How much do you rely on specific writing steps?

[Michael K. Eidson]

This question is about the set of steps you follow when writing a story. If you write different types of stories (e.g., novels vs. short stories, romance vs. fantasy), feel free to pick one answer for one type of story and another answer for another type of story.

 

[Heliotrope]

What about "I have a variety of steps I use, but pick and choose the steps depending on the type, and length of the story" ?

At any rate, I picked the third option. It was the closest.

 

[Michael K. Eidson]

What about "I have a variety of steps I use, but pick and choose the steps depending on the type, and length of the story" ?

At any rate, I picked the third option. It was the closest.

As my first post said, you're allowed to select multiple answers, one for each type of writing you do.

 

[Heliotrope]

Got it. Changed it.

 

[Devor]

I voted that I follow the steps every time. But the steps are not.... I mean, I think of a thing. I think of what I need to support that thing (MC lives in a castle on a moving island. Okay, what is everything that implies if I really think about it?). After that I sketch out some tertiary placeholder stuff so I'm not missing anything. I fill in the placeholders as I go.

So that's primary idea, secondary support, tertiary filler. And I kind of repeat it a bit going into character, plot, and setting.

For example, for plot, I might think, the MC recklessly puts himself in a tight spot and breaks the ship-castle's rudder. Cool drama - especially if it's a magic and seemingly irreplaceable rudder. That has to mean layers of bad things, Are they now directionless? Or did they stop moving? Big consequences to either, but I can get to those later. The MC now has the following problems:

- He's too afraid to face the people back home because of the damage he's caused.
- The damage is going to hurt a lot of people's livelihoods or worse.
- The conflict that caused him to break the rudder continues unresolved.
- Breaking the rudder exposes a new and surprising conflict undermining the history of the sailing castle.

Now I have to pay special attention to the character as I create him to make sure that I support those key plot points.....

So there's layers to it. It keeps building as every new concept implies several more.

Also, this story is just an example I came up with now, not one I've thought about.

 

[pmmg]

I think i fall somewhere between 3 and 4. Any formal steps i might follow are kind of loosely founded in my head. I would not say i always just go where a whim takes me, some governing principles apply but i dont have a set rules i follow for the whole of writing in general. I may for an indiviual work though.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

I went with #3, but the better answer might be: I have core steps that will always be used but they aren’t in the same order, LOL.

 

[Michael K. Eidson]

I went with #3, but the better answer might be: I have core steps that will always be used but they aren’t in the same order, LOL.

The choices say nothing about the order of the steps. It would seem #2 would be a better fit for the situation you describe.