Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Plans can change, but should they?

This is topic Plans can change, but should they? in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by cvgurau (Member # 1345) on :

Cole is the main character. He is the proverbial "chosen one." Problem is, the more I write, the more I find that Cole, who's supposed to be a decent, standup kinda guy, turns out to be more and more of an a--hole.

Jack is a secondary character, but he finds himself attracted to Nalyn, another secondary character, who was always meant for Cole. This is a recent development that was uncovered as I wrote.

Nalyn, as I said, is also a secondary character, and like I said, was meant for Cole--by me, I mean, not some Bubby Matchmaker-type. She finds herself liking Jack more, however, while Cole is merely...nice.

And now for the dilemma: I've been planning this story for a while (my thanks goes out to whatever genius mentioned the web outlining in my Outlining post) and I'd always thought Cole and Nalyn would be the couple. Fate, it seems has other plans.

So what should I do? Should I stick with the plan, or go where the winds take me, go with the tide, go with the flow...and so on?

Chris. <-------for no particular reason, I really like that little guy.

Posted by JP Carney (Member # 894) on :

CV, quick question (a little off topic), what did you mean by "web outlining"? I tried to find your Outlining thread, but couldn't find it doing a quick scan of threads. Was it some sort of tool/technique that helped you organize and get ideas down? I'd like to hear more about it, so if you could answer here or point me to your thread, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

Posted by cvgurau (Member # 1345) on :

I don't know how to create links to previous threads, so I'll just tell you. I don't know who it was (srhowen, I think) but when I said I was having trouble outlining, someone said to write down the main idea in the middle of a piece of paper, or a board, then write possible directions the idea could go to, drawing circles away from it (like a web, sort of) asking yourself "What Else" questions. I call it the "What Else" outline, because it lets me explore other possibilites than the ones I'm stuck on; bad ideas to begin with, I think.

Chris

PS--if it helps, the Outlining thread began on March 7, 2002

Posted by reid (Member # 1425) on :

JPC-

http://www.hatrack.com/forums/writers/forum/Forum1/HTML/000275.html

Brian

Posted by Marianne (Member # 1546) on :

I say see where the wind takes you...for now. Give it some time and see if the story works. I had a fellow pop into my novel just yesterday. I don't know where he came from. I was writing a scene that I had pretty well planned out and then there he was standing behind my main character asking him a question. I find that I really like him so I will let him stay.

Just remember that this is your story and unless it is a historical novel you can just let it happen. When you go back to re-write you may change things. That's okay too...welcome to your world

Marianne <-- he is cute!!

Posted by DragynGide (Member # 1448) on :

By all means, be true to your characters and continue with this thread where it guides you.

But you can't just do that. From what I've gathered, your story has quite a bit to do with predestination-- the main character is predestined to be the "chosen one", as you put it. This theme of predestination, because it impacts your main character, is important enough that it should impact the other major characters in your book as well.

So here's what you get to decide-- was Nalyn predestined to be with Cole? If so, she and Jack are defying predestination, and that must carry consequences. What those consequences are is up to you: Nalyn could explore her attraction to Jack only to find herself inexpressably unhappy until she leaves him for Cole; Nalyn and Jack's love affair could lead to one of their deaths; or they could overcome predestination together by sheer force of will. Whatever happens has to be truthful and appropriate for the story you're trying to tell.

Or-- was Cole in fact predestined to be alone in his chosenness? Many, if not most people who are singled out like that lead very lonely (and often short) lives-- not because they want to, but because of the demands of their position as "chosen one". If this is the case, then even if Cole falls in love with Nalyn, she will never love him back the same way, because he is predestined to remain single. If this is the case, there must be contention between Cole and Jack-- after all, Jack gets what Cole can never have, and that's just not fair... or at least it won't seem so to Cole, until he fully accepts his role as the "Chosen One".

Of course, considering that I'm making all these conjectures from very little information, I could be totally off the mark. But in any event, there's one thing you have to do with triangles like this to make the story worthwhile: go for the jugular. Inflict as much pain as you can on these people, so that no matter what form the love relationship takes, it will never be completely blissful. And in the end, make sure that the resolution is as true to the themes in your book as it is to the characters. Your audience will love you for it.

Shasta

Posted by cvgurau (Member # 1345) on :

Yeah, it's all predestined, but they're all chosen to be together as a group, not as couples (A great evil is coming, to use the cliche, and the best of the best (another cliche) have to band together to beat it). As such, I think that who they end up with is really up to them, and it wouldn't be destroying some great plan of a higher power.

Still, I kind of like the idea of the tortured hero.

Chris

PS -- DG: nah, you weren't really off the mark. In fact, in light of the small amount of info I gave, I think you were amazingly ON the mark.

Posted by Chronicles_of_Empire (Member # 1431) on :

Definitely some nice comments - and you are wise to let the creativity dictate your work! I believe what you have is a common writing experience - we statr with certain ideas in mind, but the muses insist on pushing the story about in unexpected ways. If Creativity can be said to be a higher power, then be subservient to it!