![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fangrrl_squeesI won't ever complain about the outlining process again. Well, I might, but I'll acknowledge that I'm just whining.
Outlining isn't terribly easy for me. I keep wanting to lapse into full-out drafting of the story, so I have to grit my teeth and remind myself what the point of the exercise is - and that it's okay if my outline turns out three times as long as the finished product. That's what editing is for - but I've got to keep the purpose of the outline in mind and not go wandering off into, say, character-exposition-land.
I've reached the point where I'm ready to outline Descendant and so, yesterday afternoon during a quiet few minutes at work, I got to it. About four pages in, the following note (to myself) manifested with startling ease: If I was half as good at this plotting thing as I should be, something needs to come out from left field and t-bone the scene RIGHT NOW. And, by gum, I was right. It's like that moment in a screenplay - the first Inciting Incident, I think McKimson calls it in his excellent book Story. It's no later than the end of the first act - usually halfway through - and shoves the newly-established (but established enough) characters into a new situation that challenges them/changes their situation, whilst simultaneously maintaining the viewers' interest. And, oh yeah, it's the first introduction of your overall plot for the story - at least, I think that's what it's supposed to be. It's been a while since I've read the book. I try to get to it once a year, or so, but the three weeks of Oh, god, I suck that I put myself through each time I read it is such a bother...
I'd gotten as far as establishing the initial setting and the gang warily eyeballing each other with varying degrees of trust. Some concessions had been made, some hadn't. As I crept up towards the giant void known as The Middle, the second BFOtO of the day struck me. I was hoping for inspiration - as I'm still quite fuzzy on what The Middle will be - but I'll settle for this, as it's just as good, really. Knowing I need something out of left field (but still plausible, of course) gives me something to focus on as I try to think about what that thing may be. In all probability, it'll be my As Yet Unnamed Antagonist to Sleer/Servalan (I really need to get caught up on my naming) or an Unpleasant, Alien, Totally-Outside-Of-All-Our-Characters'-Purview thing. That latter is a bit challenging to come up with, because over the course of 52 eps, the B7 crew ran into a lot of Weird ShitTM. But I'll give it a think as I'm re-watching the show and ruling stuff out. At least I don't have to worrier about being cheezier than my source material - I don't think it's possible.
Unexpected bonus #2 - this work has me thinking about tackling The Zombie Plot Bunny Screenplay of Doom's outline again. I reached the end of the first act and froze up completely. Maaaaaybe, I can break through that block, this time - I try about once a year or so, as I can't seem to accept the idea that maybe the story just stinks.
Outlining isn't terribly easy for me. I keep wanting to lapse into full-out drafting of the story, so I have to grit my teeth and remind myself what the point of the exercise is - and that it's okay if my outline turns out three times as long as the finished product. That's what editing is for - but I've got to keep the purpose of the outline in mind and not go wandering off into, say, character-exposition-land.
I've reached the point where I'm ready to outline Descendant and so, yesterday afternoon during a quiet few minutes at work, I got to it. About four pages in, the following note (to myself) manifested with startling ease: If I was half as good at this plotting thing as I should be, something needs to come out from left field and t-bone the scene RIGHT NOW. And, by gum, I was right. It's like that moment in a screenplay - the first Inciting Incident, I think McKimson calls it in his excellent book Story. It's no later than the end of the first act - usually halfway through - and shoves the newly-established (but established enough) characters into a new situation that challenges them/changes their situation, whilst simultaneously maintaining the viewers' interest. And, oh yeah, it's the first introduction of your overall plot for the story - at least, I think that's what it's supposed to be. It's been a while since I've read the book. I try to get to it once a year, or so, but the three weeks of Oh, god, I suck that I put myself through each time I read it is such a bother...
I'd gotten as far as establishing the initial setting and the gang warily eyeballing each other with varying degrees of trust. Some concessions had been made, some hadn't. As I crept up towards the giant void known as The Middle, the second BFOtO of the day struck me. I was hoping for inspiration - as I'm still quite fuzzy on what The Middle will be - but I'll settle for this, as it's just as good, really. Knowing I need something out of left field (but still plausible, of course) gives me something to focus on as I try to think about what that thing may be. In all probability, it'll be my As Yet Unnamed Antagonist to Sleer/Servalan (I really need to get caught up on my naming) or an Unpleasant, Alien, Totally-Outside-Of-All-Our-Characters'-Purview thing. That latter is a bit challenging to come up with, because over the course of 52 eps, the B7 crew ran into a lot of Weird ShitTM. But I'll give it a think as I'm re-watching the show and ruling stuff out. At least I don't have to worrier about being cheezier than my source material - I don't think it's possible.
Unexpected bonus #2 - this work has me thinking about tackling The Zombie Plot Bunny Screenplay of Doom's outline again. I reached the end of the first act and froze up completely. Maaaaaybe, I can break through that block, this time - I try about once a year or so, as I can't seem to accept the idea that maybe the story just stinks.
