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Stephen King's On Writing. Picked it up Sat morning because it was massively reduced and started reading as soon as I got home and can't put it down. Lots of little things have jumped out at me and I've had several revealations (like Steve's in the other thread) but this bit (which I will shamelessly reproduce here) just had me nodding and going "Yeah!".

Quote:

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In my view, stories and novels consist of three parts: narration, which moves the story from point A to point B and finally to point Z; description, which creates a sensory reality for the reader; and dialogue, which brings characters to life through their speech.

You may wonder where plot is in all this. The answer - my answer, anyway - is nowhere. I won't try to convince you that I've never plotted any more than I'd try to convince you that I've never told a lie, but I do both as infrequently as possible. I distrust plot for two reasons: first, because our lives are largely plotless, even when you add in all our reasonable precautions and careful planning; and second, because I believe plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren't compatible. It's best that I be as clear about this as I can - I want you to understand that my basic belief about the making of stories is that they pretty much make themselves. The job of the writer is to give them a place to grow (and to transcribe them, of course).

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This bit in particular... because our lives are largely plotless... is something I wholeheartedly agree with. It's been my arguement many times in discussions with people who insist that a story CANNOT be written without a meticulously pre-planned plot and a 'join-the-dots' kind of mentality to writing. I've found that these people who make a 'stepping-stone' type outline and then go back and fill in the blanks often run into trouble when their characters, as they are wont to do on occasion, suddenly fall off the set path and start careening wildly down some unexpected avenue. If you ask me, don't plan it all so meticulously and you won't have that trouble. Keep a general idea of where you're going, but not a strict map of how you're getting there.

..............................
it's getting hot in here
so take off all your clothes

Asteroid B-612

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I've read it too. Great book.

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Life is a containment field for thought. (A Slatz original.)

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I haven't read it yet but fully intend to as so many people - writers, reviewers, would-be authors, people who have no intention of writing, have told me how interesting and relevant it is.

Well I loved reading that excerpt because it makes me feel content about the way I write which is essentially "plotless". I am sure if I contrived the story and then joined the dots as those people you talk about do, Steve, I would just stop writing because it would become a very rigid affair. I love spontaneity in writing and I especially like it when I can't tell where a story is headed.

When a story surprises you and takes you to places that you could not have guessed, that may have a lot to do with its author "letting go" and trusting the story to make itself. Allowing his or her characters to "live" and make the sometimes curious or unpredictable decisions that we all do in real life.

Storyline is necessary but plot will happen once the characters come alive.

Thanks for reminding me to buy it!

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That's actually another thing King mentions. He knows that when the characters do something that has him desperately wondering what's going to happen next, then he can be confident that that is what the reader is going to be thinking and they will continue to read as well.

There was an story I read in the paper a while back about an author whose name quite escapes me at the moment, but one I have heard about, never read though. He said that he used to be one of those that meticulously planned each step of the book, had his 'map' drawn up and never deviated from it. Now, however, he's learnt the 'freedom' (I think that's how he put it) of not doing that, of just letting the characters have free rein and find out where they take him. He said something along the lines of this is how he always should have worked. I was going to post the story but never got around to it.

..............................
it's getting hot in here
so take off all your clothes

Asteroid B-612

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I hear a lot about this book at the writing convention recently. I read through a few pages at the book store, and even a few paragraphs are interesting. I'm going to pick it up as soon as I can get through a few other books on the pile.

Brad.

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I've read King's On Writng several times and I am amazed at how down to earth this guy is... wow is he humble.

I am shocked he doesn't plot... his adverb advice was what hit me most... ie dont have any.

His stories about his childhood are so interesting... and his advice on writing is great... read, read, read, write write write..
He did a very long apprenticeship... but boy can he tell a tale.

I recommend On Writing to anyone ... it's superb.

Cheers Steve