Tiered Writing Method

[Northern]

I'm always fascinated about how people get the images in their head into words onto the page. So I thought I would share my method.
The best way I can think to describe it is writing in 'tiers'.


Tier 1 - This is the first draft I do for a scene. It is 100% telling, no showing at all. The idea is to just to get the skeleton of the story onto the page. This is really basic and is not really acceptable for any final story.

Example: Jack was hungry so he decided to go to the kitchen to find something to eat.


Tier 2 - This basically converts the idea from above from a telling sentence into a showing sentence. This is probably good enough for most unimportant things.

Example: The rumbling in Jack's stomach reminded him that he had not eaten since breakfast. He remembered that there were some leftovers in the fridge from the previous night and made his way to the kitchen.


Tier 3 - This is similar to the previous tier but it engages the point of view characters senses. I try to aim for this level of description for most things if I can.

Example: The scent of freshly cooked bread filled Jack's nose, sending his stomach into a rolling rumble that cascaded through his body. He made his way to the kitchen in an attempt to find something to silence the annoying sensation.


Tier 4 -This level of detail is pretty much reserved for the really important moments. Like the main character finally getting the killing blow on his mortal enemy, or some earth shattering revelation that changes his world forever. It is overkill and overblown for this example, but this is what it would look like:

Example: Jack's stomach clenched. His limbs trembled with hunger. ' I must have sustenance!' His mind shrieked. Jack staggered toward the kitchen with the last of his rapidly draining strength in a desperate search of something to slay the demon that grew within his belly.


The whole idea behind this method is that I don't waste a lot of time writing a scene that I may end up just deleting later on if it doesn't fit. I ask myself - Is this a tier 2 or tier 4 moment? When I decide how much time and effort to invest into a scene. In my experience it is easier to spot logic errors and story gaps if you write small and then upgrade things later.

But that's just me, if anyone would like to share their method I would like to hear about it.

 

[Night Gardener]

My technique is similar. I think of it as 'layering'. I identify most as a waypoint writer. Some things are very clear and need to happen, but I write out spontaneous ideas in between.

My 'first draft' is an outline, "proof of concept". Reads more like a screen play. Very sparse with details, but I do try to focus on character dialogue. I leave writing or mood/imagery prompts for myself to expand on through the next few rounds of layering in details. So sparse, at times, I leave notes like "outdoors, raining" or "indoors, dark room", "blood freezing into the snow", etc. Simultaneously, I am developing backstories for world building and individual characters. Not every single detail will make it into the final draft, but it's there for reference.

Then, the logistical details are tackled to get all of the wrinkles out of the plot, and clues or imagery, get finalized. Details and descriptions that have to be consistent for the plot to work properly are expanded. I have a lot of intrique going on with this WIP, so I have to monitor what information is given to the reader where and why.

The next layer is the "brain-candy". All the fanciful details and fun, imaginative stuff goes in. Also, tweaking of backstories, lore, etc.

Then, final draft includes editing for grammar and such.

Between all of this, is both sequential and detail editing. I move scenes (chapters) around quite a bit, sometimes they get the ax never to return. I write on loose leaf paper, so it's pretty easy for me to literally reshuffle the WIP around. Plus, I get to sketch and leave notes for myself. I don't get to write for lengthy sessions consistently, so being able to jot down ideas and notes and stick it in a folder is paramount to my ability to stay engaged.

 

[Northern]

Thanks for the reply. It's good to know that I'm not totally alone in my approach to writing.

The more I read about writing techniques in books and on the internet the more I grow irritated with the tired old adage of "Show, don't tell."

I feel it is just such a generic guideline to writing. I understanding the idea behind it, but it doesn't really help a beginning writer since in the end all writing is 'telling' when you really get down to it. It's right there in the name of the craft - storytelling. We are putting symbols on a page not creating a pop-up book that acts out the character's motions when the reader pulls on a tab.

A better term I guess would be to "use words that trigger emotions and physical senses to make the reader feel like they are experiencing the story instead of just dictating the events to them", but I guess that is not as easily marketable for the self help instructional market.

And that's something I feel is better worked towards. Trying to go from a blank page to a fully flesh out draft like most writing resources suggest to do just breeds frustration in novice writers.

 

[Night Gardener]

Everyone develops their own techniques. Advice geared towards beginning writers offer some technical and critical insights, but developing your own "voice" takes practice and time. The shortcut to explain a lot of those insightful guidelines gets rolled into the 'show, don't tell" mantra.

There's a lot of complexities to successful storytelling. I think it's more important to write and evolve your own instincts for refinements, then not write at all. Get the story(ies) out of your head, that's the most important thing for novice writers. And accept critiques when offered and solicit them.

I'm in the 'maybe this will be publishable someday' camp. Right now, I'm too busy story crafting to care if this work would ever be marketable or profitable.
And, a lot of advice is geared to get new would-be authors in a better position to be marketable. There's nothing wrong with that persay, but I think it can stiffle budding creativity and dull the writer's instincts. It's incredible that the Harry Potter series was picked-up, as it was very atypical for the age demographics. Lord of the Rings would probably be rejected by publishers if it were written today.

Back to your thread: I have other friends (writers) who are weirded out by my writing process. I grew up when 'powerpointing' was drilled into us for accademic note-taking. This writing technique of mine could be described as a maxed-out version of that organization and thinking style.

Whatever this is, it's working for me with the time and resources I have. My WIP is toted around between a couple of binders. There's papers in the pockets, in the rings, and hundreds of index cards and post it notes flitting about. It all makes sense to *me*, but it's not in a reader [user] friendly format that can be reviewed or shared for the majority of the process.

 

[Northern]

Point of view is another thing that I struggle with at times . Pretty much every writing resource agrees to either stick with first person or third person limited. Harry Potter as you mentioned is an oddball since it is written in omniscient view point which is why so many publishers originally passed on it since that style is seen as being archaic these days.

First person is fairly straight forward, but third person has a lot of quirks to it. Depending on where you place you 'camera' around the POV character.

For example a sentence like this written in third person:

The sound of birds crashing out of the bushes drew Jack's attention. He turned his head just in time to see a deer disappear into the undergrowth.

On the surface this seems fine, but editors will point out that since we are in the POV character's head, we don't need to include sensory verbs like see or heard. So then the sentence becomes this:

Birds crashing out of the bushes drew Jack's attention. He turned his head just in time as a deer disappear into the undergrowth.

But then most editors would probably recommend dropping the directional words all together with the idea being that you want the reader to feel like they are experiencing what is happening themselves and not feel like a bystander watching it play out in front of them. So in the end you are left with something that feels (at least to me it does) overly basic like this:

Birds crashed out of the bushes as a deer disappeared into the undergrowth.


But like you said it's all about find you own voice in the end but it doesn't make it any less of a frustrating balancing act between trying to be both technically correct and entertaining at the same time.

 

[Night Gardener]

Voice, to me, is more important than 'technically correct'. Try rewriting one chapter of Harry Potter in 3rd person perfect. It's just too horrible to contemplate. And, editors are very trend conscientious. They'll promote a writing format and style that sells. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't allow for quirks and outliers to succeed commercially as a rule. They're subjected to editorial vivisection or outright rejection. Which, again, is what makes the HP series so marvelous. And, it was a major work from a first-time author who may have had some understanding of trends, modern writing, etc. and went "nope" to write the story she actually wanted.