Are you having a hard time getting started on a story?Maybe you are having a hard time finishing.Many writers use these techniques and best practices to find inspiration, get started, and finish their story.
Step 1: Do you want to write a novel, short story, screenplay or play?
The same basic writing process will work for all of the forms.
Step 2: Pick a genre.
The amount of attention you give to characters, prose, and setting will be influenced by the type of story you tell.There is a literary fiction.First and foremost, literary fiction authors want to create a work of art.The quality of prose and multi-dimensional characters are of primary importance.Donna Tartt's The Gold Finch is an excellent example of literary fiction with complex characters and sparkling prose.There is a genre of fiction.While genre fiction can achieve the status of art, books in these genres are seen as more commercial.It helps readers find the books they like to read.Usually a murder is the subject of a mysteries book.The characters that make a mystery memorable are the ones that are well-plotted.Think Mma Precious Ramotswe from The No.A detective agency for ladies.The books designed to make the reader pulse race are called thrillers.Jack Reacher books are written by Lee Child.Like mysteries, they are plot and character driven.Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code features a race against time.There are usually two characters and obstacles that keep them apart in romance books.The most successful romance writers combine interesting characters with richly detailed settings that draw the reader in.Fantasy involves magic and is usually about imaginary worlds.Setting is the most important.The goal is the same as in J. R.R.George R.R. is the author of Lord of the Rings.The Song of Ice and Fire series is about creating a richly detailed world that readers want to return to again and again.Science fiction is books that use science as opposed to magic.Setting is important as with fantasy.Frank Herbert's Dune is one of the books that create richly imagined worlds, complete with their own climate, politics, religion, food, and technology.Historical books combine elements of fiction with accurate details of the time period.Plot and setting are what they tend to emphasize.The best historical fiction recreates the past so well that the reader forgets they are reading fiction.The books that create a feeling of terror or dread in the reader often include supernatural elements.Plot and tone are emphasized in these books.The gold standard is Stephen King's books.Young adult books are for teenagers and pre-teens.Romance or fantasy are usually combined with them.Harry Potter and The Hunger Games are two of the most popular series in this field.
Step 3: Pick a genre that you like to read.
The more familiar you are with a genre, the easier it will be for you to break the rules that define it.
Step 4: To find ideas, write.
A process is what comes up with a good idea.There isn't often a "ah-ha" moment.The best way to develop an idea is to start somewhere and write.The time needed to develop the characters, plot, and setting is what makes and idea good.One of the best examples of a wonderful idea that was built over time is the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.An eleven year old boy is invited to attend a magical school for wizards, where he must confront the evil that killed his parents, but there is nothing great about it.The details that grew from that idea are what makes the book work.
Step 5: Start with "what if".
What-if statements are great story generators.During the State of the Union Address, what if the capitol was bombed?What if you were adopted?Would the young couple living next door be Russian spies?After creating a long list of what-ifs, flesh out the ones with the most promise.
Step 6: You can use the genre to get started.
If you are writing literary fiction, you should start with your central character.What does he or she do?What is the person's personality?They are facing a conflict.Think about the world you want to create if you are doing fantasy or sci-fi.Think about the period, event, or character you want to build your story around if you are doing an historical work.Think about the crime if you are writing a mystery.
Step 7: Current events are important to pay attention to.
Michael Crichton's stories started as a piece of news.There are many quirky characters in the real world.The news is a good place to look for them.
Step 8: You can watch the world.
It might be the start of a story when you pass a vacant lot on the way to work.What if you found a suitcase full of cash?The couple at the next table are sitting in stony silence.
Step 9: For inspiration, look to your own life.
Maybe you've traveled somewhere that you think would be a great setting for a story, or met someone who would make an interesting character.Maybe you do a good job.The basis for a story could be your experience of war, cancer, and a break up.
Step 10: Take a scene from a book.
Think of a small scene from a film or novel as the opening scene of your story.The goal is to give you a starting point, not to plagiarize.
Step 11: You can modify the stories you know.
Take the plot summary of a story you know and change it one bit at a time until you have your own story idea.Try Casablanca.In the early days of World War II, an American expatriate meets a former lover with unforeseen consequences.Is it possible to make the lead character a woman?She had ties to the Viet Cong, not the French Resistance.
Step 12: For someone you have lost touch with, create a history.
You haven't spoken to a friend in years, maybe you have a best friend from grade school or high school.It could be a worst enemy.Imagine their life after that.
Step 13: You can use a writing prompt.
There are many lists on websites like Writer's Digest and Creative Writing Now.What matters is where you take the idea.
Step 14: You should keep a notebook by your side.
If you get any ideas, you have a quick and easy way to remember them.
Step 15: Don't think you can skip this step.
Even if you are writing a novel.You need to research before you start writing.
Step 16: Do research on your characters.
If you are writing a historical novel with real characters, you will need to research their lives.The more famous the character, the more research you need to do.Even if your characters are fiction, you still need to do research.Your characters should have a personality.Pick their strengths and weaknesses.Are they funny?Is it easy to be angered?Is it smart?Sly?A gambler?What are their mannerisms?The most interesting characters are rounded.Think of a brilliant detective, but also an egotistical drug user.Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice is smart, independent minded, and funny, but also proud and condescending.Work on your appearance.You need to know their body type, eye color, skin and hair colour, the shape of their face, and if they have birthmarks or scars.Don't forget the less obvious features, like long, delicate fingers or impossibly skinny legs with knobby knees.It is often effective to create a character who is not who they seem to be.Hilary Mantel knows how to describe a character.The Cardinal at fifty-five is still as handsome as he was in his prime.He is dressed in blackish purple and fine white lace, like a humble bishop.His height is impressive, his belly is merely another princely aspect of his being, and he often rests a large, white, beringed hand.A large head, designed by God to support the papal tiara, is carried superbly on broad shoulders: shoulders upon which rest the great chain of Lord Chancellor of England.If you are writing historical fiction, you should check the Medieval Names Archive to make sure your name is historically accurate.Take care of your characters.Think of their hobbies, profession, background and upraising.How do they relate to each other?Their family?Do they enjoy their job?What kind of clothes do they wear?How do they talk?Are they graceful or clumsy?Character development is an ongoing process.You will want to research your characters before you start writing, but they probably won't come to life until you are well into your story.
Step 17: You should research your setting.
Use it if you have a place in mind.Pick a place that is appropriate to the story you are trying to tell.It means more work if you have a fictional setting.You will have to create a believable world.Borrowing details from real world settings is a good way to do it.George R.R.Martin's Song of Ice and Fire combines elements of medieval Nordic and English culture with bits from other countries.Where do you view your story?A town or a city?Is it urban or rural?Is it a tropical or anarctic?Is it embedded in a culture like feudal Japan or revolutionary France?The setting is a vital part of the novel.There are places that fit that description.The details should be filled in.The location's history, climate, style of architecture, and local culture and religion are some of the things you'll want to know when setting your story.It is advisable to work up front to get started.While you are writing, you can look up more details.In Graham Swift's atmospheric novel Waterland, a rich setting can serve as another character.The land in that part of the world is flat.Flat, with an unrelieved and boring flatness, enough of itself, some might say, to drive a man to sleep-deprived thoughts.From the raised banks of the Leem, it stretched away to the horizon, with its uniform color and levelness broken only by the crops that grew upon it.
Step 18: It's time to make a schedule.
When you will write, set aside time in at least two hour chunks.Don't change your schedule.This is the easiest way to finish the project.Don't worry about daily or weekly word quota.If you don't meet your quota, you can be upset and not want to write.Some days you will write a lot, others you won't.You are doing work.You will get there if you put in the time.
Step 19: It's best to write whatever outline works for you.
A detailed outline can make writing easier, but some writers feel it limits their creativity.A synopsis is a synopsis that covers the major plot points of a novel without going into too much detail about the setting, characters or dialogue.Synopses are often used to pitch new book or movie ideas to editors and producers, and writing a synopsis is good practice for novelists and screenwriters alike.Write one or two sentences for each scene in a book or movie.This can help you keep your story short.Key scenes in your story are written out in a collection of scenes.When writing the story, you can use the key scenes as guideposts, writing from one to the next.
Step 20: Don't worry about your first draft.
The goal is to finish the first draft.You are only trying to get the basic plot in place and find your character's voices.It doesn't need to be perfect.
Step 21: Don't allow writer's block to slow you down.
Every writer is stuck at one point or another.Maybe you can't find a way to move a scene forward or feel like your writing is poor.Waiting for inspiration isn't the answer.Taking a short break is one of the ways to overcome writer's block.You can take a walk, grab some coffee, or read.A few minutes thinking about something else can help.There is a switch between computer and pen and paper.Changing the medium you are writing in can help you get started.Writing in outline form focuses on blocking and dialogue.You can concentrate on character and plot if you don't worry about your prose.It is possible to flesh out the prose later.Write.Write everything you can think of about your character and story.You will be doing useful work if you don't fix the scene.Write about something you're excited about.Simply move on if you are stuck.Pick another part of the story that interests you.
Step 22: Write a lot of drafts.
It is difficult to nail down your plot, character development, overarching themes, and prose all at the same time.A key source of writer's block is trying to do too much.Try to write at least three drafts.Focus on getting to The End.Your main concern should be the plot.Make a list of changes you want to make for draft 2 and don't waste time trying to perfect everything.Pick up the plot in the second draft and apply your changes.Writing a sentence or two for each scene or chapter is a good way to make a reverse outline.Slow points, dead weight, or problems in overall structure will be helped by it.The third draft focuses on your characters and overarching themes.It takes a while to find your voice.It's time to make sure that voice is consistent.Draft 4 is about Polish prose.In the early drafts, you will end up cutting a lot of what you write.Don't polish until you're satisfied with your plot and characters.She had emerald eyes and smooth, golden skin the color of the desert sands, not "she was beautiful", so make sure your descriptions are vibrant.Show, don't say that he was angry.Be careful with the use of adverbs, they are rarely necessary.Don't use clichés.
Step 23: Show your story to people.
You can get feedback from a number of sources, including friends and family, automated critique software, posting the manuscript on a fiction website, or joining a writing group.
Step 24: You can use the feedback to improve your story.
Readers are usually correct when pointing out problems and wrong when suggesting solutions.It is up to you to come up with solutions that satisfy both readers and your vision.