wherein Liz grumbles about issues in writing

[edenfalling]

Wrote a page of an original story last night, and then outlined the rest of the story up to the crisis point -- I'm not sure where to go after that because all the options have flaws and which one I pick will kind of depend on how the characters develop up to that point. I have a feeling I'm going to spend something like 5 pages making them argue through all the options until they come down on one of the various sides. After which I can then edit out 3-4 of those pages.

I had to do something like while writing "Bluebell," which is why I know this is going to happen. I spent about 5 pages in that story arguing the ethics of assisted suicide in a particular case, trying to make the characters go down one path, only to have them ultimately reach a different conclusion. Very irritating. It did work better that way than it would have in my original outline, but it was a pain in the neck to write.

Anyway, my original story, "Beauty," is a retelling of "Ricky of the Tuft," a fairy-tale which has always simultaneously drawn me in and repelled me, because I've never been comfortable with its treatment of various social issues. And now, as I rewrite it, I'm realizing that any way I resolve the situation is going to make me somewhat uncomfortable, because there are no perfect solutions. Any option I pick has certain implications, when taken to its logical conclusion, that I don't like.

Comments

[edenfalling]

Irreparable flaws? If you still enjoy the story, then analysis won't do any harm. And analysis of issues is much less likely to damage your enjoyment than analysis of plot structures. (Analyzing plot structures will kill enjoyment of stories like nobody's business -- you sit there, reading, and think, "Okay, and there should be a misunderstanding coming up right about... yep, there it is. And now we should have a sudden increase in tension... oh, look, it happened." When you're watching the author pull the strings, it really kills the suspension of disbelief.)

But I still like reading fairy-tales -- I just also like to pick things apart and see how they're put together, and what social and moral attitudes are implicit in them.

[erised1810.livejournal.com]

I thn kI was thinking more of plot analysis then. I'm nt so analytical for the rest either. there was a discussion that nearly started on the dna of animagi.I was just so amazed that people could think of it.