How to start article, novel, etc??? your way

Everyone's approach varies. Approach isn't as important as fundamentals and writing a good story. And, as always, just keep writing.

I tend to start with an idea in my head and expand on it. Just one idea that usually becomes the premise for everything else. I've outlined around an idea, written poetry and music around ideas ... you get it. I have no idea where it might occur in the book, but it will be in the book. In any case, I have an idea and write around it.

Again, everyone's approach differs. What matters is that you start something, finish it and follow through.

jst5150 said:

Everyone's approach varies. Approach isn't as important as fundamentals and writing a good story. And, as always, just keep writing.

I tend to start with an idea in my head and expand on it. Just one idea that usually becomes the premise for everything else. I've outlined around an idea, written poetry and music around ideas ... you get it. I have no idea where it might occur in the book, but it will be in the book. In any case, I have an idea and write around it.

Again, everyone's approach differs. What matters is that you start something, finish it and follow through.

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If your book becomes a big hit you can publish all that extra stuff and the fans would love it.

Articles and books are two different things.

Article: I will get all the necessary information down into the document in a series of unconnected statements and facts. THEN, I get the article started. The only way I can start is to write a snappy opening. Once I have that opening, the rest of the article comes together. It took me almost three hours to come up with that opening for the ESPN Radio article.

Book: I just write. In the case of my novel, I came up with the concept and decided on a scene to start with and just started writing. Later, that scene got moved to a later place and I wrote a new opener.

For my nonfiction books, the openings came later, after I had written much of the books themselves.

allen

I'm the same as dpaterso. I know the ending and I have a good idea of the rest of the story. I can add an additional scene if I think up another interesting piece of action but the general story is there. All I do is think about it constantly, polishing and tweeking to heighten the action.

On the one I'm working on, I started out by figuring out what the hook was and wrote the summary that would go in a query letter. Then I started writing at the beginning.

This sub-forum is for basic questions, so as far as fiction goes, I venture to suggest to any beginner they make sure the reader knows fairly quickly where they are, what's happening and in whose head they are supposed to be.

Also make sure as soon as possible sufficient information has been provided for the reader to form a story question in his mind -that will be the ultimate question he is seeking to have answered as the tale unfolds.

The story question is not a direct question addressed to the reader -it is formed by the reader from what he is reading.

Similarly, each chapter should have its own 'chapter -or goal question'.

I'm sure there are other ways of starting and progressing but that's one way - if I have interpreted the original poster's question correctly.

Linda Adams said:

On the one I'm working on, I started out by figuring out what the hook was and wrote the summary that would go in a query letter. Then I started writing at the beginning.

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I didn't do this for my first novel, but did for the next couple. I'm finding it helpful. A couple of paragraphs covering the whole novel, then just let it flow in a logical sequence.

All I need to know about the ending is that the good guy beats the bad guys and survives to continue the series.

I'd go with Bufty, and add the importance (IMO) of introducing your MC in the first scene/chapter (probably para). I tried starting with the bad guy in one of my novels, but it just didn't work for me.

JJ

I like to start with showing the MC doing what they would normally do before any bad stuff happens. I generally re write the start later ( as I get to know the character better) but it seems to ground me in the world. Then I can add the 'OMG what the hell is happening!' stuff that is the plot and the rest follows.

I generally have an end in mind, but I only know roughly how I'm going to get there, because I know my mind will think up more possibilities as I write, and if I have an outline, I always end up sticking to it, to the detriment of the story.

dpaterso said:

I always have a story ending in mind. So I don't have to write this first, I just have to write towards it. In theory.

-Derek

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In theory,

dpaterso said:

I always have a story ending in mind. So I don't have to write this first, I just have to write towards it. In theory.

-Derek

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That doesn't work well for me. I start with a what if? idea and go from there. If I do have a vague idea for the endinga when I start, it usually works out differently.

I've never written an article, so the following applies only to fiction writing, but:

I don't want to know the ending, actually. By about halfway through, I have a general idea of how it's probably going to end, but I stalwartly refuse to make any concrete decisions until I get there. It's more fun, when the plot twists surprise me as much as anyone else. Like I'm hacking away through a dense jungle with a machete, hunting for the lost Magical Plot Device of the Literary Empire, or- bother. Runaway bunny.

seun said:

That doesn't work well for me. I start with a what if? idea and go from there. If I do have a vague idea for the endinga when I start, it usually works out differently.

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I do the same thing- I ask myself what if- then I try to answer that question- I usually have no idea how its going to end- thats half the fun- figuring it out as I go- I also have to have a title in mind before I start- I know that sounds weird- but if I dont have a title I can't start the book-

It is always nice (from my perspective) to have some general idea of where the story is going to wind up. But this might be as simple as "MC lives, bad guys get what is coming to them."

However, that is rarely where I start.

I usually start with a character. I get an idea for a person (usually someone we are meant to like) that I find intriguing. Then I start to think about what kind of situation I would like to see them in. That situation may be something that comes in the beginning, middle or end of the story but it has to be something interesting.

Then I work out from there, whether it's forward to the end or back towards the beginning.

You are welcome - after all, you did ask for them.

JacobWorld said:

...Thanks for the novel advices anyway ...

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JacobWorld said:

I am more intersted in articles and short stories , because thats what I write.
Thanks for the novel advices anyway .
Good posts seun and dpaterso and others

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Hang on. Derek wrote a few sentences and seun wrote a few that disagreed with Derek. Why single them out for praise? Are the rest of us just 'others'?

That's it - bat and ball and off with me.

JJ

JJ Cooper said:

Hang on. Derek wrote a few sentences and seun wrote a few that disagreed with Derek. Why single them out for praise? Are the rest of us just 'others'?

JJ

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Yeah. Me and D are cool and you're not. So there.

I'm still at the fence watching you two. Crossing my arms now. Looking away and then looking back. You're still playing. Well it won't be as good without me. That's it I'm off to start and opposing world competition. New rules and more exciting. Old farts. Tongue out and runs (sticks tongue back in before running).

JJ

I normally do a lot of planning and doodling before writing. I draw or do up tables on characters, setting etc to get it really solid. Then I start writing from the beginning which doesn't always work, creates a lot of headaches but I battle on.

Well, I: "start at the beginning and when you get to the end, stop."

Second best advice I ever got from a Mad Hatter. . . .

The best advice I ever got about beginnings was "Start two seconds before everything changes for the worst, and go on from there."