Exactly. Another tip which I am always telling my girlfriend is to not worry about cliches too much in the first draft- root them out after that part is written. May I ask what your novel is about?
Ehh..it's kind of confusing. I'm trying to get everything sorted out right now. But what I do know is it's fiction and has to do with a select group of teens that are secretly trained by the government and injected with a longevity drug that fools with their DNA and gives them "superpowers." Yes, another "superhero" story. Haha, I mean it's sort of. So far I've spanned the story to fit into 5 books because the whole theme and idea is too big to fit into one book.
I think you can do a lot with superhero stories, they're always open to re-invention. It's got a huge reading base too, so there's always room for more. Good luck getting it going
Haha, but it's not really a superhero story...I honestly don't know what it is! Haha, but hopefully I can finally get some of it down on paper (or in this case typed up on Word ) and see what sort of reviews I receive.
I usually start by describing the character doing something. To get the reader hooked, I recommend having some sort of major action happening soon into the story. If all else fails, have the protag living a normal life, "just as usual", then suddenly something happens and we're on the slippery slope and before you know it Sauron's exploding and Darth Sidious is falling and Voldemort is having a heart attack.
Hahaha! Great idea I've actually come up with the idea of starting with a flashback, though so that the reader can see into the history of the character without me having to state it boringly. But I'm hoping I'll be able to bring in some major action soon. Then I can explode something so the bad guy will fall and have a heart attack.
I've found that the first couple paragraphs of my novel tend to set the tone of my novel throughout and so when starting the novel, the best trick I have learned is to start with a specific image/tone/prose that you want your novel to be like. Everything tends to be easier for me once I figure out my tone and I find my words and prose mold and shape themselves to that specific "diction" that I want. A great way to start is with a quote or a sentence that possess personality in accordance to your novel. You don't have to use that quote to start your novel, but put it up and begin writing your novel by trying to emulate that style/dialect/tone and just start writing. I find this to be one of the most helpful tricks when having trouble with a beginning - the tone for me is everything. And don't pick a quote that is nine sentences long. Just one-two sentences, so that whatever personality you see in that quote is really of your own making.
I like the idea of starting out with a flashback, because it lets the reader into the story and mind of the character and provides an interesting beginning.
I advice against starting with a flashback, because it would slow everything down and delay the beginning when you should instead try to catch the reader right from the start with someting that is happening right then and there. It doesn't have to be an action scene, just make someone DO something instead of just looking back at previous events. You can provide the same information anyway without an infodump. I think most readers prefer having the necessary information woven into the story little by little in a way that doesn't put the story on hold.
Don't confuse the beginning of your story with the start of your writing. I remember reading a bit where JK Rowling used a piece of writing from 13 years ago as the start of Half Blooded Prince. At the end of the day, you can start writing the end of the novel first. Remember, it's probably just fear of failure that holds you back- and the only way to beat that is total immersion! Get stuck in there. You've got a good support group in the writing forums.
I see what you're saying..that's definitely a big part of it. I've never done a project as big as a novel before and I guess it makes me just a bit unnerving. I gotta say though, I doubt I would ever be motivated enough to begin if it wasn't for the writing forums. So thanks all of you!
I'm sorry, I didn't notice the extra comments... See, that was what I was thinking. It was the only way I could start off with an interesting beginning and help the readers understand and connect with the main character. See, the plot and theme for me is everything. I probably should pay more attention to tone because it would probably help with my diction (which my English teacher has told me is my weakest point). But I doubt I could find a quote that would sum up and set the tone for my story. I see what you mean. But I just don't see how I could catch the reader from what is happening in the present. Where the present is starting, there isn't much happening - mainly just trying to get established in a new town. But, in the flashback, there is a vital piece of information about the character I want the readers to know because it explains why the character acts and thinks the way she does. And also I'm going to write it as if it was in the present in order not to make it sound like I'm just throwing information at the reader. (Also, it might be helpful to know I'm writing third person.) Do you think that kind of flashback would work? This is the first time I've ever actually attempted a novel and I really value other people's thoughts.
My problem is exactly the same as yours! and I, too, am a perfectionist and want my first draft to be perfect however, I have accepted it just won't happen. Instead of focusing on the beginning, I have written out scenes that I know I want in my story with the possibilty of them being edited later on. I think once you accept that your first draft won't be perfect and you just start writing that parts that you know then the rest will come along. I'm not saying it will be easy or you won't suffer from writer's block but it will just get easier as things pan out. Good luck!!
Haha, I agree acceptance and having a "go get 'em" attitude will always prevail in the end. It's good to know I'm not the only one who struggles with beginnings! Haha, thanks.
I'm glad I'm not the only one too!! lol. Now though, I'm having trouble with how I want my story to end happy or tragedy! I guess I'll figure it out when I get there. If it's not one, it's the other lol.
They way I started my novel was very accidental. I had some vague ideas in my head which I wanted to write about and I just started typing on my laptop about a situation that I didn't really know the beginning or the ending of. At the time, I had no idea that it would develop into a novel, I was just playing around with my writing and seeing where it took me. As it happened, I stopped after twelve pages, sat back and thought about whether the idea was worth pursuing or not. It turned out not to actually be the beginning of the story, but at the moment (I'm still editing so this may change), it works as a decent prologue as it is quite action packed and has a good hook. Then, my first chapter, actually starts about a year previous to the events I wrote about. I think, the way it has worked for me is, I never sat down and thought 'right, here comes my novel, my life's masterpiece!' There's too much pressure on that and the science of planning intricately takes over the art of writing freely. My advice would be, to anyone with only vague ideas, is to just play around with some scenarios and write without the pressure of it being a novel. That way, you can gauge whether or not it works and it doesn't matter too much if it doesn't. You can just toy with the same idea on a different route or play with an entirely new one. It will work for some and not others, but I am an absolutely terrible planner and actually plan as I go. This makes writing the first draft much more entertaining for me as I am making new discoveries as I go. On the down side, the editing stage becomes extremely long and difficult as working this way has a tendency to throw up plot holes and various other problems!
Are you thinking about short sequences of flashbacks inserted as you go along with the beginning or a long first chapter (or more) with backstory? Maybe if nothing particular is happening when you plan the story to start you could skip to the point where something does happen and start there? Every story looks back on previous events for the character development but I think the best approach is to do it in a way that the reader doesn't even consider it a flashback but a part of the story, inserting short pieces of information in a way that it doesn't make the story pause while you do so. Im not very good in explaning (especially since english isn't my first language), but I'm sure someone eventually will come by and explain what I'm trying to say in a much better way.
Hey! Haha, yeah, this definitely goes along with what everyone else has been saying: I just need to relax and have fun with what I'm writing, and not expect it to be perfect the first draft It's really nice to hear it from so many people because I know I would never be able to do it if it was just me telling myself that. Haha, so thanks! Haha, don't worry, your English is perfect and I understand a word you're saying. As for your first question, I was sort of doing the latter - making an entire chapter worth of flashback. I think I'll post it as soon as I'm finished with it and am able to (because I'm new). I mean I feel as if what I am doing isn't giving away any part of the story, but just letting the audience understand why the protagonist does things a certain way. And I just couldn't think of any other illustrative way to convey that to the readers earlier on.
If you feel that is the best way of letting the reader getting to know and understand your character that is what you should do. The best way is to let your own 'feeling' guide you.
Ah, I understand. It's just, I mean I love trying new things. I just don't like it when I'm given a certain assignment without certain instructions. For some reason I just feel like I'm doing something wrong. So in this case, when it comes to writing, there are so many creative freedoms and ways of interpretation, I don't know what is the best way to write my story. I think it mainly comes down to I gotta relax and just see where my writing takes me. Haha.
Well yes. Plot, storyline, themes - all important things when when wanting to write a story. My response was more in line with once you have all of that figured out - when you have this great story and so many ideas of what you want to do but just can't seem to get started, I've found that figuring out my tone and style of writing early on seems to be the most helpful thing.
Talking of getting going, could you guys take a look at my story opening in the workshop. It's my first piece of work that I have posted on here, I'd love to see what you thought of it.
I don't think I have ever started a piece of writing at the beginning. When I get an idea, it’s usually in the form of a line of dialogue or description, or a scene that plays itself out in my head. It’s almost always halfway through what later becomes the story. As far as outlines go, I’m usually in my final revision before I write one, and then I only use it to get a better overview of which scene is where and whether or not I’ve contradicted myself or included everything I need to in order to tell the story. I would love to be able to plan my story out first, but usually, when an idea hits, if I don’t write it down, it’s gone. My advice: start with the first chronological scene you have in your head and write it down and go from there. Even if you come back later and write a “true” beginning, it will at least get you started.
