I was tooling around on the internet and I read a bit about James Patterson. Apparently he has a 3 inch thick folder full of ideas and he collaborates with other writers because he can't write them all. Do you have a folder of stuff you just don't see yourself getting around to? And if so, do you have any plans to do anything with it?

I was tooling around on the internet and I read a bit about James Patterson. Apparently he has a 3 inch thick folder full of ideas and he collaborates with other writers because he can't write them all. Do you have a folder of stuff you just don't see yourself getting around to? And if so, do you have any plans to do anything with it?

I have bits and pieces - ideas, situations, etc. - in notebooks and in a computer file, but no outlines or the like. I have a list of story beats I'm working off for THE DARK AT THE END, but I seem to be avoiding formal outlines lately.

I was tooling around on the internet and I read a bit about James Patterson. Apparently he has a 3 inch thick folder full of ideas and he collaborates with other writers because he can't write them all. Do you have a folder of stuff you just don't see yourself getting around to? And if so, do you have any plans to do anything with it?

Gerald, I bet you keep a notebook with you at all times. 'Cause anybody who writes gets ideas, phrases, hooks all the time. You don't write them down, you forget them. Which reminds me...

Gerald, I bet you keep a notebook with you at all times. 'Cause anybody who writes gets ideas, phrases, hooks all the time. You don't write them down, you forget them. Which reminds me...

I've done that with poetry more than anything else. A really good line and not had a notebook handy. A story idea, or character tends to linger, follow me around and stare at me. Sit at the table while I eat. Keeps my spot in the bed cool. Point its index just inside my peripheral vision while I drive. Whisper nonsense as I'm trying to think of something. I eventually HAVE to write it down. There are ideas I had in my head for years that crept their way into The Ghost Toucher.

I have bits and pieces - ideas, situations, etc. - in notebooks and in a computer file, but no outlines or the like. I have a list of story beats I'm working off for THE DARK AT THE END, but I seem to be avoiding formal outlines lately.

I didn't know how to outline until last year. I don't know how 'proper' mine are now, but they are effective for me. Mine consists of fleshing out the characters I want to put in my story and then writing paragraphed, abbreviated chunks, that move the story along. I can interchange these chunks as I see fit and as I go a story develops in my mind. I highly doubt it would make much sense to someone who hadn't read the complete story. I even inject pieces of dialogue I want to include in a draft.

I've done that with poetry more than anything else. A really good line and not had a notebook handy. A story idea, or character tends to linger, follow me around and stare at me. Sit at the table while I eat. Keeps my spot in the bed cool. Point its index just inside my peripheral vision while I drive. Whisper nonsense as I'm trying to think of something. I eventually HAVE to write it down. There are ideas I had in my head for years that crept their way into The Ghost Toucher.

Then you're lucky, Gerald. I find, I don't write it down, it is =gone=. And of course, most, maybe even 90% I'll never use. But I find the notebook valuable for this: The Muse sees me writing. And She'll think, "How sweet! The broken-down bluesman tries and tries. But of course, he has little talent and needs help. I'll visit him again."

And then, I have another lyric!

I didn't know how to outline until last year. I don't know how 'proper' mine are now, but they are effective for me. Mine consists of fleshing out the characters I want to put in my story and then writing paragraphed, abbreviated chunks, that move the story along. I can interchange these chunks as I see fit and as I go a story develops in my mind. I highly doubt it would make much sense to someone who hadn't read the complete story. I even inject pieces of dialogue I want to include in a draft.

How did you learn? A class or a book or someone show you? Curiousity killed the cat and all that.

How did you learn? A class or a book or someone show you? Curiousity killed the cat and all that.

I guess learned isn't the correct terminology. In theory I knew hot to plot, I just didn't have the will to do it/didn't understand the purpose of it. So I just flew by the seat of my pants when I wrote and wound up veering off course at some point. The plot actually kept me on target for a change.

I guess learned isn't the correct terminology. In theory I knew how to plot, I just didn't have the will to do it/didn't understand the purpose of it. So I just flew by the seat of my pants when I wrote and wound up veering off course at some point. The plot actually kept me on target for a change.

Man do I know how that goes!

I don't have the ability to write a story, but knowing how often -- and how far -- I tend to digress from what I originally intend to write, I would imagine that having an outline (or a series of leads) to follow would be a tremendous help.

Ken V.