I Wanna' Write =(

[Krillin]

Originally posted by Super Buu
@Krill: If everyone just said "I've got no evidence, but there's a very small chance I'm wrong," we'd be pretty fucked. All it takes is for one other person to say exactly the same, and your whole 'argument' has crumbled.

Not exactly. The statement itself has no bearing on it, except what weight others put on it. You have to figure, "Does the person saying this actually know what he's talking about?"

It's people like you who give doctors headaches.

Given that it's based on talking to Philip Pullman in person as well as lengthy research into his methods for one of my Creative Writing assignments, I'm going to stick with the theory he's outright said that he uses - writing from an idea, and letting the rest come together.

And I believe I've made a damn good description of a situation in which writing from an idea and bringing the rest together operates. Point is, there was an original idea, and from that, a plan sprung. Whether it was formed five seconds before his pen hit the paper, or five years, there was still a plan. Gokua apparently has none, yet he's asking us if his work would come together. See the conflict?

Some writers lay in bed, think together a plot, search every little niche, then write. Some writers are intrigued by a single idea and immediately throw it onto a page, watching what it will do. The point is, however, that an amount of foresight is necessary, even at the most basic level. Philip Pullman is an extreme case, but even there, I can guarantee you he searched ahead the smallest amount to see how things would work out.

Regardless, even if we don't come to terms on this point, it should be noted that a lack of planning is certainly not the suggested course for new writers. Unless you care to contradict me here as well?

And if you can be sarcastic and constructive at the same time, then that's great, but you're not. Your only contribution to this thread was in your first post, and that was a false assumption. Telling someone to conform to a certain style of writing when their own preference produces equal results doesn't help.

But who's to say their own preference produces equal results? We haven't seen results from either end of the spectrum. What we HAVE seen is how previous authors have worked their problems out. From every writing article I've read and author I've talked to of actual repute, the conclusion is almost unanimous. What I have described is a fundamental, and fundamentals are not broken without good reason.

I have a pretty good idea what your reply will be, but I don't want to try to preempt it and be wrong. We'll see.