the better story


sorabji.com: The Stalking Post: the better story
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By Nate on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 11:19 am:

    given these two very abstract story ideas, which is more appealing?

    outline one:
    I. woman and man meet, fall in love, etc. everything idyllic.
    II. something tragic happens, man and woman are seperated for a decade.
    III. man and woman meet again, woman feels like it is unworkable because of the tragic event. man is determined.
    IV. everything works out in the end.

    outline two:
    I. woman and man meet, fall in love, etc. everything idyllic.
    II. something tragic happens, man and woman are sperated for a decade. man thinks of her often, but doesn't know how to get in touch with her.
    III. news arrives to man that the woman killed herself. man starts to deal with it.
    IV. man meets a new woman. conflicted feelings. he has to deal with the idyllic past and the loss before he can be open to a real future the new woman.
    V. everything sort of works out at the end. or maybe it really works out in the end.


    i know both of these outlines are too vague to be explicitly interesting. but any input would be delightful. i'll explain what shuffles through my head at a later point.


By TBone on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 11:34 am:

    Number two seems like it would be harder for which to write an effective ending. But I bet you could pull it off, so I'd vote number two.

    Seems like number two would allow for more layers.


By droopy on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 12:06 pm:

    i wouldn't know what to tell you. i tend to avoid books that can be described with "woman and man meet, fall in love". but that's just me. and not to either of them could be a great book.

    so just go for it.

    my only suggestion: drop the last (concluding) roman numeral from whichever outline you go with. don't even think about how it will end, just develop the story and the characters and let them take you there.


By semillama on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 12:18 pm:

    I agree with droopy. And I think plot number 2 has more opportunities for exploring character development.


By kazu on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 01:50 pm:

    I think we should all write that story and pass around the results.


By patrick on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 01:55 pm:

    # 2 seems more available to charcater dynamicism and thats ultimately what makes a story, the events are mostly irrelavent.

    but shit man, just these outline, involving tragedy, like your first book.....invite that feeling in your soul, similar to having the air knocked out of you.



By Spider on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 02:05 pm:

    I'm going to say #1 just to be different.


By Nate on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 02:54 pm:

    good suggestion, droopy.

    i tend to avoid those books as well. but i'm suffering with this (apparently) romanticised notion of love. which is maybe why #2 is the right option.

    that doesn't make any sense.

    #1 is the first idea i came up with. #2 is what came out when i started writing the outline. but then, i got this sick feeling like i was polluting the original idea.

    so i wrote out the outline for #1.

    i don't understand why i'm drawn to tales of tragedy. why can't i write happy endings? tales of triumph? stories to bouy the human spirit?

    i'll probably go for #2.

    or, i'll probably shelf it.


By sarah on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 02:57 pm:


    why does she kill herself?




By Nate on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 03:03 pm:

    it's a mystery.


By wisper on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 07:37 pm:

    if you started with #1 and are drawn to #1, then write that. If it's at the top of your mind then just let it flow out of you regardless of the result. You don't have to show it to anyone.
    If you're suffering from romantic notions then let them out in the purest form they will allow you. Purge.
    I don't think you'll be happy with #2 if #1 keeps popping up. Clear your mind of this storyline or it won't go away.


By wisper on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 07:40 pm:

    just get it out.


By Antigone on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 09:04 pm:

    Well, having had an ex kill herself recently, I'd say go with #2.


By Czarina on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 09:05 pm:

    #1 Make it the reason that the woman thinks things won't work is because of the tragic death of her twin brother,[who was the mans best friend], who she is now becoming, and she is soon scheduled to have her sex change operation.

    Sorry, I don't like love stories.
    But, go with whichever one seems to draw you more.


By platypus on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 09:34 pm:

    I like Kazu's idea of each writing our own version rather a lot.

    Having had an ex kill himself recently, I'm going to plump for number 2.


By semillama on Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - 02:44 pm:

    I'm waiting for someone to chime in, "Having killed an ex recently, . . ."


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