So, with a very loose new idea that came to me, I decided to try something new and scribble down all of my ideas for the world in a notebook. And, in this notebook, a world has started being created… very, very slowly.

I think that this new way of thinking about it may work, though I feel like my language arts teachers may have made me think in their way a little bit, because I started wondering what the themes of the stories are. I never did that before, but maybe it’s a good idea, so I can set the tone of the story better?

We’ll see if the Great Notebook Idea works, right?

Also, on a sidenote, I also have a habit of drawing my characters. From one of my older stories, I had an entire five or ten pages in a sketchbook devoted to characters from it. I like knowing how the characters look in my head, really, is my point here. Visualizing my world makes it easier to write about it!

Well, I think it goes without saying that, to write a story, you’re going to need a plot… or at least an idea for the beginning of one.

A lot of time, my plots are very much loose ideas and I sort of flow with the story, and possibly have a vague idea for the ending, but not a very defined idea of exactly how they’re going to get to that. I like writing that way, because it allows for my characters to react with each other, and bounce around and do new and unexpected things. Only problem is, I usually end up abandoning a lot of stories that way, because they don’t have that firm idea of where they’re headed.

On the other hand, when I do have a really solid idea of point A and point B and the whole storyline in between, I have a different issue with it- my stories aren’t as character based, and I don’t think the characters have as strong dynamics or some other thing that is very possibly escaping me at the moment with each other. It’s a plot-driven story, and I don’t think that I’m very good at writing that.

So, these are my issues with plot. Is it better to have a bit of a meandering, rambling story that doesn’t want to reach an ending, or something that goes from point A to point B, but is over way faster? And how exactly can I solve these issues…?

These are questions that I possibly should find answers to.

Well, it’s a bit of a random thing, but sometimes it feels like playing ridiculously old Pokemon games (like, Yellow version old) is a good way for me to brainstorm ideas. It’s not like the game is super-involved to start with…

Pokemon and drawing are my two main idea sources, I think. In addition to Beyond the Shattered Sky and Reflections, I might have a third idea that now wants to start going somewhere, which is pretty unusual for me. The new idea is something that I pulled out of a random old sketchbook where I found exactly one non-terrible drawing, of a girl named Society holding a scythe above her head. She seems to want to belong to a futuristic world, which sounds fun to me, because I think it’s a really fun thing to read/write in possible futures.

Yeah. Where does everyone else get their ideas? Because playing Pokemon is fun, but it doesn’t really get anything done.

So, I was talking today at school with a few friends about current plot ideas and ongoing works, and I may have a new idea.

I haven’t had a new idea for an original story in a few months, since I started a short story called Reflections that’s about Odette and Odile from Swan Lake. It depicts them a lot differently than the ballet does, and I’ve been having a lot of fun writing it, especially Odette’s part. (the story changes perspectives.)

My new idea though is something that mixes a lot of stories that I’ve been involved to varying degrees in the creation of. I’m not sure how well the plot will work, because that’s a bit in-progress still, but I like the title I have for it, which is Beyond the Shattered Sky. I really hope that this plot works for me…

The most difficult part of that will be trying to figure out which characters from what will get certain attributes. It’s going to be a very character-focused plot.

I actually like plots better when the characters have an obvious influence on the plot. I don’t really like epic quests, where characters are just forced to go and do stuff because the plot SAYS that they should. I’d rather have several well-developed characters with a bit of a vaguer goal.

Yeah, I think that made sense. Sorry if it didn’t.

I’ve been wondering lately, what makes a good novel or story?

There are lots of novels I really like, but I couldn’t tell you why, exactly. Most of the time I could tell you, in great detail, why I dislike a book. I don’t like a character, I don’t like the writing style, I don’t like the plot… but why do I actually like a book? And at what point does something I dislike in the book just stop mattering because the rest of it is so comparatively good?

Well, I wish I could answer these questions.

Anyone else have ideas?