Gathering of the Figments

The best way I've found to make sure you never forget the plot of a story or what you were going for when you were writing a story, is to do as follows.

First, make a new document.

Second, give it a good name. Mine is "Original Story List."

Third, write the following things inside:

Title:
Main Character(s):
Supporting Character(s):
Genre:
POV:
Summary:

This way you never forget what exactly you were thinking when creating your story. I have 23 of the above lists and it really comes in handy when I want to write but I don't know which of my stories to continue. I just go to the list and look over all the stories inside and VOILA! Find the one that sounds intriguing.

-is obsessive about organizing her stories-

This is actually a good idea.

Usually I just write and write and write but I think I'm going to start to break it down and then start to type it. Like - carry around a notebook, start with

Colin
-Job
-Relationships
-Home

(Woo you got a sneak peak at my novel, sorta)

just to explain who they are and what the chapter will consist of, because I sometimes get stuck and wonder if it's too soon to move on to the next chapter or if I need to keep going and then I'll just get all confused.

Yeah. Definately. Organization is big.

Remember that Sleepless Dreams thing I did on the old Figments? I have a BUNCH of notes for that. It's insane. But I'm scratching most of that anyway.

MY favorite way (or, the only one that's ever worked for me but I've only done it once) is to go on the chat when nobody is there and open two windows of it and pretend to be two people. Then go sort of MPD on yourself and try to explain the plot to the other you. It worked really well for me, and it was fun when Figgy couldn't figure out who the second Bee was

I usually start by writing one scene, then start organizing. But I do do what you do (that's a fun sounding sentence). I make plot summaries and chapter titles and character descriptions and stuff like that...

I do it all in Yojimbo, though. Best $30 I ever spent (well, maybe not, but it's definitely up there)

Yojimbo?

google it

I actually find that harmful to my writing. If I know where I'm going, I get bored and stop writing.

Yeah...I mean, once, when I was without my computer for a weekend, I had a really great idea for a story. Well, I thought so anyway. So I started planning like hell--character names, backgrounds, I drew maps of everything, even the insides of peoples homes, I had the whole thing totally outlined, what I wanted each chapter to be like...and when I finally got my computer back, it felt like I was all out of steam. I said, "woah. I really don't want to write this. Because I already did. :/" And that was the end of that. ^^

I'll write it

It wasn't /that/ great of an idea; it was something along the lines of...there were four 'realms', or basically alternate universes that you could get to from a certain portal-y thingy in a certain place on earth, and each one was some sort of 'element extreme'--one was all water, one was all green and rainforest-y, one was all volcanos and brimstone and such, and the other was all air. I mean, there were trees, but you know...and then there was a fifth one that was supposed to be the perfect universe. I dunno where it went from there. Like I said, it seemed good at the time; but now...not so much. XD

Yes, Michelle's method of plot mapping is a shining example of humanistic self-helping psychology.

She talks about it, so it sorts itself out in her brain.

Much like a debate. "Yes, but if you do that, then what are you going to do about this?"

"Oh well I'll do this."

Quick thinking helps.

Basically what I'm saying is: Kudos on the talking-to-yourself Michelle.

So what if I have MPD?

You're not the only one, Michelle.

What are you talking about; you don't have multiple personalities...

HEY! I'm not talking to /you/, not after you pushed my El Camino in the lake!

There's not enough love in the world. Say you're sorry.

She started it. -_-

coughontopicpleasecough

I tend to be really unorganised and have a severe lack of planning ability. In fact, I tend to plan after I have started writing, and those plans would not help anyone but me understand what will happen.
But, saying that, I understand that most people need to plan, and this way certainly seems to be a good one! I need to try and plan more I think...

I think if you plan out your story, it's easier to do the right things. Like for instance, killing off really important people that everybody loves and that everyone will kill /you/ for killing them. I don't think you can really do that so much if you don't have a plan. But if you have a plan, it's easier to see why you have to do it and such.

And GD, your kind of killing doesn't count.