Saturday, June 8, 2013

Pantser Problems


I’m really awful at outlining.

I mean, I’m just not good with plot. So, I enlisted my sister, Anni, for help. It was rather unproductive. . . Rather being relative.
 

Exact conversation between my sister and I:

ME: So, can I ask you a plot question?

ANNI: Sure.

ME: So, in my novel, one of my characters was getting blackmailed, and—

ANNI: Which one? I read the first 45 pages.

ME: Nooooo! You’re not supposed to read my first drafts.

ANNI: (smiling) So, which one?

ME: (still hoping that she didn’t actually read it) My protagonist.

ANNI: Dem?

ME: (Dang it….) Yes.

ANNI: I read up to the part where the boss Executive guy—

ME: Yeah, the boss is threatening him?

ANNI: Yeah.

ME: Okay, so he Tinkers this guy who’s mumbling something about a rebellion, and then he goes to help someone because someone’s screaming, and it’s his friend Aria—

ANNI: So is Tinkering like killing someone?

ME: Err, no! It’s just knocking them unconscious. And then they, well ....

ANNI: Sure.

ME: So what do you think I should do? Should he fight, and then go back to his job, or go back to his job, and then go back and fight?

ANNI: So, that snarky girl--

ME: Luria

ANNI: So, Dem should go to his job and Luria should rescue him and they should overthrow the government and live happily ever after!

ANNI: There’s a reason I’m not a writer.

ME: (shaking head) Okay, so fight and go back to work, or go back to work and then fight?

ANNI: Fight and then go to work.

ME: (Scribbles hasty note) Thanks.

4 comments:

  1. YES. This is Mime and me, soo so much. Except, we just give each other annoying answers to...annoy each other. It's hilarious when Mime is on this massive block and starts explaining it, and I'm like, "Why don't you just do this?" LIGHTBULB. Then off she runs to scribble it down.

    Go happily ever after Katia. Come oooooon. You know you want to. (*cough* Um. Actually, I'm pretty sure you know you DON'T want to. But still.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. See, I basically don't accept other people's ideas, because I know the plot intricacies so much better at this point. However, when I know writers in real life, that may be more of an option. And I like taking credit for my ideas.

      Well, the ending isn't happy. I'm going to spare you a jaded quote from my own novel, because I'm just that nice. Off to go write the TCWT linkup. Oops.

      Delete
  2. Hahahahahahaha love it! ;)

    -- Amanda

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, thanks. I try.
      It's pretty rough being a pantser...

      Delete

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