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Q&A Chapter 1 Problems

Usually when someone says that they have a lot of ideas, they mean that they have a lot of plot ideas. The problem is, they don't understand the difference between a plot idea and a story idea. Gia...

posted 4y ago by Mark Baker‭  ·  edited 4y ago by Mark Baker‭

Answer
#3: Post edited by user avatar Mark Baker‭ · 2020-06-04T23:49:39Z (over 4 years ago)
  • Usually when someone says that they have a lot of ideas, they mean that they have a lot of plot ideas. The problem is, they don't understand the difference between a plot idea and a story idea. Giant ape climbs the Empire State Building is an plot idea. Great, now sit down and write a story the climax of which is a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building. Yes, you can probably put together a few hundred words about an explorer getting up an expedition. But they you look at what you have and realize that you are still 50,000 words away from having your giant ape climb the Empire State Building and you have no idea what those 50,000 words are going to be about.
  • Because all you had was a plot idea and you don't have any story ideas.
  • So what is a story idea? All story ideas are basically a variations on one thing. A man (or woman, or child, or small furry animal) had two desires, both of which he (she, it) believes they can achieve, but between which he will eventually be forced to choose.
  • The plot is a device for forcing him into a position in which he must choose between those two desires, for good or ill. This may or may not involve a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building.
  • There is nothing wrong with starting with the plot idea of a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building, but you then have to work back to create a story idea in which this event becomes a pivotal plot point. This is not necessarily all that difficult, because all story ideas basically derive from that one choice between competing desires. But it can be intricate to come up with a character and their two or more desires whose resolution will necessarily involve your plot idea.
  • Once you do that work, you will find that you have a place to begin, where you will illustrate the two desires of the character, and from there you will be able to chart their course in pursuit of those desires and lead them to the point that they must choose, and there will you your 50,000 words leading up to your giant ape climbing the Empire State Building.
  • Usually when someone says that they have a lot of ideas, they mean that they have a lot of plot ideas. The problem is, they don't understand the difference between a plot idea and a story idea. Giant ape climbs the Empire State Building is an plot idea. Great, now sit down and write a story the climax of which is a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building. Yes, you can probably put together a few hundred words about an explorer getting up an expedition. But then you look at what you have and realize that you are still 50,000 words away from having your giant ape climb the Empire State Building and you have no idea what those 50,000 words are going to be about.
  • Because all you had was a plot idea and you don't have any story ideas.
  • So what is a story idea? All story ideas are basically a variations on one thing. A man (or woman, or child, or small furry animal) had two desires, both of which he (she, it) believes they can achieve, but between which he will eventually be forced to choose.
  • The plot is a device for forcing him into a position in which he must choose between those two desires, for good or ill. This may or may not involve a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building.
  • There is nothing wrong with starting with the plot idea of a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building, but you then have to work back to create a story idea in which this event becomes a pivotal plot point. This is not necessarily all that difficult, because all story ideas basically derive from that one choice between competing desires. But it can be intricate to come up with a character and their two or more desires whose resolution will necessarily involve your plot idea.
  • Once you do that work, you will find that you have a place to begin, where you will illustrate the two desires of the character, and from there you will be able to chart their course in pursuit of those desires and lead them to the point that they must choose, and there will you your 50,000 words leading up to your giant ape climbing the Empire State Building.
#2: Post edited by user avatar Mark Baker‭ · 2020-06-04T23:48:59Z (over 4 years ago)
  • Usually when someone says that they have a lot of ideas, they mean that they have a lot of plot ideas. The problem is, they don't understand the difference between a plot idea and a story idea. Giant ape climbs the Empire State Building is an plot idea. Great, now sit down and write a story the climax of which is a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building. Yes, you can probably put together a few hundred words about an explorer getting up an expedition. But they you look at what you have and realize that you are still 50,000 words away from having your giant ape climb the Empire State Building and you have not idea what those 50,000 words are going to be about.
  • Because all you had was a plot idea and you don't have any story ideas.
  • So what is a story idea? All story ideas are basically a variations on one thing. A man (or woman, or child, or small furry animal) had two desires, both of which he (she, it) believes they can achieve, but between which he will eventually be forced to choose.
  • The plot is a device for forcing him into a position in which he must choose between those two desires, for good or ill. This may or may not involve a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building.
  • There is nothing wrong with starting with the plot idea of a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building, but you then have to work back to create a story idea in which this event becomes a pivotal plot point. This is not necessarily all that difficult, because all story ideas basically derive from that one choice between competing desires. But it can be intricate to come up with a character and their two or more desires whose resolution will necessarily involve your plot idea.
  • Once you do that work, you will find that you have a place to begin, where you will illustrate the two desires of the character, and from there you will be able to chart their course in pursuit of those desires and lead them to the point that they must choose, and there will you your 50,000 words leading up to your giant ape climbing the Empire State Building.
  • Usually when someone says that they have a lot of ideas, they mean that they have a lot of plot ideas. The problem is, they don't understand the difference between a plot idea and a story idea. Giant ape climbs the Empire State Building is an plot idea. Great, now sit down and write a story the climax of which is a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building. Yes, you can probably put together a few hundred words about an explorer getting up an expedition. But they you look at what you have and realize that you are still 50,000 words away from having your giant ape climb the Empire State Building and you have no idea what those 50,000 words are going to be about.
  • Because all you had was a plot idea and you don't have any story ideas.
  • So what is a story idea? All story ideas are basically a variations on one thing. A man (or woman, or child, or small furry animal) had two desires, both of which he (she, it) believes they can achieve, but between which he will eventually be forced to choose.
  • The plot is a device for forcing him into a position in which he must choose between those two desires, for good or ill. This may or may not involve a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building.
  • There is nothing wrong with starting with the plot idea of a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building, but you then have to work back to create a story idea in which this event becomes a pivotal plot point. This is not necessarily all that difficult, because all story ideas basically derive from that one choice between competing desires. But it can be intricate to come up with a character and their two or more desires whose resolution will necessarily involve your plot idea.
  • Once you do that work, you will find that you have a place to begin, where you will illustrate the two desires of the character, and from there you will be able to chart their course in pursuit of those desires and lead them to the point that they must choose, and there will you your 50,000 words leading up to your giant ape climbing the Empire State Building.
#1: Initial revision by user avatar Mark Baker‭ · 2020-06-04T23:38:49Z (over 4 years ago) 
Usually when someone says that they have a lot of ideas, they mean that they have a lot of plot ideas. The problem is, they don't understand the difference between a plot idea and a story idea. Giant ape climbs the Empire State Building is an plot idea. Great, now sit down and write a story the climax of which is a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building. Yes, you can probably put together a few hundred words about an explorer getting up an expedition. But they you look at what you have and realize that you are still 50,000 words away from having your giant ape climb the Empire State Building and you have not idea what those 50,000 words are going to be about. 

Because all you had was a plot idea and you don't have any story ideas. 

So what is a story idea? All story ideas are basically a variations on one thing. A man (or woman, or child, or small furry animal) had two desires, both of which he (she, it) believes they can achieve, but between which he will eventually be forced to choose. 

The plot is a device for forcing him into a position in which he must choose between those two desires, for good or ill. This may or may not involve a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building. 

There is nothing wrong with starting with the plot idea of a giant ape climbing the Empire State Building, but you then have to work back to create a story idea in which this event becomes a pivotal plot point. This is not necessarily all that difficult, because all story ideas basically derive from that one choice between competing desires. But it can be intricate to come up with a character and their two or more desires whose resolution will necessarily involve your plot idea. 

Once you do that work, you will find that you have a place to begin, where you will illustrate the two desires of the character, and from there you will be able to chart their course in pursuit of those desires and lead them to the point that they must choose, and there will you your 50,000 words leading up to your giant ape climbing the Empire State Building.