Help...

[Grant Rhoades]

Hey guys. I’ve been in massive debate on what to write and how to write it. I was thinking screenplay and then it hit me. The proper format for this idea of mine is as a novel. The thing is... I’ve never written a novel. I’m petrified and well as anxious to start. I have the characters, I have the setting, I have the basic idea of plot and so on, thing is. I have no clue how to start. Please, I’m asking for a bit of guidance because I’m venturing into unknown territories.


Grant.

[thewritingbug]

Grant, I would definitely get all of your notes and ideas down on paper (or computer), so you don't forget anything. You can either start by outlining exactly what you want in your novel, step by step, or you can just start writing.

Good Luck!
Lisa

[Birol]

What do your instincts tell you is the best way to start?

[reph]

I’ve never written a novel.
Well, you're starting with the right type font.

[DamaNegra]

What helps me start a novel is tell it as if I was telling a story to someone. Just narrate what happened, until you get it all out. Then, after you have finished narrating it, you can go over it and add more details and embelish it. For me, that's the basic way to start.

[AdamH]

It's scary that first time. The best thing to do to learn how is to read something that's similar to your genre. You can pick up a lot by reading how other people write. And grab a really good writing book. My favourite is Stephen King's On Writing. There's others I just can't think of right now.

Also, sometimes it's just as simple as putting a pen to a page, or fingers to the keyboard (whatever your choice) and see what comes up. Don't worry about writing too much, or too little on your first draft. No limits. Don't expect to write the greatest novel in the world first try. The important thing is to get the story down on paper in some way. You can rework and rewrite afterwards. This part is the bread and butter to good writing.

Now, to be frank ("Don't call me Frank!"--I always wanted to use that line somewhere :) ), I've only written one novel in my life. Still at it actually. But I found the process is similar to how I write short stories (got lots of those). So take my advice for what you will.

Good luck!

[Elijah Phoenix]

I pounded out my first novel dam near non-stop. I didn't bath or shave for three weeks because I was on it big time. When i was done I gave it to my sister to proof read and fix . [it was on 3.5 disc]. She called me as soon as i got home from dropping it off. She said, "Brother, you wrote this in first,second and third person. You can't do that. I'm only on page 15 and that's what jumped out at me." I was devastated.I quit doing it as the story wore on, but I guess I didn't have my start all worked out.

Now, when i start I make dam sure which person I"m in. I like to work in the first person- become the character. It helps as you go along.

My last one starts out:
I love to wake up to the smell of coffee and bacon cooking. I have the best wife in the world. I have the best life in the world. My wife Katie is 40 years old and she still looks like she did when i met her in high school. Better even. She was 5"6" and 115 lbs back in school. She's 5"6" and 118 today. I know; she weighs herself everyday. She's more beautiful today than she's ever been. I"m a county executive. I'm probably the most respected man in the county. I've lived a charmed life. Why did I blow it!?
God why!? If only that beautiful young female attorney hadn't moved in across the way. Margie! Margie and I ruined my life. One mistake and my life is ruined. One lapse in judgement and I ruin three lives, four lives in a few months. Margie told me not to worry, she'll never name me as the father and never ask for money, but i can't live a lie. I have to tell Katie today. Today!

I make dam sure i got it in my head I'm the guy in the story, telling it to the reader.

[Avalon]

Start by reading Uncle Jim's thread, in its entirety, from page 1. :)

[maestrowork]

The best way to start is to write the first word. Then a sentence. Then a paragraph.

Until then, you will always be just "talking" about writing a novel.

[JerseyGirl1962]

What Avalon said. :)

[henriette]

i'll make this short and sweet:

just giver.

:)

[Bufty]

Hi, Grant :hi:

Stop thinking about it and write. I spent ages staring at a blank screen for ten minutes then giving up - boy was that stupid. To say you have no clue how to start is plain dumb - you must have read plenty of books. You type CHAPTER ONE, hit the Enter key a couple of times and jump straight into your story with something happening to someone somewhere.


Or, if you are stuck - anything happening to anyone anywhere.
Try it.:banana:And let's know how it goes.

[PeeDee]

Just open your mouth and let your guts fall out on the page. If you don't have a scene in your mind, make one up (writer, remember). Frequently, my beginning chapter(s) vanish on second draft, because they're asinine and usually irrelevant. I once started off with a pissy rant on the part of my main character about how much he dislikes coffee. It didn't matter to the story, but it was something for my fingers to do while my brain was putting together the pieces.

Sometimes, too, it's easier if you ahve more projects. That might just be me, I don't know. I've got another novel I'm really itching to write, but I'm doing nothing but jotting down notes and scenes as they occur to me. I'm letting it boil while I work on my current novel, which requires much less pondering at this point.

(talk talk talk, Pete, now go write something)

[zornhau]

Hey guys. I’ve been in massive debate on what to write and how to write it. I was thinking screenplay and then it hit me. The proper format for this idea of mine is as a novel. The thing is... I’ve never written a novel. I’m petrified and well as anxious to start. I have the characters, I have the setting, I have the basic idea of plot and so on, thing is. I have no clue how to start. Please, I’m asking for a bit of guidance because I’m venturing into unknown territories.


Grant.


Humbly suggest read

The Uncle Jim thread
“Techniques of the Selling Writer” Dwight Swain. An old book, recommended to me by Janny Wurtz. Basically it’s Pulp Writing 101. Covers everything, from extreme basics to advanced. Swain was a very successful mid 20th century pulp writer.
"Story" Robert McKee. Mainly about scriptwriting but still very useful. (NB Novels have more than 3 acts.)
Then start writing.

[Garpy]

okay, from my experience....what intimidated me when starting my first book was the sheer scale of the project. 100-150k words is a lot of words. I wondered whether my story was big enough to fill that, whether I'd be all told-out in 30-40 thousand words.

So...this worked for me. I spent my time knocking up a simple step plan...a synopsis-on-the-back-of-an-envelope. From that I fleshed it out into a detailed synopsis, listing each plot point or event, and calling that a chapter. I ended up with about 40 events/plot points, and assumed each one to be on average, two thousand words.

So...I felt happy starting off, knowing that it looked like I'd atleast reach 80k words, and sort of guessing that additional ideas and themes would occur to me as I wrote and take me up to 100k. When I was done writing the first draft, I was on 130k.

It's so-o-o-o easy to be intimidated by the task of writing a book. But if you break it up into lots of iddy-biddy pieces, it's a doddle.

[Grant Rhoades]

Thanks for the input everyone, you donno how much this helped me. I got a page done... Not impressed with myself but hey, I jumped into it :). I appreciate all the words of wisdom guy, and the ideas are flowing.