Writing

[steviejay]

Ok, this is an offshoot of JC Denton's thread asking how big a chapter should be (the thread can be found HERE )

Whats a good way to start writing a story. Ok, you've got an idea, but after that, how would one go about starting to plan for a story??

Any budding young authors about thats got any tips??

cheers

Steviejay

subnote- in reference to my last post on Off Topics about my posters.... I agreed upon Led Zep and Clint Eastwood. Put Clint on my door, just cause it looked cool

 

[KaNick]

Just start it as if you were talking to someone.

 

[CivCube]

Research anything and everything you can find. You'll be surprised at how many new ideas you'll have. Another thing to consider is whether you have something to say through your work.

 

[stratego]

Just start writing whereever you are comfortable. It could be the middle of the book. Just write the scene out in detail and move on to another scene. Don't worry too much about the coherence of your story just write first, organize later. Listen to the voices in your head.

 

[cgannon64]

I'm no expert, but I try to write as much as I can, so here goes:

Just write your idea. If you have an idea, do you mean you have an idea for an ending, or just a character, or a whole story arc, or what?

If you got the ending first, that's not the best way to go about it, because its usually better to have just the beginning and work your way to the ending naturally than to have an ending and work your way to the beginning. But, if you must, I'd sit and think about it until a good, natural beginning comes to you.

How long do you want it to be? I have no experience writing very long things. They're very hard. If you want to do that you probably need a very well fleshed out character or characters to build around.

Just write, even without ideas. Things will come to you (at least they do to me) better when your fingers are in motion.

 

[Moss]

I just start writing, and I go from there. I find it easier to just sit down and just get out a pen and paper and just start writing away then to try to prewrite or do all of this other 'stuff.'

When I'm done writing for awhile I go back and edit and then end result is usually pretty good. Just write what you think sounds good, and what you think others will be able to comprehend.

 

[Margim]

I've found that when writing, its most enjoyable to think about if you were reading it (in my case, a novel thingy) and imagine what, if you were reading, you would like to see happen next - drama, tragedy, action, etc. Then simply let your words lead you in that direction. I can sit and type for hours in this way.

 

[Mise]

In my experience, even if its a short story, I really do need to sit down and plan it properly. Otherwise, I tend to go off at several million tangents and the story never even gets told. I like to get an A3 sheet of paper and write down the basic story going down the middle, then "brainstorm" off that. Mine normally end up like flow diagrams.

 

[betazed]

I have been trying to write for a few weeks now and I found one thing.

Writing in general, and writing well in specific, is exceptionally difficult.

No idea that you may glean from a few posts in this thread will make you a better writer. I suggest you read up a bit on writing.

This book has helped me a lot.

BTW, Mise's idea is the first idea that you will find in this book.

 

[Gladinia]

all I will say, is this: In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

 

[Darth_Pugwash]

I write best when I just put the pen on the page and write. Then just read what have written to see where I end up. Probably not a good way of writing a story though, as you often wind up miles away from the point with a story that is going nowhere.

Probably a better idea to plan the thing then flesh out the details later.

Clint and Led Zep, eh? Fine choices!