Monday, February 3, 2014
Labels:
writing
I'm the type of writer who plans out the entire story before starting. I know how a graphic novel is going to end before I even start it. Or at least, how I think it should end.
Here's the thing: in the past when I've written novels, I would keep the ending exactly how I planned it. But with graphic novels, I'm finding that things work a little different. I often don't stick to the script, although I have one.
Sometimes while working on a story, I learn things about the characters that I didn't know when I started. The story may have a different atmosphere or a feel that's unexpected and different from what I thought it would have. When I learn new things about a story while I'm in the middle of working on it, I often change the ending.
For Mascara, I changed the end quite a few times. Wings is much shorter, but I've even changed the end of that story from what I originally planned.
If the ending doesn't feel right, definitely change it. If anything in a story doesn't feel right, change it. As a structured writer, there's the temptation to stick to the plan, but I've realized that sometimes the story changes as I work on it. If the story changes, so does the plan.
When I let myself be flexible and change things when I need to, I find that I'm much more satisfied with my work. Besides, the ending shouldn't be forced, but natural.
The End: Be Flexible When Writing
Here's the thing: in the past when I've written novels, I would keep the ending exactly how I planned it. But with graphic novels, I'm finding that things work a little different. I often don't stick to the script, although I have one.
Sometimes while working on a story, I learn things about the characters that I didn't know when I started. The story may have a different atmosphere or a feel that's unexpected and different from what I thought it would have. When I learn new things about a story while I'm in the middle of working on it, I often change the ending.
For Mascara, I changed the end quite a few times. Wings is much shorter, but I've even changed the end of that story from what I originally planned.
If the ending doesn't feel right, definitely change it. If anything in a story doesn't feel right, change it. As a structured writer, there's the temptation to stick to the plan, but I've realized that sometimes the story changes as I work on it. If the story changes, so does the plan.
When I let myself be flexible and change things when I need to, I find that I'm much more satisfied with my work. Besides, the ending shouldn't be forced, but natural.
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This is great advice for writers of all kinds. Letting the story flow would at times mean changing direction even before getting to the end. Thanks for posting your own experiences with this, it really helps me in both writing my own stuff and editing my husband's.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
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