Getting Started: Your Writing Rituals...?

I admit I just go for it. I start with the beginning sentence and go on from there until I type "end." Researching through the way. Then when I'm done I reread it and tweak it until I can't tweak it any more and that's when it goes to the critt group. For me researching through the story is an ongoing thing. I write fantasy so it's almost a must I think.

If it's historical, I research until I am sick.
If it's fantasy, I spend at least 2-3 years dreaming before I actually write the novel. *lol*
And if it's about horses, I act it out for about a week, dream about it, and then sit down at the computer and type my heart out.

When the idea first comes, I summarize and write it down on a note card, along with all of my other ideas. I leave it for at least a day, and if I still like it when I get back to it, I start a new word document and jot down any note's I have, write at least the beginning of an outline, look through all of my random notes(also one note cards) and see if I could tie in any of the interesting ones. I do some research, look around on AW for ideas,(no I don't steal ideas from ever one else, I just take something from people's signatures and turn them completely around.) and some other writing sites. For a couple of these, I couldn't get the plot to go anywhere interesting, so I simply deleted their documents and worked some more on my WIP. I'm hoping to get a small file cabinet or something to organize all of my note cards and random pieces of paper that I had at the moment, but until then, my random papers are in the front of an empty notebook, and my note cards are in a neat pile on my desk with about twenty blank ones at the bottom.

I usually start with an outline. If I'm really vague about in what order events should take place, then I use index cards. Then I type up a single document that has each major point laid out. That's reworked into a chapter outline.

I also do world building exercises sometimes to see if I really know how that particular world works and what I might be missing. Most of the time I just figure it out as I go along. (i.e. political and magic systems are usually second draft problems.) Character summaries may get written in the same file as the outline. These could include everything from physical descriptions to personality traits, as well as a brief back story. Or they might be as simple as "Mary is a stay-at-home mom."

And, sometimes I outline on paper. My brain works differently when using a pen and paper and writing by hand yields a different kind of result when brainstorming.

But before I do any writing whatsoever, I've usually gone over the idea in my head for a couple of weeks. Most of the time the idea is just a single character in a single situation. The challenge is to figure out what is happening around that particular event. (Is it the beginning of the story? The end? Is the character even my MC?)

I usually have a very basic idea - not even a real plot, maybe just an event that I think is interesting - and keep it with me for about a week to see if it's good/workable. Then I write it. No outline, no skeleton.

Meh. Works for me.



d&f.

I wrote the basic chapters in long hand in a note book. Then went to computer.

Life is what happens, while you're busy making other plans. --- John Lennon

I just start writing. Then I write more. I might research some. Maybe jot some character notes for easier reference later. Then I write some more. Every now and again, I'll go back and add, delete, or fix something that I previously wrote. I may plan a couple scenes in advance. I change my mind all the time on what's happening. I often get stuck when I don't know what's going to happen OR why a character is doing what they're doing.

I type everything on the computer, usually with Microsoft Word, mostly on my desktop computer which has Word2003, but I carry my story on my flash drive so I can work on it wherever there's a computer. In fact, I have OpenOffice on my flashdrive (using U3) just in case I run across a computer that doesn't have Word or something. I type all in one document and apply a Heading-based Style for the chapters. I also use Comments and Track Changes while I'm writing to keep track of where I'm going and where I've been. I keep a "Deleted Scenes" file for things I remove, just in case I want them back.

I have one completed novel and some 60 completed short stories. Over 50 of those short stories have been published, primarily on line. I write in every stolen moment I can find between working multiple jobs, including one as an alternative high school teacher. Some times, there aren't enough of those moments. I write anyway.

And it really doesn't matter how, where, or why. All that matters is that you write. That you finish what you have written. That you edit, revise, and improve.

(And don't forget to look for old threads. Many of these topics, such as "computer v. paper," "outliner or pantser," and "how do you write/ get started/ find inspiration/ etc." are common threads that we see... well, every month or so. There's a lot of thread archives, so make sure to check out all the great information that's already been offered as well as seeking new. =)

And write on!

I'm a Nike writer.

I absolutely write out an outline and, more recently, I've taken it a bit further. I took a hint from how I write reviews, and I've started breaking down each plot point into scenes. Then, as I am inspired, I write those scenes and copy and paste 'em into the story. It is a bit of a new approach for me, but I've certainly found that my writing has picked up pace, even if the planning stages are that much longer.

I have to have most of my characters' names and faces first. Oh, and a general idea of my plot. I don't do outlines...

When I write a scene, I have already hashed it out in my mind, so I know the purpose of the scene in the overall story arc, I know how I am going to approach the scene (tone, pacing, and all of that kind of stuff), I know who is going to be in it, and I know why this scene is important for the overall story. But nothing else is nailed down--the scene still goes through "keyboard evolution." So, there is no formal outline, but there is a mental outline of the "important things": purpose, direction, participants, approach, and importance. In turn, this requires some careful thought to the overall story arc, which again can be quite sketchy. But to get the "important things" down for a scene, knowledge of the overall direction of the story is essential, or all of those "important scene things" will have to be carefully crafted in subsequent drafts (which usually requires a great deal of re-writing--not an efficient way to write at all).

Follow the yellow brick road.

I usually handwrite an outline that reads as though I was telling the story to a friend: I hit all the mayor plot points, how everything builds up to the climax, I make note of the most important characters, etc. Then I make a blood sacrifice to the Gods of Writing and off I go!

Computer on. Open document. Type.


Os.

Whether it's a novel, a novella, or just a short story I have the same routine. I start with a very rough idea of what I want to happen, then I start writing it.

I generally begin by plonking the main character into a situation and let my imagination go nuts. For instance, if I'm writing a fantasy, I'll drop them in a cave; if it's a Sci-Fi, I'll stick 'em in a ship or on a strange planet.
Once I have a complete scenario, whether it's 200 or 2000 words, I stop and leave it alone for a few days. During that time I work on other projects, making sure to note any ideas/thoughts that pop into my head (notebook or PC, depending on where I am).

After a couple of days I sit down with my written ideas and elaborate on them. For instance, if I've written a note that says "Protagonist is terrified of bees", I'd work out a few reason why he's afraid of them and how that could be used in the story. After a few days of elaborating I usually have most things worked out. Anything that isn't is generally done 'on the fly'.

I've tried planning first, but my brain doesn't seem to work that way. I always ended up writing something different and then rewriting the plan.

Hope this helps ya

crayon said:

You've got your novel idea so now you...do what? What's your own personal way of getting started turning the idea into an actual book?

With all that needs to go into it (research, knowing how to form complete and gramatically correct sentences, etc)....

Do you just wing it? Once upon a time...and go from there? See what happens as it happens?

Or do you make an outline, a skeleton of your basic story line, sub plots, etc...and fill it in as you go along, changing things here and there if needed,....but basically keep a structure of sorts to follow, so you're not just walking through your story in the dark?

If you make an outline, how detailed is it?

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With my serials and novellas, I just write. I don't outline. That takes away the joy of discovery for me. Things fall into place as they go along. It's gotten me through two serials and much of a third, since 2001, so far.

That's not to say no planning goes into it. Since my serials take at least a few years to write, that gives me plenty of time to mull over ideas for the next in the series, so by the time I'm done and get to the next story, I have the beginning and end and much of the middle in mind, but not exactly how it all goes, so I just start writing and see how things turn out.

With my novels, I did a form of outline by jotting down all the events I knew were going to happen, putting these in order, filling in the gaps, then coming up with a list of basic scene descriptions (just a line or two to say what happens); then I wrote the novels. I haven't written a novel in quite a while so I'm not sure if I'd still follow this process, but I might. I prefer to make it up as I go along with my serials, though. I found that knowing everything that's going to happen just dulls the excitement for me. (Though as I get toward the end of a story, I do jot down the key things left to happen so I don't forget anything important. I don't fill in all the stuff that happens around those things though!)

I once tried the whole chart thing of the plot points/rising and falling action/whatever and character journey and such and...it turned writing into something too much like math or architecture or logic for me, and just complicated it way too much. No thank you. I'll write it as it comes. Far more natural to me.

crayon said:

So...what's your method to get started? Is there anything worse than staring at a blank page/screen?

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I generally don't do that much. I at least type in something kind of crappy or stupid to get the words going.

crayon said:

OH! And do you write it down on paper? Do you use a pen or a pencil? I used to use pencil, but then it got hard to see after erasing so much. So, I only use pens. I'll flesh out the outline on paper but I do the actual writing on my computer.

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All computer. My hand can't keep up with my brain, and gets far too sore from all the writing and erasing instead of simple backspacing. Plus I'd have to type it up later anyway, and I wouldn't see all the typos I'm committing, so I just skip that extra step of writing on paper. Oh yes, also, my stories run into hundreds of chapters, so I hate to think how many trees that would kill.

I don't have a set method. I do whatever works for the project I'm working on. For my last WIP, I had a painstakingly detailed outline. For my current one, I'm figuring things out as I go. I do know a lot of what happens, though--it's more like the outline is just in my head, rather than something I physically put to paper.

As for actually writing the novel, I use my computer. Only if the power goes off, or I shut down my comp during a storm, do I use actual pen and paper.

Every literary undertaking for me starts with an inordinate amount of daydreaming.

Then I take notes, maybe write the plot in broad strokes. I draw pictures of my characters and settings and figure out the MCs' names.

Then I can start writing the story.

I sit down and start typing.

I usually get up at around 7 A.M.

Do pushups and go for a run around the neighborhood.

I live in the skid row section of Los Angeles, in a building with a cheap bar on the bottom floor. The bar opens at 6 am. I usually have a few hard boiled eggs, have a shot or two and make an napkin outline of what I want to accomplish for the day. Then I write until I accomplish those goals. I do it everyday.

I have the beginning, the climax, and the end in my head before I start to write. But honestly, after that point, I just save a .doc file and start writing. I don't really have a process beyond that.

I get an idea and just start writing. I've tried outlining, but those are the stories I never finish.

I create a step sheet and though it's nothing concrete, in that it will change often, it does help guide me on what to write.