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Story frustration

Amanita

Maester
Hello,
after a bit of consideration I've decided to try and ask for your help after all. I'm not really happy with my current story at all the moment and didn't do anything for weeks now. The reason isn't writer's block I believe even though stressful real life might have played a part too, but the fact that what I've already got actually has quite a few severe and objective flaws.
The beginning is really good and I still like it, but the rest doesn't want to work out properly.
My protagonist is too passive and spends too much time being unhappy about her fate.
Generally, people are worrying about their magic way too much while some keep telling them that there's no reason to and potential readers probably don't see the reason either.
A coherent thread of suspense is missing and the protagonist has too little to do with the people endangering the world, important decisions are being made by others. There isn't enough at stake.
Sounds awful, I know. I used to simply write on but after seeing stuff with similar problems in other people's works and disliking it, I realised that doing the same myself isn't a very good option either.

I'm happy with my cultures, characters, setting and magic, but what I'm missing is a proper plot. Ahem. I'm not asking you to suggest a plot for me of course, but if you have any tipps as to how I could go on about this, I'd like to hear them.
Or do you think it might be better to abandon this, at least for a while and do something completely different? I've been working on it for four years now and I've often considered this, but never brought myself to really do it. I definitely don't want to give up on the setting but maybe I have to in case of these characters and the situations they're finding themselves in. I really don't know. My protagonist is sort of stuck in her situation, because given her upbringing and the nature of her magic reacting in any other way wouldn't really make much sense, but it doesn't really make for a gripping story this way.
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
Is this still a 1st draft? That what it sounds like to me.

If so, take heed in this: A book is not written on the 1st attempt. A book is written in revision.

My advice would be to complete the work, then set it aside for 6-8 weeks while doing something else. After the weeks have passed, pick it up and read it with fresh eyes. Cut, cut, cut anything meaningless or boring.... Add characters, scenes, whatever you need to promote your conflict.

Other than this advice it's really difficult to try and help since we know very few specifics.

There is also nothing wrong with setting it aside & working on something else for awhile. The only problem there is if you do that often you may never complete a project.
 

TWErvin2

Auror
Maybe you're using the wrong POV to relay/tell the story to the reader, or the wrong POV characters? If they ones you have are not a part of the major plot elements (as they move) and the main character is too passive and not invloved, then maybe a secondary chracter would be the proper one to elevate to protagonist?

I don't know. Just a suggestion from what you described.

Sometimes a story just isn't there. Maybe there are elements that work, but as a whole, they don't fit and flow. If you have another project, there is nothing wrong in setting the current one aside and let it simmer in the background. Jot notes and ideas that come to you with respect to it, so that you're ready and better prepared should you ever move back to it.

There is only so much time and effort one has available, so it doesn't make sense to pour vital energy into 'a car that just won't go together' and even if it can be patched together, won't run satisfactorily. If it doesn't work out, save the parts and maybe some of the characters for another story, and realize that you're learning from the experience.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
My protagonist is too passive and spends too much time being unhappy about her fate.
Generally, people are worrying about their magic way too much while some keep telling them that there's no reason to and potential readers probably don't see the reason either.

Then *GIVE* them a reason. Throw in a powerful, ruthless, aggressive (but not evil or walking cliche' type character) who makes them feel this way - somebody with the power / authority to give credence to their concerns. I don't know anything of your setting, but possibly a magic hating inquisitor? A pushy ambassador from a foriegn country? A school headmaster with a hard reputation (somebody a bit like Snape from Harry Potter)?
 

Jabrosky

Banned
I'm in a similar position. I've yet to progress beyond my story's opening scene, yet I already see some critical flaws in both this scene and my outline as a whole. I really don't want to scrap the entire project, as I've scrapped way too many already, but I have lost a lot of confidence in what I have.
 

Lorna

Inkling
Maybe you're using the wrong POV to relay/tell the story to the reader, or the wrong POV characters? If they ones you have are not a part of the major plot elements (as they move) and the main character is too passive and not invloved, then maybe a secondary chracter would be the proper one to elevate to protagonist?

-highly recommended

This was the problem I had when I began drafting my first novel. The POV character who was a maid and the visionary who was her charge were pottering around fulfilling meaningless quests whilst the action was going up north in the capital where the villains were based. I decided to try writing the perspective of the 'villain' who burnt the town where my original POV character lived. His story was way more interesting so I axed the first POV and made the 'villain' my protagonist. The only time I've been able to set it down since is when other work has got in the way.
 

Amanita

Maester
Thank you for your comments so far. I've finished a first draft of the actual story about three years ago. The current one is the second version and actually the fourth version of the beginning but I always failed to go on in the later versions. One of the problems is the fact that I have too much sympathy for the antagonists. The current political and social systems of my world are so flawed that their vision wouldn't really be much worse. In case of my main character's people it would actually be more of an improvement. They don't have any real reasons to want to harm the protagonist either. This sort of makes me understand why people choose prophecies and Dark Lords and the like. Having a "dark side" like say Harry Potter does makes things much easier. This kind of thing doesn't really fit my story though.
A school headmaster with a hard reputation
I already have someone like that and the scenes with him are among the ones I like best. ;) Still, due to the lack of a "dark side" there isn't much that makes him better than the antagonists.
Maybe I should keep it as a story about the protagonist learning about her magic, finding out more about herself and growing from girl to woman. Somehow, I'd like to have more than this though and there are other important characters as well.

Edit: Funny that you're writing this now, Lorna. ;) For some reason, my villainess seems to be more fascinating than my protagonist too. She has faced plenty of human-caused trouble too while my protagonist's problems before the start of the story are due to more or less natural or at least impersonal catastrophies with little bearing on the plot. Still I can't really bring myself to turn her into the protagonist just yet.

Sorry for the rambling, but I'm trying to think this through at the moment and write what comes to my mind.
 
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ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
Thank you for your comments so far. I've finished a first draft of the actual story about three years ago. The current one is the second version and actually the fourth version of the beginning but I always failed to go on in the later versions. One of the problems is the fact that I have too much sympathy for the antagonists. The current political and social systems of my world are so flawed that their vision wouldn't really be much worse. In case of my main character's people it would actually be more of an improvement. They don't have any real reasons to want to harm the protagonist either. This sort of makes me understand why people choose prophecies and Dark Lords and the like. Having a "dark side" like say Harry Potter does makes things much easier. This kind of thing doesn't really fit my story though.

Ok, then...they still need a problem to confront. If not a Dark Lord, then how about

1) a classic serial killer type, one who is 'protected' somehow, because he or she belongs to either the aristocracy or the military - somebody's 'black project' that got loose. Give said serial killer a goal that is clear to him/her even if it is insane to others.

2) an impersonal 'natural' menace, such as a plague, fire, or a flood, where the normal measures simply do not work, or are evn being actively hindered somehow. Let various factions attempt to exploit said menace, even if it makes matters worse.
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
Jabrosky said:
I'm in a similar position. I've yet to progress beyond my story's opening scene, yet I already see some critical flaws in both this scene and my outline as a whole. I really don't want to scrap the entire project, as I've scrapped way too many already, but I have lost a lot of confidence in what I have.

All authors lack confidence in each work. Doubt never fails to creep in somewhere. You just have to keep faith, push forward, & commit to making it all come together (and improve the writing)with each revision.
 

Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
To me it sounds like you're having trouble with the structure of the story. If you use a three act structure. There are certain types of things that need to happen in the acts and the transitions from one act to another. There are various theories on structure. No one structure is right, but knowing structure(s), allows me to view a story from differ angles and see what I have and what's missing. I use three different structures to shape my stories. There's the classic 3 act structure, there's a 15 story beat structure that I found in a screen writing book called Save the Cat, and finally there's the seven point plot structure, described by author Dan Wells, I found on youtube.

Here's a simple run down of how I see a story. It's not original, but maybe it'll give you ideas. I'll use Star Wars as an example.

Act 1 - Approx 25% of the book

- Introduce the main character in their normal life. - Luke on the farm, dreaming of being like his father.

- Inciting incident - starts the story in motion that will result in the main character being pushed out of their normal world and into the story world. - they buy the R2 and C3P0, eventually leading Luke to Ben and the Empire to the farm.

- Break into act 2 - the point where the main character moves from their normal world and into the story world. The main character must make a conscious choice to do this. - Luke chooses to follow Ben after the farm is razed by stormtroopers.

Act 2 pt 1 - Approx 25% of story

- enter the story world - Luke and Ben enter the Mosiesly Cantena and see all those aliens.

- Act 2 pt 1 is also what's call the fun and games section of the story. It's where the basic premise of a story is fulfilled. Star Wars, the basic premise is the good guys fight the Empire. And that's what Luke and Ben do. It's where a lot of the cool stuff you see in movie trailers happens. Eg. "These are not the droids you are looking for", Ben whipping out the lightsabre in the cantina, meeting Han Solo and fighting Tie Fighters, etc.

- Story Mid Point - this is a very significant point in the story. It's where the fun and games stop and it's back to the main story. It can be a very high point for the heroes, a false Victory (In LOTR it's when they reach Rivendale and meet Elrond), or a very low point, a false defeat. In Star Wars it's when the Millennium Falcon arrives at a blown up Alderan and gets tractor beamed into the Deathstar.

Act 2 pt 2 - Approx 25% of story

- if there's a false victory, then this is where the bad guys regroup and come back at the heroes harder.

- if there's a false defeat, then this is where the heroes hunker down and come up with a plan. In Star Wars they hide in a smuggling hold and when the coast is clear, Ben goes to turn off the power to the tractor beam, and Luke and Han go save the princess.

- Break into act 3 - at this point the heroes have everything they need to win. In Star Wars, they have the princess and the plans to the Deathstar and they have the force.

Act 3 - Approx 25% of story

- The heroes formulate a plan for victory and try to execute it. - Star Wars, send X-Wings to hit the thermal exhaust port and blow up the Deathstar.

- Some where in this act there will be a moment that will be diametrically opposite of what happened at the mid-point, either a false victory or false defeat. In Star Wars, the midpoint was a false defeat, so the false victory in this act is when a X-Wing hits the thermal exhaust port but it doesn't penetrate.

- The plan for victory should fall apart, and the hero has to formulate a new plan on the fly. - In Star Wars, Luke is trying to hit the exhaust port using the targeting computer when Ben speaks to him, telling him to use the force. Luke listens and hits the target, and it's Victory.

Hopefully this makes a bit of sense.
 
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In my experience, when the story seems dull, it's because there is no conflict. You can have conflict between characters (as ThinkerX suggested), between characters and their environment, or within a character. Add all three types, with as many variations, as you think you can handle. You need to challenge (some might say "torture") your protagonist to the limit. What's the worst thing that could happen to her/him? Make that (or the threat of it) part of your plot.

If that doesn't work, take an objective look at what you have and compare it to what you want to have. You may need to jettison parts of your work that don't belong, or you may need to adjust parts that don't work. You may need to change a character or the role a character plays in the plot. You may need to consolidate events or make them more/less important.

Never forget that you control the world your characters inhabit, even if you don't always control the characters. Don't be afraid to make changes that will improve your story.
 
Oh, how I understand your frustration. I was going through something similar with a story I have been working on. I criticized it every time I looked at it. It made me so depressed.

What helped me was switching to an entirely new project, while giving a loving promise to the first story that I would come back to it and finish it. I am now at 28,000 words on the new project and my confidence is high. I have even gone back and looked at the first story with fresh eyes, and I see all kinds of things that I really like about it. I say, "Oh, that little problem can be fixed by doing such and such, oh...I know, why don't I do this?" Starting a new project has kickstarted my creative process and that kickstart has helped me revitalize my first story.

You don't have to abandon your story. But you may find taking a break to write something else will really help. Don't take a break from writing, just that particular story, you know what I mean? It helped me so much.
 

BWFoster78

Myth Weaver
You say that your character is too passive, which indicates, as Shorthair noted earlier, a lack of conflict. Try this:

Step 1. For each scene, clearly identify your character's goal. It can be as simple as making dinner or crossing a rope bridge or saving the damsel in distress, but make sure that you understand, for that scene, what the protagonist wants to accomplish.

Step 2. Create an obstacle preventing your protagoinist from attaining the goal.

Step 3. Write the scene.

Step 4. If it still seems too passive, increase the protagoinist's desire to attain the goal and the strength of the obstacle to prevent it.

Hope that helps.
 

Amanita

Maester
Thank you very much, all of you.
I think I've figured something out. I'll cut the plotline around the great but distant antagonists in this story and will focus on the one member of the antagonistic group who's actually one of the magic teachers. He does have various reasons to hate the protagonist and he's close enough to affect her life directly. This also helps me avoid two other problems as well, the story getting too long for a first novel and not being a stand-alone.
The way I think I'll do it now, the antagonist of this story is defeated in the end and it's not clear that he's part of a larger group during the course of this story though this becomes clear within the potential sequel if that will ever exist and if not, it'll work on its own.
I'll also take your tipps concerning story structure and dealing with specific scenes into account, maybe this will help as well. I'm not quite sure if I'm going to write this right away or do something else first though, but that's mine to decide. ;)
 
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