9When a story starts developing unforeseen subplots and themes, what do you do? Do you tough it out (like the masochistic writer that you are), or do you revise the work so you don’t make a fool of yourself?
How often have you pulled off the subplot you did not anticipate?
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maybe you complete your story as originally planned and use the subplots and themes to create a parallel post…I mean you post it under your stories title and let it stand a lone or make it the ballad of pike and archer. Not making myself very clear because I don’t know how to explain what I mean. Could be the pov’s of various characters or different verses of the story. sorry just brain storming here.
I try to avoid subplot, becasue they tend to either run out of control, or they all but forgotten by the end of the story and I have to make something up to tie up the loose ends. I’m trying now to write a fic with a subplot that is built into the original outline, so I hopeful won’t embarrass myself. My advise is if you want to work in the subplot take time to write out in advance how you want it to go and where in the main story it take place, then go with it. I wish you luck.
I find if I write and subplot happens, I tend to run out of steam before the subplot does. I will take your advice and think long and hard about how/when I can work in the subplot and what that does to the story overall. We wouldn’t want it to take over the original plot, after all!
Depending on how much time I have, I usually like to leave a fic that’s not going so well alone for a few days (ideally longer) to see how it matures. It helps clarify what’s necessary to the story/plot/readability versus things that just happen to be bouncing off the insides of my skull at the moment. :)
versus things that just happen to be bouncing off the insides of my skull at the moment LOL. 95% of my writing is a result of this, I think. And you are totally right about the taking a step back approach. After a day or so, I can always see the gaps in what I wrote and how to make things just plain better. :)
I think any story of substance I’ve ever written has ended up nothing like my original intent – and I believe only once have I regretted rolling with it. For what its worth. :) I think you have to trust your own writerly instincts; you’re a fabulous enough writer that your gut should be your most valuable recommendation.
your gut should be your most valuable recommendation This is the best rule-of-writing-in-a-nutshell I have ever come across. Our instincts may be valuable but can we assume they are right every time? Hm.
if other themes show up in my work, yay, what a cool coinkydink. if unexpected subplot shows up in my work, yay, unexpected depth for the win. but that’s because no matter how much i plan my stuff out, i never have any real idea what the hell i’m going to say when i sit down to write a story. for me, those unexpected detours in the outline are the reason i write. im actually more likely to pull off an unanticipated subplot than the original outlined idea. that’s the main reason i tend to avoid posting chapter by chapter, because i’ll get to the end of the first draft and realize that everything i thought i was talking about is completely irrelevant to whatever i wind up with.
for me, those unexpected detours in the outline are the reason i write Amen to this! Often I feel like, even if I outline things, I still don’t know where half of the things I write come from. Yeah, maybe they follow the outline vaguely but… it just seems like we discover as we go along, no matter what we want!