How do u write books?

[Samuel Dark]

This can be interesting. I have heard several different ways, but this is how I do it:

First off, I have two ways to come up with a plot: One way is to come up with a title -- like the Rose Killer -- and then come up with a deep plot. A plot that makes my mouth water its so good. Second way is..well....don't know, just know I came up with several other plots for a story. It was like it just came to me.

Second, I come up with events that I want to happen. Events that everything will be leading up to. This is usually where I decide if its a trilogy or not. If I come up with a lot of events, then I can't keep leading the reader in all of these big climaxes, and then taking them down, and then doing it again, and then taking them down -- my mom hates that, and I would too, if it happens to much. So I spread the story out on however long it needs to be -- usually a trilogy. But, one thing. I don't make sequels. If a story is done -- like its a stand-alone book, and the story was complete -- I won't make a sequel to it. I will know if I plan on making a sequel before hand, because to me a story isn't over until what was started in the beginning of the story has been brought to a conclusion. And once thats done, no more books on that story.

Thirdly, I start writing. When I am not writing, I think about writing. I think about how can I get from Event A, to Event B, and so on. Then I write it. Then once its I get to Event A to Event B, I keep doing it until its finished. (or the first book in the series if finished) and I start re-writing. Editing. Making it as good as it can. Get friends to help me with editing, because I stink at it...lol. But thats how I write. Sometimes I write down characters, so I don't forget them. Comes in handy. ANd thats how I do it.

How do u?

[SRHowen]

I sit down, bring up new document, write. I just picture a character or a scene or an event and go from there, no thoughts about the next scenes at all.

Shawn

[Nick Fletcher]

The way I write stories, is first come up with a plot, then I come up with the title after I know the basic outline of the story. I usually write up a few character profiles to for the main starting characters, any later added characters that do play important parts I do the same for. Then I basically play it scene by scene most of the time. Sometimes I can have a lot planned ahead but mainly I write a scene then at the same time come up with stuff to follow it on!!

[maestrowork]

Characters, characters, characters.

I have the story, then my characters tell me what is going to happen.

[tjwriter]

I sit down, either at the computer or with a pen and paper, and my brain makes my hand(s) write stuff. At least, that's the way my more successful things have started. When I try to force it too much, I block up.

My characters begin to speak with me. Sometimes I just stalk them.

I don't worry about plot or what happens next until I am further into the story. Even then, I only sketch some ideas, as they tend to change when my characters develop.

Of course, this is my first novel, so it should probably be burned or tossed to sea. The experience is invaluable.

[Jamesaritchie]

First, I think of a title. Can't write without one. I write down the title, then just start writing. I don't plot or outline or think ahead. I concentrate on the opening, mainly putting an interesting chracter in an interesting situation. I try to have the opening ask a question or pose a problem, and the rest of the novel is written to answer the question or solve the problem.

I try not to think ahead of the scene I'm writing.

[clotje]

For me it’s the idea, then I do the outline, to make sure there's a novel in it and not just a short story. Then I start on the characters and then I start typing the first chapter.

[brinkett]

Characters, characters, characters.

I have the story, then my characters tell me what is going to happen.
I'm sort of the same. The first thing that comes to me is characters and a situation. Everything goes from there, with the characters leading the way.

[KTC]

I sit down, bring up new document, write. I just picture a character or a scene or an event and go from there, no thoughts about the next scenes at all.

That's pretty much my M.O. too...

[Richard White]

Idea
Flow Chart (Yes, I actually break down ideas in a flow chart. If Character A does X then either Y or Z could happen. If Y happens, then it would lead to A1, If Z happens, it could lead to A2. Nah, A2 is too damn complicated. So, Now that we're at A1, . . . )

Once I have the story rough outlined like that, I work up an outline and then begin writing. I don't always stick with the outline, but by doing all this work up front, it helps me avoid chasing rabbits when I need to stay on the trail. (Although sometimes rabbit trails do lead to good stories, I don't want to waste a bunch of time. Either I should take the one story or the other.)

After I'm done plotting and outlining, then it's write, write, write until I get it done.

Every writer develops their own system. Being a former analyst, this works for me.

[William Haskins]

i slice a lamb's throat and throw it on the burning altar, chant for a few minutes in latin, drink a big gulp sized cup of absinthe... and voila!

[pepperlandgirl]

I come up with two characters and a situation. Then I write them in that situation, and if it works well, I continue.

I hate thinking of titles. I put it off until last, and even then, I have a ***** of time thinking of anything half-way decent.

[Julian Black]

i slice a lamb's throat and throw it on the burning altar, chant for a few minutes in latin, drink a big gulp sized cup of absinthe... and voila!I prefer a black rooster and a pint of Guinness, myself.

Actually, I start with characters who have certain problems, and before long various scenes come to mind in which these characters interact. Early scenes usually contain a lot of conflict, or some sort of turning point (though I don't always know just where they are turning to yet).

I keep writing brief notes about each scene on 3x5 cards, and eventually I end up with a small stack of them. Then I start sticking them up on my bulletin board, looking for the ways in which scenes might link together, piecing out a chronological order. I add more note cards. Subplots emerge. So do themes. Eventually, I'm able to break the larger plot down into sections, then subsections, then chapters. I check for plot holes. I do research. I chart the course of the main story arc, lesser arcs within sections, and each subplot.

When I have all the notecards in order on the bulletin board, I number them, take them down, and type them into a Word document. That's my outline. As I'm typing out the contents of the cards, I make small changes. Sometimes I'll add more details, or make notes about the mood or setting, or correct continuity errors.

Then I take my outline and write the first draft.

The plotting and outlining take a long time, and it's an unpredictable, organic process. Writing the first draft goes very quickly, however.

Then I edit obsessively.

And--voila!

Edit: Oh, and I almost never have a title until very late in the game. I've only written one story that started with a title.

[William Haskins]

"organic process"

precisely.

[Jamesaritchie]

I wish I could write without a title, but I can't. It isn't that I don't want to, I simply can't. No title, no writing.

Like Ray Bradbury, I keep a long list of nouns handy. I also keep a long list of verbs and adjectives. I mix and match until one of them looks good.

Some titles may be simple "The Badge," "Wild Strawberries," "The Parachute," Etc.

Some mixing and matching gets more complicated. "Blue and Deadly Sky," "A Little South of Nowhere," "Brandy is a Woman's Name," "The Girl With Lavender Eyes," "Whiskey on a Woman's breath," "The Man Who Couldn't Lie," "The Luckiest Man Alive," 'Blue Ghost, White Noise," etc.

I may or may not keep the title once the story is finished. Sometimes I do, and sometimes a better one comes along. Often a line from the story gives a better title.

But I must have a title. It's the title that generates the story. I go through the lists of nouns, verbs, and adjectives, and something just clicks. When this happens, I write the title down in the appropriate spot, and the words start flow. I'm not sure how it works, or why it works, but it works.

[jdkiggins]

I tried using worksheets, section sheets, character description sheets, plotting, and outlines. I simply can not write by a set plan.

I let my ideas and writing flow until it stops. I have found that 99% of my first paragraphs turn out to be the ending instead of the beginning. :)

Joanne

[Elincoln]

For me, it's primary the characters. Then the conflict the main set of characters have to face. After that I write an outline of their actions from Point A to Point B to face and/or resolve that conflict, letting them figure it out as they go (Yes, I said THEY. Characters are very smart.) Sometimes I have to nudge things a little. When I actually write the chapter/short story I flesh out their actions and reactions. The second revision is primarily descriptions (the mantra: show, don't tell). The third revision is all the psychological aspects (inner mind and mental processes). The next revision is primarily playing connect the dots--I work on the flow and make sure everything makes sense. The next three revisions are for the inevitable corrections on grammar, syntex, sentence structure and the like.

-Elaine

[PattiTheWicked]

For me, it's the characters. Each ms I've worked on has begun as me simply writing down one event or conversation that took place involving a character that happened to pop in... sometimes they lurk for a few months before they evolve enough for me to write about them, but once they reach that point, look out.

I normally have a title in mind while I'm working on the piece, but generally it changes by the time I finish the first draft.

My biggest problem is that sometimes my characters get all attitudinal on me and decide they're going to go off in some completely different direction than I had originally planned on them.

I had one character who simply wouldnt' die. I tried on three occasions to kill her off, and she just kept coming back. Finally I told her, "Look, Wanda. I get to make the decisions here, and I've decided you need to go. I'm the writer, because *I* am the one sitting at the computer typing!"

She lit a cigarette, rolled her eyes at me and drawled a line from one of my favorite movies... "Yeah, well, sticking feathers in your *** doesnt' make you a chicken."

So she stayed.

[Nateskate]

My mind is a wonderland, and I'm just along for the ride.

There's no one way for me. One story I wrote was inspired by a friendship, in which I decided to write a story our children could read, and so like "Alice in Wonderland" and Christopher Robin, I incorporated the reader into the story. At that point, I generally have some idea where I'm going. I've done parody, where I took people at work, and turned them into knights, and princesses, and set them in a fourteenth century landscape, but threw in their real personalities. (Big hit)

My current work in progress emerged in a much different fashion. Honestly, I just knew so may people in difficult situations, and some giving up, divorcing, throwing away dreams, becoming embittered, I wanted to write this allegory about hope. But allegories are funny creatures, you can be too metaphorical, and only a handful of people would ever get your point. I never thought about publishing it, although, at the time I planned to make it public on an internet site that was exhibiting my writings.

However, it sat on a shelf for about five years, and other inspirations made me want to write. At the time I had somewhat of a constant audience, and began a series of stories for them, using the allegory as a template, expanding it in different directions. And when it was done, it was the skeleton for the Epic Fantasy.

[Jewel101]

I started mine with ideas floating around in my head. When there began to be too many I started to write them down. After that, I had to figure out the order so I wrote an outline (ironicly after I started to write it. I was about halfway done. But I did have it in my head, the order in which everything went) That was how my current work started. My other two, I just started writing, one with information I wanted to incorporate into it and the other I just wrote.

As for the titles, the first two still don't have titles but the third one, the current one, I somehow found a very good, very original title in the beginning.

[Vipersniper]

:kiss: For me the stories are already there it just has to be developed according to how the people who are my characters play the story out. Sometimes I sit back and relax and let the story come to me. Many times the stories that I write or novels if you will are base on real like events. If I want to make a commentary then I chose the stories that make the headlines and try to problem solve. I dream in science fiction sometimes but then write fiction based on true facts. Sometimes I just go out and walk to think on what it is I want to write about in a story but for the majority of the times real people often influence what I write.

[triceretops]

I usually have a working title first, then some eccentric characters upon which I can heap misery. I think of the grand "save the world" ending first, then take my sumbeech character and fill in everything prior to that ending.

Tri

[stormie]

Characters, characters, characters.

I have the story, then my characters tell me what is going to happen.

My characters, too. Sometimes I have a plot sort of worked outin my head, then a character comes along and changes it. I don't bother arguing with them, I just go along for the ride.

[SeanDSchaffer]

I generally start with a tiny inspiration... a thought that rings with me that 'This could be a good story.' I write a Vignette, and if the story continues to inspire, I write more.

Eventually, I have Vignettes galore sitting around and I go to the task of putting them in their proper places within a large story.

(I may write an outline, but for some strange reason I find it easier to physically place the vignettes in the order I want them in, and proceed to build my stories around them. I don't know: an outline never worked very well for me, I guess because I always try to write the entire outline before I have all the information. That's probably why an outline never worked for me.)

I take my Vignettes, like I said before, and put them together in the proper order; then I build around them and thus make my first draft. After that, I write a second and a third and a fourth and a fifth -- all depending on what I think needs to be done to make the story right -- each transcribing from a hard copy so the words can flow better and the story can be fresh within me instead of just writing an edit.

(I do sometimes do simple correcting edits, don't get me wrong. But I usually do them when I have my story as close to complete as I am pleased with.)

But basically, it all starts with a tiny inspiration and the acknowledgement that 'this could make a decent story.'

[sunandshadow]

We're currently doing a writing exercise in studying how different writers go from blank page to synopsis in gamedev.net 's writing forum (of which I happen to be the moderator :) ). Basically the same topic as this thread, so you may want to have a look.

http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=313745

[Kallahan]

One misspelled word at a time. Usally I'm influenced by what I'm reading or am into at the moment. Some of my characters are pulled from stereotpyes and then deepend. Then I look at the characters faults and create a past for them, then add a twist o' the supernatural and an inciting incident and viola, an unfinished manuscript. I generally work on it for 3 or 4 weeks pretty solid then get bored, and start another. Usally after a couple months I get back to it. Right now I've got five or six stories between the 30k mark and revisions.

[stace001]

My process is very similar to Julian's. I have written three novels, and I have not once started with a title. That usually comes to me 1/2 to 3/4 into the book. I have a basic idea of the plot, and then I just sit and write, my characters just take me along for the ride.

[samgail]

In my experience trying out different methods is a good way to stick with your writing and still find what works for you. A few of my personal picks-voice recognition software, eliminates the need to type all my longhand writing. It also is a great editing tool. I also like newnovelist software, a program that lets you develop your story, giving you a way to keep completely organized, but allows you to skip around while writing your book. It also lets you put notes in as you write, eliminating notecards, sticky notes and half used legal pads(a great accomplishment for this writer)!
happy writing

[Torin]

I usually start with a scene that has either come to me in a dream or that has leapt full-blown into my head. I describe that and then find out what happens next as I go along. Sometimes the ending will come to me and I'll take time out to jot that down, sometimes random scenes in the middle will turn up out of the blue and I write them down. Then I assemble the whole thing.

Torin

[azbikergirl]

The title is the hardest part in the beginning because I start writing without one, then when it's time to save the file, I sit there with the Save As dialog open, tapping my chin.

I start with a situation or a goal and come up with a character who has the most to gain and the most to lose by it, give him a basic history that would propel him forward on this path, and off I go.

Edit: I guess I should add that 'off I go' means I start outlining, not writing!

[brinkett]

The title is the hardest part in the beginning because I start writing without one, then when it's time to save the file, I sit there with the Save As dialog open, tapping my chin.

I never title a novel until the first draft is complete. When it comes time to saving, I use a temporary name. When I write, I always start with a character and a situation.

[PattiTheWicked]

Characters, characters, characters.

I have the story, then my characters tell me what is going to happen.

I have this character who keeps following me around, yet still hasn't managed to find his way into any of my manuscripts. I have no idea what to do with him. I don't think he wants his own story, but he seems to want to hang out. Really, he's useless to me, because he's a Hollywood stunt man and I have absolutely NO need for one of those in anything I'm writing.

It's rather a shame I can't pimp him out to someone who can't come up with a character.

[Liam Jackson]

A subscription to Ideas Monthly, and a lot of the "what if..." game.

[mesh138]

When the inspiration comes, I quit work and typically type between 25-35 pages a day to the sounds of the worst death metal bands I can find. I'm not sure why, but Death Metal bands and Norah Jones are my muses.

[Jamesaritchie]

When the inspiration comes, I quit work and typically type between 25-35 pages a day to the sounds of the worst death metal bands I can find. I'm not sure why, but Death Metal bands and Norah Jones are my muses.

The only heavy metal I want anywhere near me is gold, but I absolutely love Norah Jones. Can't concentrate on writing when she's singing, but I do love to hear her sing.

[Diviner]

Yes, I see a character or two before I start writing. So far, I see how they end up before I start writing scenes. Knowing the theme and how I want it to end is more important than rough outlines or plotlines, which I tend to ignore even if I create them. But even though I know how they end up, how they interact and who they are and what must happen for them to arrive at the end I have envisioned is one of those labyrinthine Celtic knots.

I'm still pretty much a beginner, so I am not too efficient. I have written two books where I am still stewing about the organization--about the prose, too, to be truthful, but that is another issue.

[Richard White]

I have a new idea for a fantasy novel that I just started working on.

I was rereading some of my old history books and came across the Reconquesta (taking the Iberian peninsula from the Moors by the Crusaders). There were several march kingdoms/duchies that were caught between the forces of the Crusaders and the Moors.

I started wondering what it would be like, trying to protect your small lands and way of life when caught between two juggernauts like that.

So, in this case, I started with an idea. Next I created a map of what the area looked like, thinking about where the land my characters (and all the antagonists (not really villians since both sides think they're in the right)) would live, where the armies would go, terrain etc.

Now that I have that, I'm starting to create the characters to torture . . . I mean, write about.

Usually, I start with a character and then design the story around them. This time, I'm trying to go the other way. We'll see how well it turns out. I need to finish the story I'm working on currently before starting this one, but starting to develop the backstory/lands/characters for the next one gives me something to do when it's slow at work.

[Word Slinger]

I sometimes feel more like a transcriber than a writer. Most of my ideas/stories come to me as a video in my head complete with dialog, I even cast my characters. My narrator is either John Huston or Spencer Tracy, don't ask me why but it is their voices I hear. Then I sit at the keyboard and do my best to transcribe all that which I see until the first complete draft is finished. Then with my extra fine point red pen and a stack of printed out transcriptions I begin to edit. Moving this para. here deleting this one, expanding that, rewording this, etc. Then sit back at the keyboard and make all my corrections I have indicated in red pen. Then start all over again, this time I focus on background, where does it seem overdone or underdone and begin to work on that part until I feel that I have covered just about everything. Back to the keyboard and make more corrections as indicated. Save the file and walk away, write some articles or a couple of commentaries. Clear my mind completly of the mss. and after approx. a 2 week or more interval I print it all out again, grab a handfull off red pens and begin all over again with a fresh perspective, this time becoming a reader with notes. Back to the keyboard and corrections, then print out again and have a couple of people I have faith will be honest with me read and take notes.

Depending on their notes I begin my edit process once more. Some suggestions I just cannot agree with and disregard others seem to click and are written into or out of the mss. One last check for punctuation, grammar and spelling and then begin looking for a new home for my mss.

[Kiva Wolfe]

Go with your ideas, spend the time to outline, character develop, plot, plot plot. When your creativity stalls, stand, sit, do yoga, live on the edge by washing down a handful of pez with a soda, if you have to. Start by taking the writing seriously, keep writing, even if it's only a few words each day, and then rejoice in those last two gratifying words as you type them...

The End

[samgail]

I have this character who keeps following me around, yet still hasn't managed to find his way into any of my manuscripts. I have no idea what to do with him. I don't think he wants his own story, but he seems to want to hang out. Really, he's useless to me, because he's a Hollywood stunt man and I have absolutely NO need for one of those in anything I'm writing.

It's rather a shame I can't pimp him out to someone who can't come up with a character.

I have an island where unused characters go-you are welcome to send him there. They usually just hang around and bug the natives and every once in a while I actually need some random skill that my regular characters do not possess. He sounds like he could come in handy. It is actually a nice place and who knows maybe someday he could make a comeback.

[LightShadow]

I write everything that comes to my head in a mad dash, page after page after page, not caring about grammar and spelling. Then, after it's complete, I go back in and tie the loose ends together, and work endlessly on my characters. Believable characters is the key. Then, polish, polish, polish, revise, polish, revise, polish, polish, polish . . .

[Thekherham]

In my regular job (not a successful author yet, so I have to do the mundane), I do a lot of driving, and that's when I get most of my ideas. Like Liam, I play the 'What-If' game. My policy is that a)if an idea pops into my head, but disappears a day or two later, it probably wouldn't be a good story, and b) if it sticks like a fly on flypaper and I just can't get it out of my mind, then I start writing.
And I write and write and write... And then I edit.
The only problem is, sometimes I come up with a lot of good (at least I think so) ideas. And then I have this tendency to just leave Novel/Story A and start Novel/Story B, and then... Right now I have 19... or is it 20 WIPs, ten of them are complete, but they all need editing.

[Diviner]

My policy is that a)if an idea pops into my head, but disappears a day or two later, it probably wouldn't be a good story.

I've heard other people say this, but I am not sure I agree. Sometimes the most elusive, and perhaps, atypical thoughts seem to me to be the ones most worth pursuing. Yes, they are harder to get hold of but seem often to be the most creative and unique, a little like dreams, connections the subconscious is making that the conscious has no idea how to deal with.

I find the lack of a set of referants makes for creativity and is entirely stimulating.

Good luck with all your undedited projects.

[Jonny Ryan Mac]

For me, it’s actually easy. I know my characters like I know my two cats, I know how they think and act, what they eat, like and dislike. I create the plot, throw in the monkey wrenches and ask my self, what would he/she do?

And just like that, 150,000 K words later, I’ve got a first draft.

Then late at night, like a scheming dungeon master, ill think of ways to make my characters lose control, push their boundaries, excite their spirits, etc.