sarasa_cat | Pantser Hell & non-linear stories

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So... I have a year of on-and-off writing for Monsters. Pantsorama. Pantspalooza. Pantstastic. Pantsing Pantsy McPants.

Don’t ask how many words. (Hint: it’s a 6 digit number). Words include drafted scenes, outlines, character notes, drabbles and other short stories that stand on their own, prompt stories (some need to be finished & posted >_<), and various research notes ... so many notes. omfg. And meta conversation notes too.

THE PROBLEM: IF I ATTEMPT DO ANY MORE OUTLINING AND ORGANIZATION WORK, I AM GOING TO SCREEEEEAAAAAM.

The larger problem: I’m a tired, exhausted, doesn't-get-enough-sleep, works long hours, has a shitty commute, just doesn’t have time for nonsense, oh sooooo tired, emotionally worn out from work and just wants to write smexy prose person who really cannot schedule high energy mental time for BIG PICTURE ORGANIZATION of the epic amount of stuff in my scrivener binder unless I take a month of vacation and when I take a month of vacation, it isn’t going to be for this. (sadly).

So, I have a very non-linear story and I am trying to figure out how to just sit down and WRITE IT pronto. Note: write means all of the following:

(1) Write fresh new scenes into the final draft

(2) Copy-paste previously written scenes into the final draft, editing as needed

(3) Editing the whole damn thing, as needed.

(4) Post post post post post post post. Cough. POSTING stuff. So, perhaps, whenever I have the next 5 chapters in final draft mode, put those 5 into an edit-for-posting queue which gives me some buffer to make changes as I continue to work forward but, otherwise, anything in the editing queue is almost ready for posting.

The REAL PROBLEM is this: Sob. The story is so nonlinear. HOW TO DO THIS???

Well, I’ve spent a year trying to put all of Monsters into my head. Yes. Into My Head. The current goal is to just barf it all out (via cut-n-paste and fresh new writing). In a professional fiction world, I’d barf first, fix later. ...but this is fanfic. ;) Thus the goal of having a posting queue with approx 5 barf chapters at a time, which allows me to direction-correct a little bit up ahead before committing to posting.

So, here’s the deal. (oh, this is Monsters, FFVII, fanfic, epic. but the nonlinear problem could apply to any story, even an orig. deets behind the read more)

There is one beefy frame story that takes place during a period of approximately 18 months, but the larger story occurs over a segments of time covering almost 60 years, all of that occurring BEFORE the 18 months of the frame story. In FFVII’s calendar, that 60 year span runs from the early 1950s up through 0013. (Note: ffvii’s calendar uses 0000 for what we’d call year 2000).

There are three POV characters: Vincent, Yuffie, Lucrecia.

Vincent:
- One of two narrators for the frame story running from August 0010 to January 0013. This frame story has a Vincent plot line, a Yuffie plot line, and a Vincent/Yuffie relationship subplot mess.
- As a narrator, he regularly drops into flashbacks that include various moments during his childhood (1950s-1960s), his 20s (1970s), the canonical HORROR (1977-1978 in Monsters), and his post-coffin-in-the-world experience prior to the start of the frame story (Dec. 0007 - July 0010).
  - Some flashbacks are brief memories told to the reader in just a paragraph or two
  - Some flashbacks are chapter(s) long, and framed/triggered by the frame story. For instance, Yuffie asks Vincent something that triggers a long story; Vincent finds something important in the frame story that triggers a long flashback memory (paragraphs to pages); or Vincent needs to (evasively) explain something from the past to the reader regarding the evolving situation between himself and Yuffie.
Yuffie:
- The second of two narrators for the frame story running from August 0010 to January 0013. (beefy frame story explained above). Yuffie’s plot line threatens to become pretty beefy. It’s all about her career issues. :D
- As a narrator, she sometimes drops into flashbacks that include various moments from her childhood/teens (1990s - 0007), and her expanded-canonical experiences (0007 - 0010).
  - Some flashbacks are brief bits told to the reader in anywhere from a paragraph to a couple of pages.
  - Some flashbacks are chapter(s) long, and framed/triggered by the frame story. For instance, Yuffie decides to evasively explain her situation to the reader via flashbacks; Yuffie finds something important in the frame story and that triggers a flashback memory; or Yuffie is telling Vincent something in the frame story and that triggers a long flashback.
Lucrecia:
- She exists as an “in-the-past” narrator and her POV exists (I think??) as independent chapters of their own, which are intermixed with the other chapters. That said, Vincent’s POV does cover time spent with Lucrecia, so her POV literally juxtaposes her point of view against Vincent’s memories... ;D
- Lu’s story is pretty straight forward and linear, it starts with her in university and ends with the canonical tragedy. Covers points in time from 1960s - 1970s.

THE “EASY” BITS: (lol, nothing is EASY when writing ;)

1. THE FRAMESTORY is linear. Starts in August 0010 with Yuffie breaking into Vincent’s newly leased apartment and moving herself in (lol, lucky Vince).

Yuffie struggles with her career (entirely new stuff, all headcanon),
Vincent struggles with canonical issues and then some (much expansion for Dirge, including pre and post)
- The pre-Dirge and during-Dirge stuff deals with Vincent’s relationship with Chaos and how he learns to come to terms with it.
- The post-Dirge stuff deals with the political fallout/aftermath of the whole Vincent-Chaos thing. ;)
Vincent & Yuffie have a completely unexamined mess of a relationship that implodes due to their mutual immaturity and then actually sort of works but is put under extreme external pressures for reasons that have to do with the two prior plot bits in this bullet point list.

The frame story ends in Jan 0012, with all of that stuff “resolved” for now, and Vincent/Yuffie more or less have their relationship shit together (emphasis on “more or less” because, well, Vincent+Yuffie. ‘Nuf said >_<).

2. LUCRECIA’S POV STORY is linear. Starts in the 1960s. Shows various points in time during Lucrecia’s life, her struggles during her scientific career. Time gaps occur as it linearly skips ahead when things aren’t interesting or worth dwelling on. Huge section with Grimoire (heheheheh) during the late 60s and early 70s. Another Huge section with Hojo & Vincent. And the Tragedy. The end (1978/1979). Important thing: My goal is to have Lu’s POV chapters sync up with the “Vincent struggles with canonical issues (re Chaos)” such that these two storylines interweave in a way that makes sense, builds tension, etc.

THE DIFFICULT BITS: (everything is difficult)

3. Figuring out where it is best to put all of the flashbacks from Yuffie & Vincent’s two POVs.

4. LOL, EVERYTHING DFKLSJFKLSJFKLSFJSL.

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*HEADDDDDESSKKKK*

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Okay. So. Uh. I think I just need to write these two linear stories (chunks already exist, but much of it is outline only) and then copypasta lots of stuff I’ve already drafted (lots of flash back stuff). And ... hope for the best?

SKAJSDLKSAJDKSDJAKLS

How do any of your approach highly nonlinear aspects of stories?