Big Imaginations and Little Plots

I love worldbuilding. I'm not very good at it, but for the seven years I've been putting words on paper, I've been creating my own worlds. My first novel was about an alternate universe that these kids could jump through to in their dreams. It wasn't a very good novel, of course. I was only like ten. However, it had a lot of imagination put into it. Through that novel blossomed several other novels that I got the privilege to co-author with my friend. She had worlds of her own that she had created and instilled in me was the love of making.

Like I said, I'm not very good at worldbuilding. Before this current novel, I didn't actually create anything new such as new species or a new language. But I made worlds none-the-less. The alternate universe in my above mentioned novel had magic in it, while the regular universe did not. Now I am working on a completely new novel that I got to build a world for. I'm having a lot of fun creating the history and the written language.



Here's the thing (and the actual point of this post), most stories are either plot based or character based. There is a slight in between where an author successfully pulls off creating a novel that is equally plot and character based. Those authors are the best sellers, the ones that actually make a living out of writing. (That, or they write a dystopian teen drama that hits Hollywood and suddenly we have a weird love story where two people are trying to take down the government. *coughs*)

But seriously. I write for the creating. I write for the characters. This creates novels with big imagination, but little plot.

Big Imaginations are a Good Thing

When I hear people say "You have such a big imagination" they say it in such a way that it sounds condescending. It's like every time someone says this, it's not a compliment. Sometimes, it is. Most of the time, though, it's not. To be a creative (writer, creator, photographer, painter, draw-er, dancers and even actors) you need a big imagination. You need a lot of creativity. You can't have this without a big imagination. You can't create worlds, come up with a new language, have an eye for taking pictures of the simple things; painting the things which you cannot see, and drawing people that you've never seen before. You can't do any of that without having a big imagination. 

So that's a really important thing. 

Little Plots Can Always Be Worked With

To be honest, I struggled for a long with little plots. I still do. I focus all my creative energy on creating realistic characters with backstories and emotions, and creating worlds that no one has even heard of before that I lose sight of the plot. Plots aren't just for stories, though. You have to plot out what you're going to paint or draw. You have to plot out what you're going to take pictures of. You have to plot out a play, or a dance. Even musicians have a goal and plot in mind. It's not the same as what writers call "plots", but they all have a similar gist and premise. 

But don't be discouraged if you have a little plot. In anything. If you aren't sure where your story is going, or where your drawing/painting is going. If you're unsure about where you want to be with your photography/music/dance in a few years, that's okay. Everything big starts off little. The thing with little plots is that they can always be worked with. There is always rough drafts of everything. Rough draft paintings and dances and music and photography. EVERYONE HAS TO EDIT. So it's okay. That's part of being a creative. You can always re-work and edit your art. 

What about you? Do you struggle with little plots? Do you create big worlds, but have no idea what is going to happen in those worlds? What about your paintings and drawings and music and photography? How do you "edit" and work with the "little plots"? I'd love to hear from you!