This post was inspired by a question from Mary de Bastos from The Sweet Bookshelf ;-)
She's a hilarious woman filled with awesomeness.
I'll tell ya what works for me in writing.
Might work for you.
Might not.
I know. I didn't really sell this post all that well, huh?
Do you know the simple, SIMPLE thing that made me not afraid to try and write a book?
The idea that I didn't ahve to write in order. It made the whole task seem possible.
That I could think of a scene that was filled with some kind of feeling, and branch outward from there.
Maybe that IS where my story starts.
Maybe my starting place is WAY later.
Maybe this is JUST after my story's opening.
Sometimes, I write the END, FIRST. I did that in The Next Door Boys, and I often stop at about 20K and write the ending. It usually changes, but I've given myself something to work toward.
But.
My best advice to people just getting started in writing is to not worry and just get the story down. Don't worry about where you start, or where you finish. If your commas are perfect, or if you're using "Just" too much.
You might end up with a mess, but it'll be YOUR mess, and you'll have gotten the story down.
And then I'm going to tell you something really depressing - first books don't often get published first.
Just LOVE the process. Write all the scenes that make you fall in love with your characters, and don't worry about anything else.
The first scene I wrote in the Next Door Boys was the ending, which completely changed. The next few scenes I wrote were one of the two chapters that was cut off the front.
The first scene I wrote in Left to Love was a wedding that never made it into the second book, but it was so crucial for me to get into the mindset of my people that it was DEFINITELY not a waste.
In Insight, the first scene I wrote is when Micah tells someone (FINALLY) about what she can do (1/4 of the way in, maybe 1/3).
In Spill Over, the first scene I wrote was the first kiss - it happens fairly late in the book.
Night Sky I actually wrote the beginning FIRST - wow. But the next scene I wrote was one way later, and involved a HUGE admission from Sky...
This does not work for everyone, but if you're just getting started on a story, and aren't sure where to go, just write ANYTHING. The story will come...
probably. ;-O
So... Where are you in your current WIP???
~ Jolene
12 comments:
Great advice ... just write. I think getting all hung up in whether you're writing a beginning, end, etc really hinders the process.
I have a few books in progress but I will say I'm not half-way through with my Nevermore WIP. It's a novella with a contemporary Peter Pan fighting zombies in Detriot. He has a new team of lost boys and 'Captain Hook' is a teenager he has to compete and contend with.
And you're write. When you start out just enjoy the process.
THANK YOU!!!! I've been secretly waiting for this post.
I've been getting stuck going chronologically. I just don't want to write what comes next, or I just don't know what is immediately after a scene. Then it makes me not want to write.
My Mom used to edits books for Professor's at West Virginia University and she writes magazine articles. She told me that when Stephen King writes his first draft he'll just write blah blah blah scene about something. Or whatever. Then he'll move on. She told me just to write it. Get it down and then I can put it in order and do change all the awfulness about it. I suppose if you write enough "scene's" one by one you'll end up with a book.
Do you use Scrivener? Or some other kind of writing software? I hate learning new software but I think Scrivener would make it easy to write in scenes. One I figure out how to use the thing!
I write this same way. I think it helps with writers block :)
Yeah... that intro didn't really pull me in. I kept reading anyway. ;)
That is so totally what I do too. I have NEVER written anything in order. And very rarely do I actually start at the beginning.
I'm not a perfectionist in my writing or in real life, so I've never felt weird about jumping around like that.
Write the scene you're passionate about at the time. That's how I feel. Sure it ends up being a mess, as you said, but it works for me.
Seems my muse is much happier when he gets to write without worrying about commas or even spelling. Save that for the right brain during edits!
I agree with the 'just write'. I am intrigued by people who can write out of order. All six of my stories have been written from front to back. During edits I went back in and added scenes of course.
I think ultimately 'just write'is the best advice. No matter what works best for you :)
Sometimes I get stuck on a scene, the characters aren't cooperating or I'm not sure where to go next, so I move on and write a different scene that I can write. It's kind of like making a movie; directors don't usually film scenes consecutively. Writers don't have to either. "Just write" is great advice!
I've done both ways. Straight through and then scenes at a time. Sometimes I just get too antsy to get to the smoochy scene, I write it and save it in the kissing folder, then when I finally get to it, I get all giddy when my word count suddenly skyrockets! Ha!
I generally write it in order, but I get urges now and again to write a particular scene that doesn't happen until much later. So I just write it and store it until I've reached that point :)
Yes, wait until you pass things out to your CP/FLE to delete "justs". I am super excited about our next project. That is all.
Good advices, indeed! Yet, I guess every author has his/her own methods and ways for inspiration too? One might work only for a few people, others for all writers?
I hope you (and any other author) will like a suggestion of mine too: using sites like zazzle.com, cafepress. com, fiverr? They could be a good way to promote your works and to help "remove" stupidity in the streets like headlines on t-shirts, fridge-magnets, cups, etc: My Boyfriend kisses Better Than Yours, FBI - female body inspector, etc. Not everything we see and think of should be about sex, right? It would be much better if there were more nice pictures (even of mythical creatures), good thoughts, poems (from any genre are welcome I guess), etc? I'm allanbard there, I use some of my illustrations, thoughts, poems from my books (like: One can fight money only with money, Even in the hottest fire there's a bit of water, All the problems in the world lead to one - narrow-minded people, or
Let's watch the moon, let's meet the sun!
Let's hear soon the way the Deed was done!
Let's listen to the music the shiny crystals played,
let's welcome crowds of creatures good and great...
etc). I guess such lines look and sound much better than the usual we see every day? Best wishes, keep up the good work! Let the wonderful noise of the sea always sounds in your ears! (as my water dragons' hunters would say - my Tale Of The Rock Pieces).
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