tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post6646200189774879560..comments2024-03-28T01:11:53.559-07:00Comments on Electric Spec Editor Blog: Chicken or the Egglesleylsmithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14872977902924014581noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-62357984179511162062011-02-14T17:13:38.405-07:002011-02-14T17:13:38.405-07:00Metaphor Alert
For me, the act of creating the st...Metaphor Alert<br /><br />For me, the act of creating the story (as opposed to <i>writing</i> the story) is a little like walking a mile. You can't walk a mile with your left foot, then bring the right foot along later. You can't create a story with only characters and then bring the plot along later, or create a good plot without characters that fill it.<br /><br />For me, I start with plot. Maybe it's big, maybe it's little. But plot, where the characters need to act. When a character acts, there's motivation to consider. Each action is driven in part by plot and also creates more plot.<br /><br />Left foot (plot) moves forward. Right foot (character) catches up, then goes ahead. Plot and character need to progress together.<br /><br />If we extend the walking-a-mile metaphor to its unfortunate extreme, we might talk about going down a path, climbing over and around obstacles, backtracking, changing our shoes, getting blisters on our toes, getting lost, asking for directions, experiencing bad weather... etc. Anyway, the point is that plot doesn't happen without character, and characters don't act without plot. Which comes first? Dunno. Plot, I guess.<br /><br />All plot and no character gives you The Da Vinci Code. All character and no plot gives you... um, something I probably didn't read.PJDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05028687955957107957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-83532062335927720522011-02-14T15:03:42.183-07:002011-02-14T15:03:42.183-07:00I always start with a question: what would person ...I always start with a question: what would person A do if they were in situation X. <br /><br />Does that mean the character first or the plot first? I don't know.Martin Willoughbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05605554706836638988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599441.post-53915671434298042152011-02-14T10:48:00.589-07:002011-02-14T10:48:00.589-07:00Interesting post, Editor B. :)
I must admit I star...Interesting post, Editor B. :)<br />I must admit I start with a big idea 99% of the time. What if ...?<br />Then, it's on to working out the details of the plot: a problem and a solution.<br />Last, I address who would be the best, most relevant person to carry the actions out.lesleylsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14872977902924014581noreply@blogger.com