Thanks, Ed. It isn't difficult to do since the story is basically the same but with the extra added for the novella.
If the story or novella was simply the story of one of the characters spinning off on his or her own little adventure, I wouldn't personally do what I outlined in that post. It would simply be a separate story set in the same world.
What you came up with deal with the "blue" segments sounds very similar to what I had to deal with in the past year with two different novels I was working on. In both cases (two different genres), I realized I was actually writing two novels at the same time because the events in them occurred in the same time frame. In one case, I got the two separated and transitions smoothed out in cycling - one of the novels is published, the other is on preorder status until Jan. 1st. In the second case, the main novel I'd intended to write is on preorder status, and I just need to finish the second one that I separated from it.
I haven't had that happen in the past, so it kind of threw me off at first. I kept writing to give myself time to figure out how to deal with it. Part of me (guess which part) said I wrote those scenes "wrong" and I needed to "fix" them, but part of me was like "Nah, they're fine, keep going. It'll make sense later." Thankfully, I heeded the latter. Writing 2 projects, I ended up with 4. LOL
Thanks, Dawn, I'll have to try that some time. Thus far, that's happened to me only a couple of times (one story leaping with both feet into another), and both times I opened a new document, cut and pasted the "other story" into it, then finished it separately later. If it happens again, I'll try what you did and see what happens.
Ah, I think I didn't understand. Yep. If it's the same character(s), I just keep writing and go wherever s/he or they go. That's what I do pretty much every day. Unless one character "spins off" into his or her own path. Then I cut/paste and start a new story after the current one's finished. :-) Take THAT, Character!
So far all my stories have "gone to commercial" or "closed the door" or "fade to black", but now I have a way to deal with the scenes that decide to stay on stage in the future! Thank you, as always for shining the flashlight into the dark for us!
Interesting read about your process as always! Definitely a cool way to work in shorter spin off works related to the bigger novels.
Thanks, Ed. It isn't difficult to do since the story is basically the same but with the extra added for the novella.
If the story or novella was simply the story of one of the characters spinning off on his or her own little adventure, I wouldn't personally do what I outlined in that post. It would simply be a separate story set in the same world.
What you came up with deal with the "blue" segments sounds very similar to what I had to deal with in the past year with two different novels I was working on. In both cases (two different genres), I realized I was actually writing two novels at the same time because the events in them occurred in the same time frame. In one case, I got the two separated and transitions smoothed out in cycling - one of the novels is published, the other is on preorder status until Jan. 1st. In the second case, the main novel I'd intended to write is on preorder status, and I just need to finish the second one that I separated from it.
I haven't had that happen in the past, so it kind of threw me off at first. I kept writing to give myself time to figure out how to deal with it. Part of me (guess which part) said I wrote those scenes "wrong" and I needed to "fix" them, but part of me was like "Nah, they're fine, keep going. It'll make sense later." Thankfully, I heeded the latter. Writing 2 projects, I ended up with 4. LOL
Thanks, Dawn, I'll have to try that some time. Thus far, that's happened to me only a couple of times (one story leaping with both feet into another), and both times I opened a new document, cut and pasted the "other story" into it, then finished it separately later. If it happens again, I'll try what you did and see what happens.
It really threw me at first. Characters always adding plots twists of their own to my life, I guess. LOL
Ah, I think I didn't understand. Yep. If it's the same character(s), I just keep writing and go wherever s/he or they go. That's what I do pretty much every day. Unless one character "spins off" into his or her own path. Then I cut/paste and start a new story after the current one's finished. :-) Take THAT, Character!
In both cases, it was side characters taking off on their own stories in the midst of what my main characters were doing. Totally different POVs.
Very cool. But then, I love a challenge. "Ya'll go ahead and run. I'll catch up." I can almost hear them giggling.
So far all my stories have "gone to commercial" or "closed the door" or "fade to black", but now I have a way to deal with the scenes that decide to stay on stage in the future! Thank you, as always for shining the flashlight into the dark for us!
Exactly. That's exactly it. SOMETHING has to happen during the commercial or behind the closed door. If they invite you in, keep writing. :-)
I've only had short stories which were already romantic go blue. I can just go "ok, characters decided the romance is spicier".
I could also do a short(er) story without the blue scenes, but I'm not sure if I should with short stories.
Thanks Harve Man!!!