“Prototype” is part three of my series on Plotter-Oriented Writing. The series introduction is here. Part two discusses inspiration. I’ll post more more articles on this topic soon.
I’m unaware of any writer or instructor who recommends this step. And even though I’m not entirely sure that I can endorse it wholeheartedly, it made a singular difference for my current project, so I’m sharing it here. It would be fascinating to know if others have ever had this experience. If so, let me know in the comments.
What is a prototype?
Let’s begin with a definition. In software engineering, when one begins a large project, it is usual to quickly throw together a bare-bones version representing the core elements of the idea. In a software prototype, the code can be garbage, the user experience can suck, and the vast majority of features are certainly missing. It doesn’t matter. We simply want to answer a question. If we’re prototyping a tool, the question we want to answer is: “Will this idea solve a problem?” If we’re prototyping a game, we’re asking: “Is the core game mechanic fun?”
In a story prototype, you want to answer the question: “Will this be a great read?”
What’s a prototype for?
I began real work on my current project nearly a decade after I’d first thought of it, the reason being that I stumbled upon a sample I’d written and thought “wow…this is kinda good”. I shared it with a few friends, who all agreed that it had potential.
The prototype lets you take your flash of inspiration out for a spin. Kick the tires. Feel the acceleration and handling. Don’t worry about everything else that’s to follow: all the research, the plotting, the characterization, the symbolism, the endless, tedious, lonely hours of actual writing.
When you pull that singular bit of inspiration out of the garage and hit the road to see if it takes you anywhere, it doesn’t really matter if the details are wrong, or if the characters in the sample actually appear in the final story. Instead, you’re bringing readers into the core elements of your world and show them the sights. If it’s a story filled with tension, build some tension. If it’s a comedy, make ‘em laugh. If you’re introducing them to a fantasy land of airships, put them in the air and let them feel the wind in their face.
What specifically does a prototype accomplish?
By writing out your prototype, I believe you accomplish four key things.
Demonstrate that that this a story you can tell
To begin with – and most importantly – a prototype answers the question “will this be a great read?” A prototype demonstrates to a few trusted friends (or better, if you have the stomach for it, people who aren’t friends) that this is a story you can tell. Discover if they’re enthused and want to read more.
This is the first of several times in this series where I’ll point out that most friends will be kinder to you than you deserve. I’m not saying that you don’t deserve kindness…of course you do. But friends being kind when they’re reviewing your cool ideas aren’t doing you the kindness they think they are. They don’t want to offend you. They want to “support you”. The rest of the world won’t be so nice. In my product management life, it was a constant struggle to get past customers’ goodwill so that we could discover if they’d really pay for something.
Most probably, you desperately crave your readers’ approval, but you if you really want to understand whether this idea “works” I urge you to be extremely cautious with “friendly feedback”.
So try to get past your friends’ “enthusiastic support” and discover if they’re truly enthusiastic. Do they, for instance, talk about it to you the next day? Ask probing questions? Suggest a slew of ideas? Look for signs that they’re genuinely engaged.
Discover whether this work delights you
Second, a prototype discovers whether this work will delight you. If you really decide to pursue a novel, you’re going to be spending months – maybe years – of your life in pursuit of this challenging goal. The very least you can do before engaging in such an intense ordeal is to play with it for a few days.
Is the prototype as much fun to write as you thought it would be? Do you look forward to working on it and feel great about the result? You’re unlikely to ever be more enthused about the idea than you are at the very beginning (other than, one hopes, at the very end!) so it had better be all these things if you hope to finish.
Exorcise writing gremlins
Next, a prototype exorcizes writing gremlins. The Plotter-Oriented framework will be frustrating if you – like me – just love putting beautiful words on a page and reeling off a story. The prototype is one of a few “pressure valves” in the process where we can let our phrasal flag fly. We’re in the golden flush of inspiration, so don’t waste that energy: give yourself the freedom to express the idea as an introduction, first chapter, whatever.
Create an artifact
Finally, a prototype creates an artifact to which you might return. As I mentioned above, my current project began a decade ago. Only when I stumbled upon my prototype a few months ago did I realize that I wanted to return to this project. Had I not written my sample chapter, I doubt that I’d be engaged in it today.
Again, just make sure that the prototype contains the key elements that will make your story sing. The elements that drove your initial inspiration.
Caveat creator
I reiterate that I’m not entirely certain that this is a good step for every writer in every case. I can see why it works within the scope of a fantasy novel, and it worked for me. My background – albeit in a different industry – suggests that there’s potential in this for some types of stories at least. Bit will it suit a detective potboiler? A memoir? A work of non-fiction? I don’t have enough data points to know…so take it as you will.
I’ll be writing more posts on the topic of Plotter-Oriented Writing. If this is interesting to you, please consider subscribing to my blog. And I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
For an example of a story prototype, please see Lonely Girl, the prototype I wrote for The Poison Sky.
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