Can you stick to your plot?

[Endorphin]

We all have things we want to get done.
Stories we want to write, games we want to make.
But can you finish the project in the way you wanted to?

You know, besides Déjà-vu, my biggest "want to make"-project is a state rising dating sim, some kind of otome.
While working on the story I kinda got lost in it and it turned out to be just a Visual Novel mit multiple routes.But that's still fine - was supposed to be a nice story about psychics, like Lux Pain.
But, of course, it turns out to be the typical family stuff.
What else could you expect from me?
And it looks like that I'm not only about to throw out the romance, but also the psychic things.
(Atm they are only there as they make the gameplay easier.)

Well, as you an see, my projects turn out neither what I wanted them to be nor what I expected them to become.
How about you?
Are you able to stick to your main idea and "just" deepening your plot, or do change the main theme over and over again?

I'm curious~

- R.

[Camille]

I outline/plan meticulously, so in general my stories go the way they're supposed to, with the same central theme that I decided on at the beginning. Sometimes individual scenes may change a bit or dialogue will go in a different direction than I planned originally, but overall the story itself doesn't change that much.

I think it's okay even if your project does change, though, as long as the end result is still something that you like and can be proud of.

[Gambit74]

For me personally, I create a few rules that I mustn't break when it comes to realizing my story the way I intended it to be. Examples would be that my character needs to have gone through this situation, my other character has to do this in order trigger that, this event needs to happen, and then so on and so forth.

So far it has been working pretty well with me, as I have found ways to make them all connect together for the story's huge purpose rather than making them seem like random events/coincidences or ass pulls. It's pretty tough at first and sometimes it even becomes tempting to break one or two of those rules, but if you're a good writer or have a good imagination, you can make it all work and not seem like it was forced.

[HigurashiKira]

Generally, I can not keep a coherent idea when I first start, but as I think more about it, it cleans up more and more. Eventually, it ressembles little of what I had originally thought up. This also happens as I write.

[sciencewarrior]

I stick to my plot as much as my characters let me.

Come to think of it, my current project is turning out reasonably close to my initial pitch to the artist. The main plot and the most important scenes are all there. I think a detailed plan (2k words) and a good idea of what the main theme is both helped.

[misamane]

I have about... four stories in progress right now? Two are indefinitely on hold, ones on hold til June-ish and the other I'm working on at the moment. Problem with writing is that you always get random ideas and then you get so excited about that you forget about the other project... until you get stuck with this one, too. ;_;

[kaleidofish]

I have to make an outline and plan everything out before I start writing, or else I'll get stuck. I let myself deviate from my outline a little bit, but generally I'll follow my plans. My plans aren't super detailed or anything, so they leave enough room for me to reinterpret things later if I don't like the flow of the scene. As I write, new themes emerge (I like to call it "adding layers" to the plot or characterization) on top of the "main theme," and much fun is had.

[Sapphi]

It helps immensely if you have a theme or an idea you want to convey with your story. You will have already narrowed down the possibilities for deviation in your mind, and you'll more easily be able to spot when it starts heading down a rabbit trail. Case in point, for a little over a year I have been in the process of developing what was essentially a little aesop fable into an actual story, and because I had a clear idea of what I wanted to say with my story first, I've had a much easier time keeping supporting characters and subplots in line. (It also enables me to write subplots that tie into the main idea, instead of just being filler or opportunities for characterization/world building.) Whether it turns out to be any good we can only wait and see, but it is much easier not to get distracted and change the whole plot.

So, next time you feel like switching plots, remember the reason you wanted to write your current story the way it is in the first place, but remember to write down those new ideas! They could serve as the basis for your next story! ^_^

[Dakishimete]

I usually can stick to my plot, I just make little changes. I think it mostly depends on the time you spend to think about the plot before you start writing. If it's a little time, you may keep changing almost everything, but if you have all important events in the plotline planned, one leading to another, you usually keep it the way it was.

[JustAPasserBy]

I have an outline of the desired story in my head. It might sound weird and difficult but when writing a story, especially if it's long, I write them in fragments. Chapter 2, Chapter 5 it sounds messy and confusing but somehow, I can connect the plot all the way. Then after writing the needed chapters, I combine them. I erase and exceeds or add more detail if needed. I do this to avoid swaying away from the plot and it's just a habit of mine. Rest assured though, my stories are more or less, readable :]