Hello i just joined this site. At first I had no interest of writing I just love to read other peoples work but I have been inspired after reading some of the fantastic stories here and figured I would give it a go. I want to give writing a story a shot but I have a lot of trouble actually finding an idea. Once I have an idea I find it even harder to start. Although when i do start i could write for hours an hour more editing and usually the end product is somewhat decent. How do you start writing? Does it come naturally or are you like me and find it impossible just to put down a first sentence? How would you overcome this. Second. What do you prefer? Pen and paper? Or do you prefer just using a computer? Which one do you find easier? Thanks
Welcome to this forum and to the world of writing! There is no set of "rules" for writing a book, although, I can tell you what I do. First, I decide on a genre. I mostly read fantasy, so that's what I chose for my book. That's pretty much what you have to do first; after that, it's up to you. Some writers make characters, then make a plot, storyline, and setting that will help the characters. Some writers, mainly fantasy and sci-fi, create a magical setting, and then create events and characters. And some writers have in mind a story, but need to create characters and a setting that matches it. There's really no one way to come up with an idea. You can get them from songs, movies, books, (not saying stealing them, but use them as springboards), people, or just random thought. I personally like to research mythology, especially Norse mythology, for fantasy. I find that every day I add something new to my story, or change something, so know that what you start out as a storyline most likely will change dramitically over the course of your writing. Hope that helped. If you want to ask me any more questions, just PM me. -Kratos
Well for starting, maybe you could try and mix it up? Start in not chronological order perhaps, skip to a good part you know you can write and after you get into the groove come back and start at the beginning again. As for pen and paper vs a keyboard, I always use a keyboard, thats just me, I can't write pen and paper since I have **** handwriting and I have excellent keyboarding, so its just easier on me and my hands.
For me, the easiest way to start writing is to just write. Even if you don't have an idea, write nonsense, and with time ideas will begin to connect in your mind, at least, they do in mine. Personally, it does come naturally to me sometimes, but other times, I've got to get the creative juices flowing and almost 'force' myself to write so I can somehow 'catch' the creative bug. I prefer the computer. Pen and paper are nice, sometimes, but for me, my hand writing is nearly illegable and it gets quite annoying after a while. Also, it's easier to edit on a computer, less scribbles and such
Hello kcs, Welcome to the Writing Forums. First off, I'm moving this to New Member Introductions. It's the best place to start. I often begin with a scene that demands to be written. Often it is inspired by something I have watched or read, and begin thinking, "what if..." And I write on the computer. If you had ever seen my handwriting, you would immediately understand. Posting your own work should not be the very first thing you do here. It is really worthwhile to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize reviewing as a critical writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Welcome to te forums, we're glad to have you in the family! About your idea block you could always go into the lounge or writing issues threads and see if there is a place to maybe ask for a concept that someone else might be able to generate. I myself can generate a million and one concepts, but can often not elborate upon them. That's part of the reason I can't write fantasy. PM if you need anything. Have fun, and may your keys never strike back.
kcs- Here's my suggestion: buy some of that fat chalk, go outside, and chalk a few words on the sidewalk or road. After that, a paper and pen will seem easy. Have fun!
Personally I use pen. I do it because it gives me the chance to do on the fly editing when I type it afterwards, and I can fold up a paper, put it in my pocket, jump on my motorcycle and go to the park. I HATE writing in my room.
welcome!... and i'll ditto that 'there are no rules' comment... as for me: How do you start writing? i just write... period!... no prep, no preamble, no rigmarole... wherever i am when an idea strikes, i set it down with/on whatever's handy at the moment... ...yup!... a blessed curse... ;-) ...just write it!... even if it's not a sentence, put down whatever's in your head that wants to get out... you can make it all into pretty little sentences later... ...any/all of the above... though i don't use pencil unless there's nothing else available... for writing, i prefer fat ballpoint pens with med. pt and blue ink... on lined pastel pads with heavy-duty back [ampads are the best!]... my computers for the past 8-9 years have all been dell laptops and i wouldn't buy/use anything else, unless forced to... current one is an inspiron E1505 'media' model...
I just picked up a pen and wrote. I have two paragraphs (Of semi-crap) but at least it didn't take half an hour to get started with the first sentence. Is it a bad thing that i have no idea what genre i am writing or even what the story is about? Hell i haven't even named the character Love the avatar by the way
Two paragraphs of crap is a fair start. Just put that pen back in your hand and don't care about what it does. Any problems it may have can be fixed later.
fyi, rei and scarlett... these posts were almost 4 months old... you can see if a thread/post is current by the date above the poster's name on the left...
