Jan 2021
15 / 47
Jan 2021
Jan 2021
therosesword
Jan '21
cherrystark

Totally agree. And all of that is shown in the quiet moments, when you think everything is going fine and there's no massive pounding the story forward. All the little nuances show up there. In my stories now where the MC has multiple lives he says "tell me" to a wife from a former life, when he knows there's something important going on. And now, three lifetimes later, with a new wife he simply says "Tell me" cementing the fact that he remains constant in his caring for them no matter how much his lives change around him, his core self is the same.

It's those little things that really touch the readers.

amortelito
Jan '21

I didn't have any experience with webcomics when I came to Tapas, I planned a short adventure to test the waters. I had a general script, nothing too rigid and I'm so glad I didn't plan the whole series because my expectations and the format were way different than I imagined. I had to adapt everything after learning and getting feedback from the readers and artists.

Now I work with a very lose idea of the dialogue but I have a very clear idea of the events that have to happen in every episode so that the story makes sense. Some events are non-negotiable unmovable but others might change a bit. I have flexibility and freedom mostly because I know my characters and story by heart and I can play with both. But If I had to collab with another person I would have to write everything down.

cherrystark
Jan '21
HippieGhost

I totally get it. In super early drafts, I imagined my characters Nick and Robin ending up together. That idea died in rewrites of part 1. They are brother and sister 100%. If they "end up together" in the end, it's most likely going to be as siblings/roommates.

CJYoung
Jan '21
HippieGhost

I will agree that a lot of things I do are unplanned. Pretty much each book I start happened when I sat down to write something, anything. I even add in characters or plot points on the fly.

But I tend to plan out after a while. I guess it's what helps me stay focused. Although, I don't always use what I write out. I'm flexible. If it doesn't fit when I get there, I toss it and come up with something new.

Like my newest series, which I'm hoping can be published with Tapas soon (not currently available on my profile, basically), is also like that. I plan out my chapters, like the main feel or important scenes I want, but it may or may not change when I sit down to look at that part of the story.

HippieGhost
Jan '21
cherrystark

I have the opposite problem. In my collabs that I use for practice, my pirate-captain keeps flirting with another main character that's supposed to have an unrequited crush on her. Instead HE'S the one going tsundere on her and she's just laughing about it.

CJYoung
Jan '21
therosesword

I find script writing both easier and more complicated lol. (you mean comic scripts, right?? or, movie scripts?) Because in novel writing I tend to make plots more intricate, while a comic is able to show a reader more instead of having to explain everything like you would for a book.

Yet, I find myself planning out the plot even MORE for a comic. Lolololol. Like, you can convey more in shorter amount of time, but it has to be more perfect too, so the scenes don't confuse people.

CJYoung
Jan '21
cherrystark

Yeah, I agree. I'm way more interested in character driver stories, rather than plot based. Mostly because when I myself am reading, I don't care as much about what's going on as I do about how it's affecting the characters or what they're thinking about it.

When books get too plotty I actually tend to skim past the boring parts a bit xD

therosesword
Jan '21
CJYoung

I've written plays, most of my work has been audio drama, done a little film and tv, no comics) If I'm writing for hire from someone else's outline I can do that or their general idea, I can do that too. But usually I pants all the way.

There really isn't a wrong way to write.

The way that works for you is the right way. I'll keep reference notes so I don't screw up later and not resolve something, but that's not a plan or an outline. On the other hand, my all time favorite short story is The Lady or the Tiger. I love ambiguous endings.

CJYoung
Jan '21

Yeah, of course. It's whatever works best for a person at the time. I've worked with Tapas for almost four years now, and I'm pretty sure I approached each book I wrote differently. Even my newest one is being done different than the rest of my stuff.

Not sure if the story is what needs the change, or if it's because I've changed as a writer over the years xD

HGohwell
Jan '21

I generally pants my way through a short(ish) (ok not short at all) draft novel that I bash into shape with a sledge hammer and a lot of merciless cutting afterwards and then call that a rough script for my comic (and then try really hard not to ignore it when I get hit with a new better sparkly idea). As for that draft novel it tends to be done in a sorta roleplay kinda way (I have been known to rp them with friends to get things down). It's more there's characters and this is the world and here's an inciting incident or goal, figure out the rest in the process.

cherrystark
Jan '21
CJYoung

My issue with plot-driven stories is that they get too predictable. I can't count the number of romantic dramas where about 3/4 of the way through the storyline the female MC gets kidnapped and the male MC comes to rescue her and their big resolution of issues happens in a hospital room. I can see this coming every time. This is also why, no matter your writing style, you should let the story develop naturally. Yes, you may have to rework your plot but knowing when to hop on the freeway to Story Town and when to take the scene routes to Story Town is INCREDIBLY important.

CytricAcid
Jan '21

it's an rp, so sometimes we just get a premise and go with that, other times we have a premise and a goal and try to do with that.
adapting it into a comic, i have the chance to go back and alter things to better foreshadow later plot points, which by the nature of RP, are all pantsed. :stuck_out_tongue:
i don't even know how it's going to end, because we're still RPing stuff! But the nice thing about revisiting earlier plot points is that we're reminded of old details that we can go back and revisit. (like edwin's partially broken nose...)

DasIstWunderblyat
Jan '21

I am like those characters in the movies who say "Follow me, I have a genius plan!" and answer with "We'll just see how it is later" when confronted on what it actually is.

For the art analogy I just have a rough sketch and color reference, where I will line art and color and draw the background at the same time.

CJYoung
Jan '21
cherrystark

I don't mind predictable stuff, as long as it's cute or funny. LOL, a sucker for cheesy rom-coms and the like. But don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a good fantasy novel with depth and such. Just not what I reach for most times.

I prefer simple plots with a simple end. Not too much backstory, not too much narration. Just the characters showing me what's going on in the story until it's completed.

That's how I prefer to write as well.

cherrystark
Jan '21

Same, quality is everything. The entire story could center around any lazy Tuesday afternoon and still be enjoyable with solid characters.

Pony_wearing_a_hat
Jan '21

My novel is about characters telling the stories of their lives, and it was very important to me that I get the order right. start with the two characters that bicker constantly, get some conflict and fun insults going. Then move on to the character who doesn't have a rival or a best friend but gets backlash from everyone. Then the character who's really close to the character that gives the big stinger finishing act.

carafox2121
Jan '21

When I plan a story, I start off winging it! :joy: But... as the story gets longer and the world I built gets more complicated, I start writing things down. Lol. First, I just jot down all my ideas, or anything I want to do in the story. Sometimes I do this on paper, and sometimes I do it in my OneNote. Later, I go back and figure out where I want that to happen in the story, and then kind of wing the in-between bits so I can get to the scene I wanted. lol.

Sometimes, I throw in a sketch. Or if I'm working in my OneNote, I find images that serve as inspirations for looks, settings, and characters. I'm very visual. So, while I'm not the greatest artist, I can use the heck out of google search. :joy:

Panpan
Jan '21

I had a general idea of what I wanted for Fox Fire's beginning and ending, but not all of the stuff in between. I spent months writing on outline which actually started out as a typical male-female supernatural romance. Eventually, I felt people wouldn't read it since I wasn't feeling it myself, so I changed it to a BL. The bad guy who was supposed to be just the bad guy became part of the main pair :sweat_smile: You could say I had to spend a lot of extra time changing the plot and character backgrounds.

When I started writing, I wrote it meticulously by the outline until around chapter 35. Sometimes I'd get an idea while eating, showering, driving, etc., and I wanted to put it into the novel. After that, I've sorta been writing on the spot (currently at chapter 56). Some major reveals occurred sooner than I thought, so I've been adjusting some parts/ending in my Word outline (which is like, 60 pages btw! There's something so satisfying about seeing the whole story summary in a single document). Now, I'm trying to get out of that 'writing on the spot, unplanned' mode, and circle back to the outline.

I agree with the little ideas and putting them somewhere for later! They occasionally come to me in the most random times. I type them at the very top of my outline summary in bullet points (or in my phone if I'm out somewhere). I also use that section for reminders and helpful reference websites.