I can run into the same problem. Poems seem to spill out of me easily, even if some are crap lol, but writing a story that's not a SHORT story, oh man..... I am all over the place.... Unsure of which waaay to branch off as I have many ideas, and just have trouble organizing something so long at times.
ORGANIZING YOUR STORY
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So, if I have a general idea of what I'm going for, or have enough written to kind of evaluate, I will often write an outline.
Like, a straight up, the-kind-i-was-told-to-do for school report assignments since elementary school lol. Example:
CHAPTER ONE
I. (basic topic/s I'm wanting to cover)
A. Sub topic stuff and
B. Things to include, to remember and
C. Anything else I want to do in this part
CHAPTER TWO
II. Same thing etc
Perhaps that's not the best, as I've been more poetry inclined lately.
In your case, worrying about life experiences, you could break it up in many ways. By eras, by lessons learned, the pros and cons, what you gained and lost and was it always worth it, etc; you could do flashbacks, you could jump between eras and lessons, etc etc. Maybe decide more on a style first and go from there, rather than trying to organize first. Or, consider, if you were relaying these aspects of your life story to someone else in conversation, how would you do that? You can try different styles, such as just stating factually your story. You could imagine you are telling your story to a person, which would help with the flow perhaps. Etc.
But I do have an idea - a few, actually - for what I think would be some seriously kick ass books/turned movies (hey, I can dream, ok? Lol) and oh man. I just can't seem to organize them.
Also though, one of my problems ous having too many ideas and possibilities of where I want certain parts to go.
I'd that's a problem for you too you could actually include that inn your outline, indicating which things are definitely going to be in there and what POSSIBLE twists or parts you are not yet sure on.
This waaay, when reviewing your outline,, it may seem more clear to you, at least generally organized in Ann order instead of just ricocheting around your creative mind, as you thunk,"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO PUT IN AND HOW TO END IT!!!!"
HIRING A WRITER TO HELP YOU ORGANIZE
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Finally, another option for those who are better at coming up with great themes, concepts, ideas, etc is to enlist the assistance of another writer, to help you organize it.
PROTECTING YOUR CREDIT
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In addition to protecting and proving your original ideas and art, this Aldi establishes a date. Therefore, you may have a case depending in circumstances if someone edhs publishes something crazily similar, and your registration date was first.
If you are a worried as I am about being screwed or taken advantage of or are very possessive and guarded with your works as I am to an admittedly ridiculous degree lol, this either isn't for you, or, make a CLEAR AGREEMENT BEFOREHAND that is SIGNED, and MAKE SURE AS THINGS ARE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL WRITING that credit is clearly given to who earned it. Having said written agreement notorized is helpful. Probably getting advice from a lawyer in this field is better, though could be expensive.
You may be able to find some good templates of how to write an agreement out that leaves no room for misunderstandings or gives your writer, should you not want their creative input, and only their wiring services, no room to act like they contributed to the actual story with ideas, concepts, etc.
Don't let anyone take credit for your beautiful mind.
If you collaborated on aspects, fine, split credit there. If they offered a suggestion you took, credit them. Take credit for your own though.
And.... If you do not wish to have their creative input, and only wish for them to help you get your story organized, MAKE THAT CLEAR AND PUT IT IN WRITING, SIGNED, NOTORIZED. Sign and notorize anything you agree on.Again, a lawyer in this field is good and make sure your written contract leaves no doubt that the creative parts are all on you. You can even include any payment terms in there to avoid then trying to cash in further inn the future . After all, you labored over the ideas, and they simply followed tor lead and did not contribute to the nature of the story but rather only organizing it.
In some cases I am so loving my story idea that I want zero creative input,, even if they have a great idea. My art is like my baby, and I can be protective of it. Plus, I've learned not via collaborative writing but just life, that it's usually in my best interest to avoid a situation where anyone may later on act like they did more than they did. Hell no. That beautiful story was birthed in my head and fuck you lol.
I want creative control to avoid feeling like I caved, got pushed over, compromised in ways I want thrilled about, and, mostly, because although I'm not arrogant and conceited about anything creative I do, out gives me a sense of pride to do it and honestly I'm not usually wanting to share credit, like I said my works are like my babies! Even if I never show them to anyone lol. Still, they are mine, from my heart and soul, and that is satisfying.
LEGALLY PROTECTING/PROVING YOURSELF
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Another tip: this can protect your ideas and concepts be it stories, scripts for a movie, songs, poems, whatever....
You would benefit from having your works on official record, protected.
You've probably heard of the poor man's copyright, which is mailing your work to yourself, sealed. But in reality this doesn't stand up legally add its easy to steam open mail or reseal it cleverly.
Your better options to protect even unfinished works ( I will cover that aspect specifically**):
A copyrighted work, as far as I understand it, has the best legal power in proving you are the creator of a concept, story line, etc
https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/index.html
A tip: though its not impossibly expensive to copyright material, there's a clever way to cut the cost. You, instead of copyrighting each individual work, create a "collection of works" be it sings, poems, stories, etc. This counts as one thing and thus you pay one fee rather than paying for each.
Read their requirements as they do have rules. Format, collections, etc.
Another, though perhaps less legally strong buuut still decent way is to register your work with the Writers Guild of America, if in the states.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/WGA_script_registration_service
Now, this registering will expire after a period, but it's less expensive at least when I did it. It can be renewed. Again, copyrighting makes a stronger legal case in protecting your work.
**I had a story idea, but you cannot register an idea, so since I knew I was waaaay far away from completing it in either book or screenplay form, I got around that by simply wording it in short story form. It literally was this stupid:
"Once upon a time, this shit was happening. Then this happened and that's how they did it. Then someone stopped them by doing this. The end."
Obviously more detailed than that lol, but I felt my idea was good enough to protect, that I would hate for anyone to do something too similar while I was struggling to format it into book or script form.
Because that's fucking happened to me before. Grrrrrrr!!!!!!!!
If I think of anything eke useful I'll edit it in at the end.
USING A PSEUDONYM.
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God luck and go for it! You can always look up pseudonyms of you want to retain your privacy as a citizen should you ever publish.
HOWEVER, if I remember right that can get tricky if you are trying to copyright under a pseudonym. I want to say it's not totally private. You can Google "copyright a story I wrote using a fake name/pseudonym" and the info will pop up.
ONLINE TIPS, HELP, AND POSSIBLE SCAMS
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There are also a lot of articles and blogs online with tips and tricks to help you wrote, as well as protect your work's concepts, and your own anonymity should that appeal to you. I learned a lot of that through googling and googling and reading through terms and conditions of the ways to register my works.
Be careful with these sites that tell you to submit your ideas so they can pitch them to big execs.... I'm sure some have lucked out that way, but I've heard horror stories of people's ideas being just stolen, and they had Nooooo recourse
LAWYERING UP
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If you are ever dead serious about publishing or creating a scrrenply for va movie, a lawyer dealing in that could be helpful but again do your research on their rights to the cut of profit. And find someone who doesn't gouge your wallet unless you get a deal.....preferably one where you hold onto most or all creative control, which, as I hear, unfortunately doesn't always happen when you are new to the biz and are a relative nobody at first.
SELF-PUBLISHING
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Oh, and you can self publish through amazon. Just Google "self publish amazon". Make sure to really read what you are getting into though. It's not necessarily bad; just make sure you are ok with the terms.
BEWARE OF PLAGIARISM
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And its always a good idea to somehow register your work and even mention that it's registered when posting it online, that it's legally protected and anyone who shares without crediting you or who steaks out will face legal consequences. It will scare at least some dopes off
Anything you may wish to profit off of one day though it's probably best kept out of the public eye, off the internet, as some researching will reveal many horror stories of writer's being plagiarized and then these jerks publish and profit!!!!
Oy.
Best wishes
P.S. There is truth to hiring a stranger and professional/good amateur versus someone you know. If money gets involved, you could find that relationship falling apart, despite having laid out a CLEAR agreement ahead of time and having it signed, and legally validated. Just sayin....
i just felt an urge to write and write will post a trip report on that later
