Ever stop close to the end of your story and ask if it even makes sense?

[Xitra_Blud]

Have you ever gotten close to the end of a story or even the middle of it and ask yourself if the story makes sense? Or if it's worthy of being published or sold or not? Like, suddenly, you think that the whole thing might just be terrible?

 

[Philip Overby]

I believe this is a common thing. I find that I suffer from this more the less dependent on outlines I am. I know some people work fine without outlines, but I find the more nonsensical things I've written were done so with no awareness of what was going to happen. Sub-plots birth and then I'm in a constant state of trying to tie everything together to make sense. Since using outlines more extensively, I've been able to keep focused on things that make "surface sense." I guess what that means is something like this:

1. Hero journeys to Apple City
2. Hero fights the Apple King
3. Hero is wounded by the Apple King
4. Apple King escapes
5. Hero pursues Apple King into the Jaguar Jungle

To me, these are pretty basic, but they make logical sense. Of course my goal would be to make this really basic plot shine as much as possible. Perhaps the problem comes when the attempt to make plots complex causes them instead to be too complicated. That's the problem I've had in the past. So now I try to focus more on making interesting characters in an interesting world while not trying to reinvent the wheel too much when it comes to plot. I don't want to make it straightforward and bland obviously, but not make it too convoluted to the point even I can't follow it.

 

[Roan Davidson]

Yup. I suspect a story is never as good as I think it is when I'm on a writer's high, and never as bad as I think it is when all the self-doubts slam into me. This is why crit partners and writing buddies can be a good thing: they give us a shot at some objectivity.

 

[CupofJoe]

Every time!
As long as I can get to an end - I'll say it makes sense and let other people work it out... but there again I'm not trying to sell my work.
Then I go read some Philip K Dick and go "What the $*£% was he on when he wrote this?" and I still think he's great!

 

[Xitra_Blud]

Perhaps the problem comes when the attempt to make plots complex causes them instead to be too complicated.

I have this problem too. I always try to have this kind of complex plotline but end up making it more confusing than anything. Even confusing to myself, lol.

 

[ACSmyth]

I believe Philip K Dick was on most things, frankly.

Philip Purser-Hallard on Philip K Dick and drugs | Film | The Guardian

 

[Feo Takahari]

I believe Philip K Dick was on most things, frankly.

Philip Purser-Hallard on Philip K Dick and drugs | Film | The Guardian

Off-topic: I maintain that the best book Dick ever wrote is A Scanner Darkly, which he wrote while off drugs. It was certainly more focused and rational than some of the others, and I think it had more insight.

On-topic: I've never worried about whether what I've already written makes sense. If I'm worried about whether what I'm going to write makes sense, I think of what else I might have my characters do, and where that might lead. My biggest worry is usually that the journey might be boring.

 

[Penpilot]

I used to, a lot. In terms of if it makes sense, that's generally not too much of a problem now because I usually know where the story is headed before I put word one down. Now this isn't to say there aren't plot holds or issues, but those can be fixed on the next draft. The first draft is about laying down the ideas in my head. The drafts after that are about figuring out what works and what doesn't and adding good stuff to replace the bad. Most of my first drafts are pretty crappy. It's pretty rare for anyone's first draft to be spot on.

The novel I'm just finishing up, I wrote the first draft and had to throw away the last half of the book. I wasn't happy about it, but the story is better for it, and I wouldn't have gotten to this point if I hadn't written the crappy version first.

You never know how good something is or how good you can make it until you finish it, especially if you're not finishing more things than you abandon. As for it being worthy of publishing, who knows. Your story is never worthy of being published until it is, and you're never good enough until you are, and the only way to get there is to write and finish.