I started with a blank page and no idea what I was going to write, so as an aid I typed in the <scene setting> thing and typed out the bones of a stereotypical setting to get an idea. Pretty soon I'd gotten into the story. When I'd finished, it seemed to fit, even though it was originally only a tool to start the story. I still use it, well, as it's part of the idiom now, but I also find it very helpful indeed.
The original first chapter was mostly like chapter one, but longer. Dragon got into trouble, girl saved his life, clamed up like a fish and was left banging her head against a tree when he left. Just like chapter one except that it stunk. The whole dragon in danger thing was badly thought out and needed a lot of work. But I wanted to put something up quickly, so I chopped it up and put up the bits that were still good.
I liked the bit that is now chapter one and the ending, which didn't fit there, but was reused for chapter 3. That's why she's not referred to by name until that point. In its first draft she was named at the start of chapter 3, but I changed it all around to see if the original feel of that ending would work. When I asked my proof reader, he hadn't even noticed the change. Maybe that means that he's not a very good proof reader, but it meant that I got to keep one of my favourite bits of writing. Re-edited slightly, for the new chapter of course.
Then I was stuck. Every time I tried to write chapter 2, a filler to get to the Court-Martial which is still titled on my computer as chapter 3, the story would get stuck. If I'd still been able to radically alter what is now chapter one, I'd've been okay, but I regarded it as sacrosanct now that it was actually published. Instead, I restarted chapter 2 completely about 4 times. I was going to introduce Rrowlf, but didn't want to rewrite chapter 1. I had her talk to herself, a lot as the Dragon got ever closer, but that didn't work as the idiot noticed her and tried to talk to her. I wrote some good stuff, but ended up in a sticky place. The story's never gone where I expected it, mostly cos I start with a blank mind, but still, I was doing really well and thinking that I'd cracked it, until that idiot dragon started to talk to her. How do you solve that problem? I finally used an idea I had earlier discarded of letting the Dragon enter the castle and picking the story up after he'd slaughtered most of its inhabitants. Surprisingly, it worked and I managed to finish the chapter. Unfortunately, I still wasn't ready for the court martial, which I was really looking forward to (and had already started) and had another chapter to do. I like those chapters, but I don't think that they're as good as the first one, slightly creaky though it is and the Court Martial.
The way the story's set, it'll be going from static scene to scene and I don't know if that'll still read well after a few more chapters. Still, I thought I couldn't do dialogue and I think the first chapter worked out well and it's got practically nothing but dialogue in it. I'm learning as I go. Maybe I'll get a little action into it later on.
Phew, sorry about that. I stuck this bit separately so that you don't have to read through it every time you go through the story, if you do so more than once, but that's what's been in my head as I've written this story. I don't know if my vague maybe plot will survive to the end, but I won't write any more of these until I have something interesting to say.
As a matter of interest though. Originally the dragon was nearly drowned (bad writing on my part), then I'd decided that he was going to be almost struck by lightning. He ended up being beaten to a bloody pulp, I'm not sure which he would've liked the most.
Oh and I like rain. I don't think the story's that depressing.