepers.  You can use the Title on word doc and start writing as a break from organizing. 

Something about Jim's big huge poster board and different color sticky notes though makes it a master piece of enjoyment.  Sort of the same satisfaction of having finally completed a really huge, tiny piece puzzle.  It's tactile vs the cerebral excel sheet. 

Good writing!

[blgarver]

I'm one of those unstructured writers that everyone in creative writing class laughs at.

Instead of developing the story as I'm writing the first draft, however, i've started writing a treatment.  It's similar to an outline, but not as rigid and formulaic (sp?).  It's used in screenwriting to pitch the full lenght script.  It's like a 5, 10, 15 or whatever page version, written in complete prose, covering the core plot and character arcs.  No details or art about the treatment, just: "John and Susan use their newfound knowledge to break into Mr. Burke's office.  After some rummaging, they discover bomb blueprints and detailed city maps in a hidden compartment in the wall.  As they discuss the revelation that their boss is a villainous mastermind, they hear footsteps in the hallway and Mr. Burke's familiar whistle."  And so on and so forth, through all the major scenes of the book.

This method lets me avoid the rigidity of an outline, yet lets me develop the plot and characters before I begin the actual first draft.  And after I do the treatment I can transfer it all to notecards if I wish, but I don't personally.  Notecards are too structured for me.

Those are my two cents.

BLG

[meg_evonne]

so Reed, fess up.  Did you get the slinky to behave?  If so how?  "-)  couple oreos for you for your time. 

[reed]

so Reed, fess up.  Did you get the slinky to behave?  If so how?  "-)  couple oreos for you for your time. 

So far I've only added more kinks in the metal that is my slinky. I've added to somethings which is nice, but the worst of it is that I've come up with 5 new cultures and nations and have another 3-4 floating around waiting for some lightning to strike and charge them up.

The real kicker for me right now that's bogging me down is name creation, and it's mostly cause I can't continue on context with each culture/society/nation that I come up with. I keep coming up with names for things but none of the names coincide/jive/mesh well with the ones I came up with prior to the first. (ex. I came up with the name Sunvalla as a city name, but I can't come up with a name for the kingdom, and while I was attempting to do so I came up with the name Holiced which sparked me to jot down about 10 pages of descriptions and notes on a Northern (polar) Empire that is riddled with Dragons, Humans, and all sorts of mythical/fantastic creatures of the cold.)

I think what I need to do is be completely random in my approach and try not to come up with things one at a time but rather just let it all unfold from my mind as it comes and when I hit a Stop sign or road block, take the notes I have and try and compile them into something cohesive, if not incomplete.

Well, time to work on the magic of the world and try and come up with ideas for spells, spell schools, and how it's all going to start in the first place...oh, that gives me a good idea for a middle history of the world.......maybe I just need to start sound boarding ideas off of people...D@MN YOU SLINKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[meg_evonne]

So far I've only added more kinks in the metal that is my slinky. I've added to somethings which is nice, but the worst of it is that I've come up with 5 new cultures and nations and have another 3-4 floating around waiting for some lightning to strike and charge them up.

  Holy cow!  Maybe time for a bunch of short stories for each and then use the ones that have staying power in the novel?  Sounds like a plan to hijack readers into the NeverNever. JB fans would appreciate but other readers might get crabby!   :-)

[Moritz]

ideas for spells, spell schools, and how it's all going to start in the first place...oh, that gives me a good idea for a middle history of the world.......

Sounds a lot like D&D to me. Don't you just come up with spells when they are needed in the story?

[reed]

Sounds a lot like D&D to me. Don't you just come up with spells when they are needed in the story?

Yes and no. At least in my opinion that is. I've found that in my writing a spell when it's needed is the general thing that works for a lot of things, and it's usually in a magic system that is more found in random imaginative magic system rather than in some form of compunctionary, formulaic magic system. For me, having a plan on my spells and actually planning out the Magical Theory is a bit more structured for me. Granted, if the need arises to invent something magical or a spell that hasn't been figured out quite yet I will do so, but I've almost completely figured out what I'm going to do in regards to the Magic Theory and Structure of the Natural Laws of Magic in my world. So, yeah, no random creating for me, at least not completely random I should say.