Writing it wrong? Without troping first?

Hi I have a story about a young boy (who is what I call a color breed)whose owner sends to a debt collector he owes to pay off his debts, the collector's friend is a gay dude who wants to use him as a model in a company he designs for. Only problem is, I still feel stuck in my story, and I don't know how to keep the action flowing...

Ugh I am so stuck I don't know how to type it out... This is meant to be a slice of life story with some supernatural stuff in it. So where might I be going wrong?

edited 28th Jan '12 10:56:40 AM by iDreams

It seems to me that you didn't write an outline first because you thought the premise was enough planning for a slice of life story. (It's not.) It also seems to me that you are not used to spontaneous writing.

Brainstorm the beginning, the ending, and a few scenes in the middle. That ought to give you a little juice for either an outline or enough momentum to write whatever comes to mind.

Nothing wrong you can do whatever you want.

Also: Do not under any circumstances try to shoehorn any tropes in before you are finished with the story.

Ignore that piece of advice until or unless you have specific evidence it doesn't work for you.

There is no wrong way to assemble and write a story. It is entirely dependent on what you find effective for you.

Also with a slice of life story... How would I depict the end? I mean I know I can end it but what can I do to avoid making the end feel very weird?

You still have characterization and what not, don't you? Use that to follow your rising and falling action.

should I do characterization before going further?

Btw its a comic and I am at script stage

Comic, book, a story is still a story. It seems to me you're still in brainstorming stage. Why don't you try to do 5-10 prelim mini scripts, just to exercise your characters and plot a bit, to get a feel for them?

edited 28th Jan '12 11:22:07 AM by MrAHR

That would have been nice to know, but the process is the same. If you're stuck, brainstorm the beginning and the ending until you find something that you like, along with some middle scenes. Write them down, organize them, try to make a coherent plot out of what you have.

Night: I suggested that the OP avoid thinking of tropes until finishing the rough draft because tropes are labels. And if you don't have anything to label, it's essentially just hoping that you'll write something that fits. Which doesn't even help the process along as much as, I don't know, outlining the thing or writing a rough draft.

edited 28th Jan '12 11:25:39 AM by Leradny

I tend to think of tropes as providing vocabulary for storytelling mechanics myself, but the idea that you can't assemble a story starting from the tropes first is simply not true. It's essentially saying one can't write from prompts or to themes. Even our own writing contests here are proof that it's possible to take a series of abstract constructs and make a story out of them. You can write forward from tropes rather than reading them into a work afterwards.

Whether such a work will be of quality is a different matter, but it is possible.

There is nothing wrong with considering tropes. It would likely feel forced if you try putting Trope X in a scene for the sake of putting it in, if it doesn't really go with the flow. But tropes though, one may find an inspiration where to take the scene naturally.

I don't believe limiting yourself to self-imposed rules will get you far in the way of accidental inspiration - you can make ground-rules for yourself which prove unnecessary and counter-productive. Like Night said, if you find something which clicks in for you, try it out.

edited 28th Jan '12 11:38:28 AM by QQQQQ

Okay, so yeah. Tropes can be prompts and prompts can turn out high quality writing. But we're trying to help the OP (who appears to be a new writer as well as new to the forums) turn out a rough draft, not discuss whether actively using tropes is a good thing or not. And that means I will be emphasizing the basic foundation of writing in my advice, not high concepts which are unlikely to unblock the OP's progress.

I see nothing wrong with offering options for OP to consider. Nobody has to write like you.

Wow all of you are so smaaarrrt!!! (I am too but sadly WB is tearing me apart) I am having trouble with an ending seeing as though Slice o life isn't like 123 and done. Any tips?

^^^ Yet there are a ton of commercial writers who write their first drafts cobbling tropes together and knowing it. There's nothing bad about thinking in or using tropes, it's sticking to that and expecting throwing tropes every which way will turn into good fiction that's problematic.

edited 28th Jan '12 11:45:23 AM by MajorTom

I'm not asking the OP to write like me. I am telling him that he should develop more skill and confidence in the basics of creative writing before he tries to actively use tropes as a prompt for his writing.

We are not debating. We are trying to help someone. Please stop arguing with me.

Well, I guess the OP is just going to get contrary advice. No big.

Even slice of life has 123 qualities to it, have you actually tried writing it before?

... im a her... LOL. Also should I do characterization first? What questions should I ask my story?

Mo I haven't written SOL before, jst the fictional ones with Antagonists and such

edited 28th Jan '12 11:49:03 AM by iDreams

I would just try having fun with it. Just put them in a scenario (school, work, or hanging out) and see where it takes you.

You're really just over thinking it. Even slice of life adventures as conflict.

edited 28th Jan '12 11:49:36 AM by MrAHR

There is no wrong way to assemble and write a story.

My Immortal says hello.

Slice-of-life lets the viewer relax - no dedicated bad guy to defeat, it's people who live their day lives. You've mentioned supernatural elements— I might imagine a sudden dramatic plot coming up to provide a "climax" at the end, but that seems jarring if there isn't that kind of drama before. So otherwise I'd leave it off at a point where you're emotionally satisfied, and the characters have made enough of an impression on you.

There's Only Yesterday that I've watched, and that I really liked.

There are ways, and there are better ways of coming about it. Even the "wrong" ways can be very good sometimes, when you lift them out of the bad context.

edited 28th Jan '12 11:52:32 AM by QQQQQ

i Dreams: Sorry. I had no idea of your gender. Anyway, AHR is right. Even slice of life has a plot, it's just a little more everyday than most. Try thinking of what the main character's goal is. If I were being sent to a debt collector to pay someone else's debts, I would be seriously angry. So the overall goal might be to free himself.

It's Ok. I seriously looooove you guys for the help. It trememndously helped. Now I am truly addicted to TV tropes but dont worry it didnt ruin my life LOL.