Hello! So, before I start into a long-winded and probably dreary post asking a plethora of questions, I'll say straight off that I'm looking for some advice (read help!). I'm new to this forum and new to 'storytelling'. I've written a few songs that have been published, but I don't really see that as storytelling. The same as most other newbies, I'll guess, I've always wanted to write fiction. Ideas have bubbled for years in my mind, but one in particular has always been there and I feel ready to get stuck in, put pen to paper and try my hand at it. The problem is I don't know where to start. I have tried to write down my ideas, jot down a plot and describe the characters - but I'm stuck. Where is the best place to start? Am I going about it all wrong? Any help appreciated and TIA!
Hello to yourself. The "where to start" part is highly subjective and is suited to each individual differently. What is it that you are stuck on? The first sentence of your novel or which idea to write first? You should definitely plan if you feel more comfortable in knowing exactly how you want to set out your piece. You should already have an idea where you want your plot to go, an idea on your ending and possibly who you want to join you in your quest to complete your first novel, so you could elaborate on these and go into more detail, if necessary. When starting out, it is sometimes an arduous task to come up with the first line of your first chapter (which I've never really understood because I've not actually had that problem before!). Really, the best way to start is to actually start. Even if it's not the best first sentence - or even paragraph - that you could come up with, there is always the possibility to come back and change it later when you have finished your first draft. However, if you're like me and prefer to watch your story flow (provided everything flows the right way toward the ending), then you could scrap the elaborate planning and just go with your rough planning. There is always revision and you can always change the characteristics of certain characters or tweak the storyline after. Be cautious with doing it this way; it can produce more plot holes.
Read a lot. Read anything and everything. Seriously, it helps the writing process. You'll be exposed to new ideas and new ways of looking at things, which in turn will help fuel your creativity.
My advice is to become an active member on this forum, read about other peoples problems, eventually you will get an idea of what you should be doing - this is bespoke to you, and no one can tell you how to write, only what works for them. After a year of being a regular here, you should have picked up enough information that you can begin writing successfully.
Just write it out. Then once it's down on paper, go back and figure out where you want to start. Start and the end, work backwards or start in the middle and go either direction - it doesn't matter. The nice thing about words is that you can change them. You can move them around.
I´m new to the forum as well, but I´ll give you the best piece of advice I ever got on writing: "Start with the beginning, and when you get to the end, stop." Duh!! right? well the simplest things are often the best. Like people said before, you can always edit later, so if you are having troubles starting, start with the beginning. "My story begins ... my story begins with the MC sited alone thinking about his lonely empty live ... my story begins with a kid looking at a space ship as it approaches the city ... my story begins with the death of a cat ... my story begins when my old jeans would not fit me anymore ... " And keep going from that ... Usually there must be a trigger ... something that starts everything and gets the story moving. That´s always a good start point.
Cool. Start with a chapter, or a scene, you need not start at what will eventually be the beginning. You need not have a complete story idea when you start either. Stories often grow as you write.
Just start writing. You don't need necessarily a world or drafts for the main characters, you only need an idea and then you start writing. The rest will come with time and writing. I always start with the first chapter and nothing else. I may have to rewrite the first chapters at the end of the novel, because they're no longer fitting as characters, plot and world have grown over time, but I still think the best way to start writing is exactly doing that: Start writing.
Whenever I freeze up over a beginning, and they can be the roughest - I close my eyes and daydream. Usually I want a point of change, something my mc is going to experience. Once I feel I have an interesting enough change I start to write. I attack the scene on three points - describe setting to hint at mood ( of story and character ), describe character's actions to hint at character and plot, have a catalyst to set off character, setting, and plot. All three should work together. It's like the Hunger Games the mc waking up in the cold bed alone - a simple meddling of mc, setting, tone, and catalyst - her sister's absence to make everything work.
Welcome to the forum. I was the same as you, until I found a website that introduced the snowflake method. Here is the website I used to get my book planned out. http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/
Thanks everyone for your replies. Some really good advice. I took the bull by the horns and just started writing, and the words seemed to flow - but it's probably all balderdash! Anyway, at least it's a start, right? I'm not even 100% sure where I want the story to go. I have a couple of different outcomes jotted down, but I guess that's the fun part - letting the story tell itself.
