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Q&A I am overplotting my story - how can I figure out what is necessary and cut out what isn't?

Who says it’s too complicated, with too many characters? Would you tell that to Tolstoy or Tolkien or Martin? Either way, what’s the absolutely basic outline? “Boy meets girl” sounds too extreme f...

posted 6y ago by Robbie Goodwin‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T08:43:53Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/35949
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar Robbie Goodwin‭ · 2019-12-08T08:43:53Z (almost 5 years ago)
Who says it’s too complicated, with too many characters? Would you tell that to Tolstoy or Tolkien or Martin?

Either way, what’s the absolutely basic outline? “Boy meets girl” sounds too extreme for me but “there’s this character, who does that thing, which leads to this outcome…”

When “does that thing” is “goes on a quest” then at this level, that’s enough. The quest might involve three or 27 adventures; that’s irrelevant detail.

Assuming you’re working towards an outcome - else, no story - how is that measured against your starting conditions? What changes; how does it change and why?

Look more obviously at _Arabian Nights_ or more obscurely at _Ancient Evenings_ and notice how easily irrelevant side-lines cab be woven into any story… and how, just as easily, they could be cut out.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2018-05-06T15:11:30Z (over 6 years ago)
Original score: 1