(no subject)

[aliseadae]

Alright. I appear to be piecing together story-telling like a quilt. Setting and concept come for free, I seem to be getting slowly better at character (though I'm afraid I still think of them rather like the settings and concepts) but now I need plots. I ought to find them eventually, and I know that conflicts of some sort are generally good, any specific tips? This isn't as frustrated a plea as my character one, but I'd still like to know any tips you might have on thinking up plot.

Also, entirely unrelated, at next year's Wiscon aamcnamara and I would like to have a reading in which younger people (high school and college and perhaps a few years after college aged) read their fiction, poetry, etc. We'd need a couple more people so I'd like to gauge interest and find potential fellow readers. Anyone interested or know of someone who might be?

Comments

[timprov.livejournal.com]

Poke _starlady_; she will undoubtedly be able to give you a substantial list.

[aliseadae]

Thanks! Have poked. (Well, I sent a message.)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_starlady_/]

What a great idea. I'll send a note to the Alpha-alumni list and a few people I know who live in Wisconsin. I encourage all the Alpha students to do a reading at a local B&N while they're at the summer workshop. It's an experience that gets MUCH easier after the first couple of times. Glad to hear you're planning to read your work. Have you thought about what you want to read yet? (You have time; just wondering.)

(and thanks to timprov for thinking of me)

[aliseadae]

I like readings! We shared our writing with larger and larger groups in my summer creative writing class, then finally we had a reading for the whole camp. It is so far away from now that I do not have a focused plan of what I'd be reading. Definitely poems, though, and perhaps a story or two if I have them.

I never did get to apply to Alpha. Last year was the last summer I would have been eligible and I knew that, while having an unpaid internship was fine, /paying/ for something was probably not something I could do (and having a paid position would have been even better, finance-wise). I did want to go, however.

Thank you for your help!

[ckd]

If shadesong winds up bringing her daughter along next year, I bet she'd be interested.

[aliseadae]

Mm, quite possibly. Thank you!

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

Plots; steal from Shakespeare and remix. He stole all his good ones anyway.

[aliseadae]

I shall think about that. The plots for the particular stories I was thinking about appeared in my head last night after I asked myself "What sort of problems/challenges must these characters face?"

Thank you!

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

If you have setting and concept and character, those things are what make plot together. What does this person with this situation do? What does this situation spur this person to do? What does this situation require of this person?

[aliseadae]

Mm. Last night I must have asked myself "what sort of problems might these characters face?" because I had to get out of bed /twice/ to write down plot. Yay brain working for me. Thank you for your questions!