Help! The possibilities are endless!

[Drindome]

I am working on writing my first novel. It is set in my own dark fantasy world populated with monsters, lairs, cities, cultures etc... And I have started a storyline inside this world but my problem is that in my many musings and brainstorms on plotlines I have come up with so many! And every path, every character, every item or sublplot I decide to include opens up countless others! Every time I decide on one I find myself missing some of the cool elements in those unchosen. So my question is this: how do you decide what goes and what stays?

Do you pick a central character and then pick encounters, allies etc that are a good match for their developmental journey?

Do you pick a theme or message and then make sure everything supports it?

Do you pick out all of the coolest characters and monsters and lairs and then try to fabricate a plot that connects the dots?

Once you have a story world full of characters and beasties and cool locations how do you decide what makes it into the story?

Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[Ireth]

If you find you really can't bear to not write many of those stories, you could take Terry Pratchett's approach and write a lot of mini-series inside a bigger series encompassing your world. He has several different arcs focusing on various characters or groups in the Discworld -- witches, wizards, Watchmen, Death, etc. etc. And that's just the adult novels; he also has a handful of others for young adults. One is a standalone, the other four are a quartet.

 

[Queshire]

ha~~~ I also have that problem. Despite being a bit hypocritical, the best advice I can give is to just pick one thing and stick with it, no matter what else you might come up with later, just stick with your choice until you finish it.

 

[Shockley]

What a wonderful problem.

 

[Penpilot]

My advice would be keep it simple. Start with one character, the one thing they want more than anything else in the world, and and a problem that blocks them from that. Once you have that, use it as the backbone to your story. Then think of ways to take your character through some of those cool places, and to meet those cool people you thought up as they try to over come that problem they have. But don't force things in. If it doesn't fit, it doesn't fit. You can use the left over stuff for something else. As for the problems they face, keep them simple. The simplest problems are IMHO the best problems, love, money, safety, etc. Beware making things convoluted. If you feel things going that way, go back and think simple.

The simplest way I can describe a story is one person, one problem, a way to solve that problem, and at the end the problem is solved. Now a bunch of smaller problems will pop up along the way, and the solution to the problem won't be easy or take only one step but that's
the basics of it.

Here's a simple silly story that I'm sure you've heard that illustrates a simple story plot. A farmer buys a pig a market. He wants to bring it back to his farm. But when he gets to his farm's fence, he realizes the pig won't fit through the gap in it. So the farmer goes back to market a brings back a see-saw. He puts the pig on one end of the see-saw so he can lift it over the fence. But the farmer isn't heavy enough to push the see-saw up. So he goes back to market and brings back an elephant to step on the see-saw and lift the pig over the fence. But the elephant won't step on the see saw. So the farmer goes back to market and brings back a mouse to scare the elephant to step on the see-saw and lift the pig over the fence. But the mouse won't jump on the elephant. So... you get the point. Next comes a cat, a dog, a tiger, etc... but eventually one thing starts the chain-reaction and the pig ends up over the fence.

 

[Ralph Fg]

I would pick the plotlines that has strongest emotional impacts on the reader. So the first thing you should ask is who your readers are...

The following things tend to have stronger impact:

1. Issues that are relevant to THEIR real life (Love, politics, childhood traumas... etc.).

2. Things that are Dramatic (By creating some expectations first then shatter it).

3. Death/War/Destruction

Hope this help

 

[shangrila]

If you plan to write a novel, then you'll have to pick one and stick with it. There should be a theme and, if you end up with too many, it can be hard for the reader to really get into it or walk away with anything. Not to mention all of those different things will add up to one hell of a doorstopper book, which can be daunting to some people.

Personally, I find my character first. I put them in a few scenes where they're tested in some way until I've got a decent handle on how they think and, by then, I've usually got the theme. After that I put them in some hole of a place that they want to get out of (whether they know it or not) and then just write. It's important to remember that whatever you write first will only be a first draft. Published authors will go through several drafts before their work is finished, and the difference between a first and last draft can be incredible.

So, it might be cliched, but just write it. Have some idea of a starting point, of course, but still write it. See where it goes, see what evolves, then get rid of what doesn't work and keep what does.

 

[Jabrosky]

I'm in a vaguely similar position myself. I have an idea for a main character, but I'm struggling to figure out exactly what her story is going to be and what I want to accomplish with her.

 

[Rullenzar]

Take a look at R.A. Salvatores work. He has many different stories in one world that he created. Some stories are 13 books long, other 3 etc..

If your world is as expanded and rich with detail as you say it is, write notes for each area, each idea and formulate a main character to go with it. Some you may be able to tie together, and you could even make it one big world with many mains who cross each others paths in various books. Each one could have their own story on the flip side. If it were me I'd go with tieing everything together. Picking one main to start off with and maybe two others that join in throughout 3 books and then adding more later. Gives you free reign to kill off characters and continue strong with others.

 

[Drindome]

Thanks

I would pick the plotlines that has strongest emotional impacts on the reader. So the first thing you should ask is who your readers are...

The following things tend to have stronger impact:

1. Issues that are relevant to THEIR real life (Love, politics, childhood traumas... etc.).

2. Things that are Dramatic (By creating some expectations first then shatter it).

3. Death/War/Destruction

Hope this help

Thanks this does help, now that I have my story world it will be easier to figure out my target audience before proceeding.

My advice would be keep it simple. Start with one character, the one thing they want more than anything else in the world, and and a problem that blocks them from that. Once you have that, use it as the backbone to your story. Then think of ways to take your character through some of those cool places, and to meet those cool people you thought up as they try to over come that problem they have.

Okay I have my character and a problem but it is not very personal to him. He is the protagonist because of the position he is in to solve the problem more so than because it effects him the most. Like Frodo : )

I will try to highlight the ways this problem could effect his life and those around him if it remains unsolved though.

If you plan to write a novel, then you'll have to pick one and stick with it. There should be a theme and, if you end up with too many, it can be hard for the reader to really get into it or walk away with anything. Not to mention all of those different things will add up to one hell of a doorstopper book, which can be daunting to some people.

Personally, I find my character first. I put them in a few scenes where they're tested in some way until I've got a decent handle on how they think and, by then, I've usually got the theme. After that I put them in some hole of a place that they want to get out of (whether they know it or not) and then just write.

Thanks. This is a big help, I do have a central character in mind and so I guess i need to focus on the plot line and theme that revolves around his development.

 

[Penpilot]

Okay I have my character and a problem but it is not very personal to him. He is the protagonist because of the position he is in to solve the problem more so than because it effects him the most. Like Frodo : )

I'd recommend finding a personal stake for the character in solving that problem. Frodo had a very personal stake in things. He was saving the shire, his home, his friends, and even his not so good cousins. He was also taking on Bilbo's burden. The ring was something Bilbo could no longer carry. Frodo picked up that burden for him and fixed the problems left behind by his forefathers.

 

[Drindome]

I'd recommend finding a personal stake for the character in solving that problem. Frodo had a very personal stake in things. He was saving the shire, his home, his friends, and even his not so good cousins. He was also taking on Bilbo's burden. The ring was something Bilbo could no longer carry. Frodo picked up that burden for him and fixed the problems left behind by his forefathers.

Point taken. Will do.

Thanks.