I am reading Stephen King's On Writing. One of the things I read that surprised me was:
"Plotting and
the spontaneity of real creation aren’t compatible." (p. 163)
So many people say to plot your story out in advance. Well, this has never worked for me. The stories that have worked the best are the ones that arose spontaneously. I'd start with a basic situation, and the characters would have to react to it and try to get out of it. It may work differently for different personality types, and for different types of writing. For example, I believe that with a mystery, you at least have to know the end. I am an INFP, and thus I like to be more spontaneous.When I go on a trip, or go on a walk, I don't like to plan where I go. When Dad asks me where I'm going, I say, I don't know. I want it to be an adventure. Likewise, don't I want a story to be an adventure? If I know what's going to happen, it spoils a lot of the fun of discovery. I want things to surprise me just as much as they surprise the reader. Plus, when characters are acting like real people, they should take on a life of their own. Do things you would not expect. This is part of the fun of writing.
King also says,
"Stories are
found things....
Relics of an
undiscovered pre-existing world....
The writer’s
job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of
the ground intact as possible."
I have always believed this. A story will feel real when it's not contrived. When it forms organically. The most important thing for fiction is that it feels real. Creating the willing suspension of disbelief.
When, at least for me, you put the straitjacket of plot on a story, it severely limits creativity before you start. You want as much creativity as possible in the first draft. You don't want little logical voices holding you back. You don't want a total lack of structure either, but if you have a compelling situation, and compelling characters, the plot will basically write itself.
