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Keep it simple, stupid

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RokofAges75:
Does anyone else have trouble coming up with SIMPLE story ideas?

By "simple," I guess I mean it's ONE basic idea, not too broad or over the top.  An example would be Mare's story "The Importance of Fly Fishing."  The idea is that Kevin and Nick bond during a fishing trip together.  The premise is simple, but that's the beauty of that story, because it leaves so much room for good conversation and character development between those two.

Pretty much everything I've ever read or learned about writing says that it's best to pick ONE idea, one basic premise, and stick with that, but I have such a hard time doing that.  Most of my novel ideas tend to be big and "epic" and over the top.  And a lot of the time, I'll think they have the potential to be good ideas, but because they're so big, they overwhelm me so much that I never get much further than the planning stages on them.  I have a whole folder full of notes and bits of outlines for ideas, some of which I've been sitting on for YEARS, hoping for the right time to come along for me to write them.

Anyone else feel the same way?

As a writer, do you tend to write simple stories with just one or two main characters, one storyline, etc., or do you tend to write more complex stories with more characters, subplots tangled within the main story arc, etc.?

As a reader, which do you prefer to read, simple plots or more complex ones?  Does your writing preference mimic what you usually read?

And lastly, especially for those who are good at finding those smaller storylines, do you have any tips for simplifying your ideas?

MellzBellz:
I have the same problem Julie! Usually my stories that I have written previously were pretty emotionally complex, but after a while I seem to get so tangled in all the complexities that I don't know how I'm supposed to ever resolve all the loose ends I've started. I tend to think very big and I get small fragments of a big HUGE idea, but never seem to ever find the BIG picture.

On the flip side though when I have had a small idea I've been afraid of it being to simple to the point that it is not entertaining to the reader. I've been tossing around some smaller ideas for original fiction and I'm afraid that there's really no plot... Like there's just a cliche. I guess when it comes to more serious writing I get so caught up in there having to be a lage ovelying theme and symbolism and all that kind of stuff I learned about in high school English. That's my issue at least...

mare:
Thanks for the mention Julie. I wish I could say I always have nice, simple ideas like that but sadly, I don't. lol I think it's way easier to write something very simple when you are dealing with a story revolving around a friendship and how they relate to one another more so than an actual plot, if that makes any sense.

When it comes to reading, I enjoy a little bit of both. If there are too many characters and too many sub plots, I admit i'll lose interest. If it's one plot that happens to be complex with a lot of twists and turns, those are the stories I enjoy most. As far as the simple side, I think those stories can actually end up being disatrous if not really done with some thought. I can't see myself being able to read an entire story if all that's happening is a guy and a girl sitting on the beach and oogling at each other. That's why for me, it has to be more of a friendship relationship to hold my attention or have some kind of a plot twist.

I also think the simpler stories move better with dialogue.

I guess my only tip would be to step outside of your box and look at it from another person's point of view. Would you want to read everything you wrote? Can you remember all of your characters and who they are and why they are? (If you find yourself constantly having to go back and refresh your memory on certain events or characters, then maybe they aren't worth adding in) Abd most importantly, is it confusing? If you have so many notes and outlines you are having a hard time keeping track, maybe it would be time to rework things.

Good topic! We haven't dicussed this one yet! LOL

RokofAges75:
Those are good points.  I guess you need to figure out, are you wanting to write a more character-driven story or an event/situation-driven story?  "Fishing," I would definitely consider a character-driven story.  The fishing trip is definitely secondary to the story of Kevin and Nick's friendship; it's more of just the catalyst to show the dynamics of that relationship.  Whereas most action/suspense stories tend to be more event-driven, and the relationships may be secondary to the situations the characters are put through.

RokofAges75:

--- Quote from: MellzBellz on July 31, 2009, 05:44:36 PM ---I tend to think very big and I get small fragments of a big HUGE idea, but never seem to ever find the BIG picture.

--- End quote ---

I have a book called "How to Write a Damn Good Novel" which I've found really interesting.  It refers constantly to "premise" and how every dramatic novel must have a premise, and only ONE premise - a premise being sort of the point you're trying to make with the story, what you're trying to prove.  Depending on the story idea, it can be really hard to narrow your idea down to that one premise, but once you do, I guess it helps keep you focused on what you should include in the story to follow that premise, and what you can leave out.

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