The writing process

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I have been trying to get started on writing a fictional novel but I am really struggling with where/how to begin

I have most of the characters thought out and all the major events/timeline. But what to do next is stumping me. As of now I have a bunch of jumbled events floating around in my head.

Anyone work on something similar?

[brassnuts]

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I have been trying to get started on writing a fictional novel but I am really struggling with where/how to begin

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Once upon a time...

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

Maybe start with an outline. Or else just start writing to get a draft - something. Then go back over it and over it and improve it wherever you see that it can be improved.

[Deftoner]

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I have been trying to get started on writing a fictional novel but I am really struggling with where/how to begin

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Once upon a time...

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[PokerFink]

Take a scene you like. It doesn't matter where it occurs in the timeline. Take a scene you have in your mind that you think will work well, and write it. Re-write it. Re-write it again. Work on that scene until you are sick of it, and then pick another scene to work on.

Eventually you can tie the different scenes together.

Thats how I write.

[SmileyEH]

This is awesome that you are doing this. I don't have any advice, but good luck!

-SmileyEH

[Blarg]

Unjumble them by writing out all the scenes, on index cards maybe. You can always add things and change them later, but a really clearly written down outline and scene by scene plan helps a lot to keep your through-line clear and everything coherent and connected. And to clarify what your own goals are and what you really think about your characters and themes, etc.

[Duke]

The best advice I can give you is to just start writing the story wherever it seems like it should start. Don't worry about the grammar and all of that, just write. Tell the story. Get to know your characters.

You may find that you're starting in the wrong place, and what you thought would or should happen won't. The characters need to decide for themselves what they'll be doing. If you don't find this happening, well, you aren't succeeding in bringing them to life. That's something that a lot of writers forget, and why many books suck.

If you try to fit the story to an outline, the character motivations won't be genuine and the book will suck. Any story, not just Tolkien's, grows in the telling.

~D

[Blarg]

Depends on how genuine your thinking is before your outline shapes up. People aren't paint-by-numbers, but neither is a writer's understanding of them, necessarily.

There's a place for both structure and things organically growing from themselves. Neither is mutually exclusive.

[Dynasty]

You should seriously consider joining a writing workshop. They're fantastic for getting good feedback.

[PokerFink]

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You should seriously consider joining a writing workshop. They're fantastic for getting good feedback.

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Good advice.

The other advice I can give is not to sorry about your first draft making any sense at all. Just write. Whether you start with one scene (the way I do) or multiple scenes, get your ideas on paper. Create some good lines, some good images, some good jokes. Just write it all out.

Making it flow into a full, coherent story comes later.

[JustSomeJackass]

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have been trying to get started on writing a fictional novel but I am really struggling with where/how to begin

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The night was sultry.

[poker-penguin]

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Anyone work on something similar?

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Not at the moment, but I should be. It's a discipline thing, just gotta sit down and effing well write.

[OtisTheMarsupial]

Give yourself a deadline. Announce it. The rest will come.

[Blarg]

A teacher of mine once said something I always gave credit to.

"If you want to find out if you could be a writer, go get a cabin or something and lock yourself up for a weekend. No t.v., no radio, no phone calls, nothing. Just write. If you can come out with a story, you're a writer. If not, forget it."

What he was trying to get at is that there are people who CAN write, but not professionally. If you want to do it professionally, you have to meet deadlines and can't sit around waiting for inspiration. You have to PRODUCE. It may be a love, but it's also a job.

I'm not sure if you can take much from that and apply it to your situation, but I thought it might bring home the need for action and commitment. I'm sure most of the best stories in history have gone unwritten because even absolute genius isn't enough unless you can park your ass in a chair and just write. Simply that.

[shakingspear]

A lot of good advice here. You should definitely just start writing, see where it takes you. Get as much as you can onto paper. It's amazing how quickly you can forget things.

Another thing you can do is create character sketches for the people in your story. Write all the important details about the character (physical details, how he/she talks, nervous twitches, job, family, etc.)...and the unimportant ones (favorite food, favorite baseball team, Mac or PC user, whatever). Minute details are as important as the major ones, even if the little ones don't make the story. It'll give you a better idea of who your characters are and make it easier to write about them later.

Good luck! Any hints as to what your story's about?

[brassnuts]

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have been trying to get started on writing a fictional novel but I am really struggling with where/how to begin

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The night was sultry.

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Nice.

Wanna see my coin collection?

[PokerFink]

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Another thing you can do is create character sketches for the people in your story. Write all the important details about the character (physical details, how he/she talks, nervous twitches, job, family, etc.)...and the unimportant ones (favorite food, favorite baseball team, Mac or PC user, whatever). Minute details are as important as the major ones, even if the little ones don't make the story. It'll give you a better idea of who your characters are and make it easier to write about them later.

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This is a fantastic suggestion. Good characters are rounded and have a backstory, even if that backstory isn't fully written into the story.

[jakethebake]

It's been a long time since I started a novel, but there used to be several freeware programs out there that would let you move scenes around and organize characters, etc. Very helpful for organizing your thoughts.

[Aces McGee]

I had this discussion just last weekend with my aunt, a playwright, storyteller, and general theater type. I mentioned to her that I had been trying to write a treatment for a screenplay that my friend (who went to USC film school) and I had discussed. I had been working on it for many months, but didn't seem to be getting anywhere (by the way, I write for a living, but it's magazine writing, not creative fiction).

I laid out the story of the screenplay to her, and she asked me which part of it I found to be the most interesting, the most intriguing. I told her, and she told me to look inside myself, look at my past experiences, and figure out what connection I had to that aspect of the story. Once I discovered why I was drawn to it, I'd be able to put my own perspective into the story, and I'd be able to write that scene, or that part. Once you get going, it just snowballs from there.

Damn good advice.

-McGee

[Monkeyslacks]

Here is some decent advice from Stephen King (http://www.icestormcity.com/rumble/king.html).

[Stuck]

"It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly a shot rang out."

[[censored]]

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Any hints as to what your story's about?

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It is in the tradition of Lord of the Rings with a similar dungeons and dragons/fantasy setting. Although I see multiple story arcs of characters unaware of the actions of others yet all connected by the rise of a great and evil power. The story shifts from one place to another similar to the winds of war for those familar with it.

[PeeWeeH]

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You should seriously consider joining a writing workshop. They're fantastic for getting good feedback.

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If by good feedback you mean a bunch of spineless pandering from other girls writing poems about their rainbow soul flower spirits.

peewee

[MEbenhoe]

I've actually thought about working on something similar. I have some of the ideas written down, a lot more worked out in my head, but to be honest I just haven't really had the drive to start it yet, so I'm not sure if I will or not.

What advice I would give you is have your characters set up, have your major events and your minor events, and most importantly decide what your theme is going to be. What are you trying to get across.

Know everything there is to know about your characters. If someone were to ask you what there favorite color is, what their goals in life are, etc. you should be able to answer this. That's the only way you'll be able to create a complete character and then be able to transfer the depth of that person into written word.

The same type of thing goes for settings and every other little detail. These things need to be able to interconnect to create a fabric of the world that you are transposing your reader into.

p.s. If you need someone to read over anything for you and offer some advice I'd be happy to. Feel free to PM me. However, I will be honest that my strengths in writing lie more in the creative side, making sure things flow well, etc. than the hardcore nitpicky grammar.

[[censored]]

a little bit more.

Elves and Humans live in adjacent kingdoms, the elves in a great and ancient forest and the humans in the surrounding developed land. over the years the human population as grown as its settlements have started to encroach into the elven forest. This does not sit well with the elves and the tensions between the two races have started to mount threatening 300 years of peace.

To make matters worse recently human outskirt settlements have recently come under terrrorist like attacks during the night. Evidence collected such as arrow heads/weapon marks. as well as the method and tatics of the attacks suggests that they were conducted by elves. The human settlers are demanding justice and revenge. The Elven commmunities have denied any knowledge of the attacks and leaders on both sides want to avoid a bloody and costly war. Growing numbers on both sides do not share the opinions of their leadership.

In a hope of starving off a possible war and to find out the nature of the dark raids the Elven King has decided to send out a investigative team of his own. Knowing that anyone who served under the king in would be viewed with contempt and suspicision (and fearing that he may not be able to trust everyone with his kingdom) the king instead has turned to the wi-gyin, an ancient order of Elven monks, known for their unbiased pursuit of truth, wisdom and their penchant for going against the established Elvin order.

{
Wi-gyin are a very secretive order or monks established many of thousands of years ago. They strive to obtain perfection in body of mind and seek a oneness with nature. To the end they refuse to use any type of magic either casting or item. They see magic as unnatural and a corruptive force which the weak a power driven rely on. This view eventually led them to remove themselves from elven society.

[for the purposes of my world elven society will be a blend of the tolkein elves and our traditional far eastern societies of ancient china and japan. Elvin warriors will be very similar to samurai and the society will very traditional in nature with a strict code of honor and hierarchy. think the village in the last samurai]


The wu-gyin are masters at unarmed combat. they see their body as a weapon which never dulls or breaks, can never be dropped and can never be lost. Relying on the use of a weapon is a weakness in their eyes which can be exploited by the enemy, the wu-gyin can never be disarmed. The wu-gyin will carry and use natural weapons such as the staff or sling when available.

Through thousands of years of study (typicel elvin life expectancy is ~700 years) the wu-gyin have learned the secrets of unlocking the full power and potential of the mind. through careful practice and discipline they have use of psionic powers many of which are extremely powerful and deadly.
}

Two warriors have been selected for this mission. One an experienced senior shar and her junior Tau-maux who is one his first mission away from the monastary.

[Blarg]

What? That's my idea. You'll be hearing from my lawyers!

[somethingstupid]

Get drunk first. Then start writing.

[shakingspear]

You're dealing with a lot of history here. It seems like you have a good idea of that history, so write it all down. It'll be a huge help in keeping continuity.

I hope you'll update on your progress.

[oreogod]

I took a class with Chuck Palahniuk (we still keep in contact) and have taken classes with the guy that taught him Tom Spanbauer. If u have direct questions shoot me and email...last year I also optioned a script I wrote awhile ago.

Anyway have to post this:

http://www.forumspile.com/Misc-Word.jpg