tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876282751776173854.post301820283555908675..comments2023-09-21T08:42:02.415-05:00Comments on American Christian Fiction Writers, The Woodlands, Texas Chapter: What "The Story Knows Best" Really Means, by KM WeilandWOTS - The Woodlands, ACFW Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480122463898773623noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876282751776173854.post-54836516071785117132015-02-01T14:25:16.647-06:002015-02-01T14:25:16.647-06:00Actually, I totally agree. It's just that when...Actually, I totally agree. It's just that when "the story takes over" what is really happening is that our subconscious creativity is taking over.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13832782604769370695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876282751776173854.post-38087184910531564732015-02-01T06:57:25.659-06:002015-02-01T06:57:25.659-06:00First off, I want to say thank you for Structuring...First off, I want to say thank you for Structuring Your Novel. There are a number of points in there that I'd never considered when writing my first novel, but have definitely worked their way into my current WIP :)<br /><br />Now then, regarding this topic, I can ALMOST agree with you 100%. I think there is, however, a point where the story DOES in fact take control... or should. Agreed, it is NOT a conscious entity, but it does in fact have a life apart from your own, a set of rules and regs that, while originating with you, are necessarily binding to itself in ways that do not bind you. This is an important point, I feel, because we as writers tend to want to control the world of our making -- sometimes to the contradiction of the world that we have made.<br /><br />Example: Billy Bob has XYZ attributes, and he tends to act in XYZ way, but in this situation, I want him to do ABC. This is OUT OF CHARACTER for Billy Bob, but it's where I want the story to go. If we do this without showing how ABC is actually AGREEABLE to XYZ, we create an inconsistency in the story, and the reader must suspend disbelief.<br /><br />Of course, you already know this. You referenced it in your book ;-)<br /><br />The point is, in such a case, you've laid a foundation for "now" earlier in your story, and now, while YOU might like to take the story in this direction moving forward, the story that you have ALREADY ESTABLISHED has enough life, enough separation from the author, that it demands to be taken in a DIFFERENT direction. I would say that THIS is, in fact, legitimizes the claim that the story writes itself.<br /><br />Well, at least for me it does. I mean, my own story made me say that ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876282751776173854.post-40423909227970806252015-02-01T06:13:41.083-06:002015-02-01T06:13:41.083-06:00Thank you!Thank you!Linda Yezakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16359372692625786864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876282751776173854.post-19642218040173352822015-01-31T11:11:37.120-06:002015-01-31T11:11:37.120-06:00Thanks so much for having me today!Thanks so much for having me today!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13832782604769370695noreply@blogger.com